What do you think?
Rate this book
Strong Female Protagonist #5-8
Strong Female Protagonist: Book Two
Alison Green used to be a superhero. With unlimited strength and invulnerability, she fought crime with a group of other teens under the alter ego Mega Girl. All that changed after an encounter with Menace, her mind-reading archenemy, who showed her evidence of a sinister conspiracy that made battling giant robots suddenly seem unimportant. Now, Alison is going to college in New York City, trying to find ways to actually help the world while making friends and getting to class on time. It's impossible to escape the past, however, and trouble comes in the form of mysterious murders, ex-teammates with grudges, robots with a strange sense of humor, an inconvenient crush, a cantankerous professor, and many different kinds of people who think they know the best way to be a hero.
336 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2017
27 people are currently reading
804 people want to read
About the author
Brennan Lee Mulligan
5 books323 followersBrennan Lee Mulligan is a writer, improviser, and actor living in New York. He performs on Harold Night at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and is a member of the UCB Touring Company. He once had a cantaloupe thrown at his head in the middle of a dinner party, and he chopped it perfectly in half with a sword, earning eternal glory for himself and his ancestors.
He graduated from the School of Visual Arts with a degree in Screenwriting, and from SUNY Ulster with a degree in Philosophy.
Brennan has had his writing optioned, purchased and produced, and is also one half of the creative force behind the web comic Strong Female Protagonist. He is a proud cast member of the nationally acclaimed Story Pirates.
He graduated from the School of Visual Arts with a degree in Screenwriting, and from SUNY Ulster with a degree in Philosophy.
Brennan has had his writing optioned, purchased and produced, and is also one half of the creative force behind the web comic Strong Female Protagonist. He is a proud cast member of the nationally acclaimed Story Pirates.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
February 26, 2018
I so love this series.
SFP ambitiously tackles big questions (What does it actually mean to "save the world"? How might we go about it? Are people basically good or bad? Can the ends ever justify the means? Can it NOT?) and it does so intelligently and thoughtfully. It routinely leaves me feeling like I've just had a really good workout.
Mulligan somehow manages to take something that usually represents a failure in this medium--people talking endlessly at one another--and turn it into a strength. I can't put the book down when different characters are bouncing philosophies and worldviews off one another.
And Ostertag imbues her simple, bright, clean style with remarkable expressiveness in facial expressions and body language. The reader feels what the characters are feeling.
Six stars.
SFP ambitiously tackles big questions (What does it actually mean to "save the world"? How might we go about it? Are people basically good or bad? Can the ends ever justify the means? Can it NOT?) and it does so intelligently and thoughtfully. It routinely leaves me feeling like I've just had a really good workout.
Mulligan somehow manages to take something that usually represents a failure in this medium--people talking endlessly at one another--and turn it into a strength. I can't put the book down when different characters are bouncing philosophies and worldviews off one another.
And Ostertag imbues her simple, bright, clean style with remarkable expressiveness in facial expressions and body language. The reader feels what the characters are feeling.
Six stars.
April 5, 2019
Everything is pushed to a higher level in the second volume of this fantastic series: the stakes are more lethal! The powers are stronger! The art is in full color! Allison is concerned when she hears news of a serial killer beginning to operate in her area. The strange thing is that every victim of the killer is someone who was accused of rape or sexual assault, but who got off easy from the justice system. Allison heads back to the home-base of her old superhero team, The Guardians, to find one former teammate has ghosted, one is actively moving out to go start a nonprofit organization, and the last is having an identity crisis. Back on her college campus, Allison discovers the super-smart biodynamic engineer Lisa Bradley aka Paladin has been hired as a professor and is in the middle of constructing her new lab. Allison tries to get over her long-running crush on the former supervillain Menace and start dating, track down the mysterious serial killer, develop an independent study project, explore a surprising new power, and deal with a family health crisis. I am completely hooked on this series, some of the best superhero stuff I have ever read. I probably won't be able to wait for the next book to come out in print but will instead dive into the following chapters online at https://strongfemaleprotagonist.com. I love seeing Molly Ostertag's art develop into it's current style over the course of this satisfying installment.
December 20, 2017
I've only been reading this series in collected form, so I wasn't sure what to expect from the second volume.
I'm torn because on one hand the art is fantastic, evolving in leaps and bounds from the previous volume. On the other hand, I didn't enjoy the writing as much in this volume as in the first collected book. Alison's constant backsliding made the soul searching she was constantly doing seem a bit like just going through the motions. Is this realistic for what a person might actually do in her situation? Maybe. Is it enjoyable to read. Not so much for me... which is a shame because I quite enjoy many of the side characters in this series.
