Synopses & Reviews
From the New York Times bestselling author Catherynne Valente comes a ferocious riff on the women in superhero comics.
From the New York Times bestselling author Catherynne Valente comes a series of linked stories from the points of view of the wives and girlfriends of superheroes, female heroes, and anyone who's ever been "refrigerated" comic book women who are killed, raped, brainwashed, driven mad, disabled, or had their powers taken so that a male superhero's storyline will progress.
In an entirely new and original superhero universe, Valente subversively explores these ideas and themes in the superhero genre, treating them with the same love, gravity, and humor as her fairy tales. After all, superheroes are our new fairy tales and these six women have their own stories to share.
Review
"The illustrations by longtime comic artist Annie Wu are an extra gift to this heartbreaking series of stories. Don't turn from their stories, no matter how hard they can be to hear. Verdict: Buy it, damn you, and listen to their stories." BookRiot
Review
"In this novella, the superhero girlfriend gets to tell her own version of events in the afterlife. The women's voices are strong: bitter and full of pain, yet steel-tipped in sarcasm and humor." The Washington Post
Review
"Valente proves her adroitness with imagery and emotion in this extraordinary book of linked stories." Library Journal (Starred Review)
Review
"This is Valente at her sharpest and most pointed, ably assisted by illustrations from comics artist Annie Wu (Black Canary)."
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
About the Author
Catherynne M. Valente is an acclaimed, New York Times bestselling creator of over forty works of fantasy and science fiction, including the Fairyland novels and The Glass Town Game. She has been nominated for the Nebula and World Fantasy awards, and has won the Tiptree, Hugo, and Andre Norton award. She lives on a small island off the coast of Maine with her partner, young son, and a shockingly large cat with most excellent tufts.