I'm torn because on one hand the art is fantastic, evolving in leaps and bounds from the previous volume. On the other hand, I didn't enjoy the writing as much in this volume as in the first collected book. Alison's constant backsliding made the soul searching she was constantly doing seem a bit like just going through the motions. Is this realistic for what a person might actually do in her situation? Maybe. Is it enjoyable to read. Not so much for me... which is a shame because I quite enjoy many of the side characters in this series.
December 3, 2017
In this arc Brennan and Molly really hit their stride. Gurwara is one of my favourite antagonists ever, in part because he genuinely pushes Ali to change as a character, and the interpersonal dynamics between Ali, Patrick, Clevin, Max, Tara, and Lisa all start to really feel real. I know I'm invested in a book when I start getting angry at characters because they're saying stupid things and I want to jump into the book to take sides in an argument, or to yell at someone for not treating someone else properly.
November 18, 2020
This is more of a 4.5 but, nonetheless, a really good read. The problem I ultimately had with SFP this in the second volume was, weirdly, the philosophizing in it. I love philosophy and philosophical discussions, especially being an undergrad in it and still engaging with the material, but that is also what this comic seemed to be from the get go. Which is fine, I loved it, but the plotting and pacing also seemed to be a bit, well, plodding. It seemed to take a backseat compared to part one. Still, it was a good read and seeing some of these threads work out and come together was really cool. All the same, I also now know that this story hasn't reached a conclusion online or in print form which is somewhat sad, as I was hoping to figure out how this story would end and have some kind of closure. Nonetheless, the artwork got quite good in places, the themes are relevant and appropriate, the writing is top notch and the philosophy was, well, quite good too. It got deeper into what it wanted to say and raised some important and good questions as well. Overall, I liked it a lot actually and it makes me excited to read some of Molly Ostertag's solo work, which I am diving into very soon. I can recommend this, but also don't expect closure, at least not yet.
Read
April 26, 2023WOW. I will admit, coming to these as collected volumes rather than in their original online format, I found that first book a slog, but it is worth it as the set up for Book Two, which is excellent! Allison's more annoying characteristics, which were readily evident in Book One, are confronted face on - see page 162 for the installment that really lays it out (or you can read it here), in Allison's own words. This is a talky comic, with characters who are prone to monologuing, but it is enjoyable. Many interesting developments and "side quests." And the ending is a great little cliffhanger. I was set to be disappointed about that, and disappointment may be just down the road as this comic is currently on hiatus, but having checked the Archive at the official web site, there's another 126 comic pages plus bonus content between here and there. Looks like I've got some clicking in my future.
November 30, 2019
3.5 stars—this volume dragged a lot more than the first and was denser than its form was meant to accommodate (though my coworker did remind me that there were years between volumes, so there was a lot to tell), but I still enjoyed reading about the biodynamic individuals of this rich world.
That cliffhanger, though!
That cliffhanger, though!
September 25, 2018
Strong Female Protagonist is now in COLOUR! I must say, the art is definitely improved in this second volume, and I always enjoy watching the evolution of artists as they work on long-term projects. The story continues the very critical look at superheroes, though there are times when some of the questions and frustrations of the protagonist begin to drag a bit. On the other hand, this volume really delves into some powerful ideas. Really looking forward to the concluding volume!
May 26, 2019
I recently ran across an ecstatic review of mine for volume 1, and I decided to track down volume 2.
I don’t know. There was a lot of talking in this one, a lot of Allison trying to figure out her life. It was intelligently written, but I didn’t find it super entertaining to read. The moments I liked the most were when Allison was interacting with her old Guardians pals. I loved that Brad kept referring to Max as the “underwear gentleman.” And I also really dug Clevin, especially at the end.
Allison is very fleshed out, and I appreciate how skillfully characterized she is. But she kind is drives me crazy too, probably because her anger and self-doubt are so realistic.
Volume 2 covers deep, interesting subject matter, but it does go on, and 300+ pages was maybe a little too long for the story being told.
I don’t know. There was a lot of talking in this one, a lot of Allison trying to figure out her life. It was intelligently written, but I didn’t find it super entertaining to read. The moments I liked the most were when Allison was interacting with her old Guardians pals. I loved that Brad kept referring to Max as the “underwear gentleman.” And I also really dug Clevin, especially at the end.
Allison is very fleshed out, and I appreciate how skillfully characterized she is. But she kind is drives me crazy too, probably because her anger and self-doubt are so realistic.
Volume 2 covers deep, interesting subject matter, but it does go on, and 300+ pages was maybe a little too long for the story being told.
August 5, 2018
Yup, this series is going in my favorites list.
I am hopelessly in love with these books. They deal with philosophical and ethical questions beautifully, and on top of that the main character deals with these questions while being one of the most powerful people on Earth (which I feel is something that should be done and addressed more in comics but isn't).
This is not an ordinary superhero comic. It's about a girl who ultimately wants to do the right thing, but really has no idea what that means (something I'm sure a lot of us can relate to).
Everyone. Read. This. Series.
I am hopelessly in love with these books. They deal with philosophical and ethical questions beautifully, and on top of that the main character deals with these questions while being one of the most powerful people on Earth (which I feel is something that should be done and addressed more in comics but isn't).
This is not an ordinary superhero comic. It's about a girl who ultimately wants to do the right thing, but really has no idea what that means (something I'm sure a lot of us can relate to).
Everyone. Read. This. Series.
January 21, 2019
Probably repeating myself from my review of book one, but I absolutely just love the premise and world Mulligan and Ostertag have created.
Also, Alison/Mega Girl is a character I simply adore. She isn’t perfect and makes mistakes along the way, but she’s always trying to do the right thing.
The situations in the two chapters this book is composed of were very engaging. I can only hope a book three will be made at some point. As this title is a webcomic I noticed it’s currently on a hiatus 😔.
Also, Alison/Mega Girl is a character I simply adore. She isn’t perfect and makes mistakes along the way, but she’s always trying to do the right thing.
The situations in the two chapters this book is composed of were very engaging. I can only hope a book three will be made at some point. As this title is a webcomic I noticed it’s currently on a hiatus 😔.
February 6, 2021
It’s very obvious to know that every other comic book series starts with a female protagonist, and that’s actually the important part of storytelling that it should be. Now, speaking of the female protagonist, I’ve come across to any kind of women who are main characters in comics, video games, even movies. Well as you know it’s actually rare to make a story with a female protagonist with some great personality and determined to do anything. I’ll get into that for later, but let’s get on with the review.
For starters, Strong Female Protagonist is actually based on a superhero webcomic on its own website of the title, but the story also describes itself as a young middle-class American woman with super-strength and so, it follows with the protagonist Alison Green retired from her role as a superhero and enrolled in college in New York. It said to be done that every superhero character has a day job going with a double life in school and fighting against the forces of evil and bring to justice. It’s just like any other DC or Marvel Comics that focus any other characters in their hero life and an ordinary life. The idea is that Alison focused on studying in college and gave up her role as a superhero is almost like a life-changing decision if you ask me. But suddenly she finds herself with some old enemies. But also there are some strange happenings around town, like the invisible woman who talks like a ghost. However the comic is amazing to tell that a female protagonist is willing to make her decisions on her own whether if she’s going to fight against evil or focus on college.
It’s amazing to have a story starting with a female protagonist is the most important aspect of storytelling. Well, I don’t mean to ruin everyone’s parade but I do have some examples of other female main characters in storytelling. Like I said before that every female main character would fit better if they have a great personality, a will to fight, even determination, but every female character has a story. Beginning with my own examples, there are some greatest female protagonists that have something in common, like Rey from Star Wars, she’s actually a trained Jedi, but she’s determined to wait for her parents to return on Jaku for reasons, but on the bottom line, she has a powerful force which relates to the Skywalkers. Also Terra Branford from Final Fantasy VI who happens to be a half-human, half-esper girl with an enormous magical powers that can actually destroy the world, despite her young age, she’s determined to save the world from destruction, and willing to use the power of love to protect the world for the sake, and for the future of the children. I really do like Terra, and that actually the base definition of a true female protagonist should have with her personality and determination and she’s actually the bravest woman of the series. And there’s Korra from Avatar, who deeply determines to master all the elements and restore balance to the world, but somehow she’s felt connected to the spirits and brought Air bending back to life, around there she’s actually fired up for her Avatar duties and fought so many enemies who tried to break the balance of peace, and with the help of her friends, she has enough power to bring peace to the world. Around here, I’ve read so many stories that many other female women who can do anything.
But this comic is focused on a female main character who participated in school instead of fighting, but somehow this webcomic is almost related to another superhero webcomic called “Supersonic Girl” by Sandra Diaz, which focuses of a young lady who attends in high school and fights crime at the same time. However some of the characters are much more related to this graphic novel from a Webtoon comic, which the main character of that Webtoon looked like Alison Green, and her uncle Dr. Voltio, who looked like Dr. Light from Mega Man, I don’t know, I’m not making this up, all of this is based on my observation. I mean if there’s such a superhero comic that can save the day, but nothing compares to these webcomics.
I mean that’d be like if I made a comic book series called “Miss New Yorker”, motherfuckin’ thugs and demons have been robbing the banks and goods around 42th street. Somehow Ms. New Yorker’s womanly instincts are tingling and then she transforms secretly into an all mighty superhero and fights these thugs to justice. On her daily life, she works with Mayor Bloomberg as an office lady, then the word has spread that Donald Trump declares a war in America and sent some terrifying monsters to attack the innocent and rule the world. Only one can protect the innocent and that’s Miss New Yorker. Now that I got all that out of the way, I’ll go on and finish this.
The creators did a great job of covering up with the comic series which can actually have a good sense of creating any good female protagonists. The story is terrific, and the art is more clever, but it makes no difference between the webcomic and the graphic novel, because the webcomic is all black and white and almost drawn on paper, but it’s still good, but this time the graphic novel is all coloured and it makes much easier to read, and I already explained to her, so I don’t have to go over again. So it’s a great graphic novel, no problems there, almost a masterpiece. Even the creator agreed to turn this into a graphic novel, IDW did a great job to add this to their series. I recommend to anyone to read this graphic novel, better yet start reading this comic series on the webcomic link down below and hope that this comic is more interesting on what you think.
Strong Female Protagonist webcomic:
https://strongfemaleprotagonist.com
For starters, Strong Female Protagonist is actually based on a superhero webcomic on its own website of the title, but the story also describes itself as a young middle-class American woman with super-strength and so, it follows with the protagonist Alison Green retired from her role as a superhero and enrolled in college in New York. It said to be done that every superhero character has a day job going with a double life in school and fighting against the forces of evil and bring to justice. It’s just like any other DC or Marvel Comics that focus any other characters in their hero life and an ordinary life. The idea is that Alison focused on studying in college and gave up her role as a superhero is almost like a life-changing decision if you ask me. But suddenly she finds herself with some old enemies. But also there are some strange happenings around town, like the invisible woman who talks like a ghost. However the comic is amazing to tell that a female protagonist is willing to make her decisions on her own whether if she’s going to fight against evil or focus on college.
It’s amazing to have a story starting with a female protagonist is the most important aspect of storytelling. Well, I don’t mean to ruin everyone’s parade but I do have some examples of other female main characters in storytelling. Like I said before that every female main character would fit better if they have a great personality, a will to fight, even determination, but every female character has a story. Beginning with my own examples, there are some greatest female protagonists that have something in common, like Rey from Star Wars, she’s actually a trained Jedi, but she’s determined to wait for her parents to return on Jaku for reasons, but on the bottom line, she has a powerful force which relates to the Skywalkers. Also Terra Branford from Final Fantasy VI who happens to be a half-human, half-esper girl with an enormous magical powers that can actually destroy the world, despite her young age, she’s determined to save the world from destruction, and willing to use the power of love to protect the world for the sake, and for the future of the children. I really do like Terra, and that actually the base definition of a true female protagonist should have with her personality and determination and she’s actually the bravest woman of the series. And there’s Korra from Avatar, who deeply determines to master all the elements and restore balance to the world, but somehow she’s felt connected to the spirits and brought Air bending back to life, around there she’s actually fired up for her Avatar duties and fought so many enemies who tried to break the balance of peace, and with the help of her friends, she has enough power to bring peace to the world. Around here, I’ve read so many stories that many other female women who can do anything.
But this comic is focused on a female main character who participated in school instead of fighting, but somehow this webcomic is almost related to another superhero webcomic called “Supersonic Girl” by Sandra Diaz, which focuses of a young lady who attends in high school and fights crime at the same time. However some of the characters are much more related to this graphic novel from a Webtoon comic, which the main character of that Webtoon looked like Alison Green, and her uncle Dr. Voltio, who looked like Dr. Light from Mega Man, I don’t know, I’m not making this up, all of this is based on my observation. I mean if there’s such a superhero comic that can save the day, but nothing compares to these webcomics.
I mean that’d be like if I made a comic book series called “Miss New Yorker”, motherfuckin’ thugs and demons have been robbing the banks and goods around 42th street. Somehow Ms. New Yorker’s womanly instincts are tingling and then she transforms secretly into an all mighty superhero and fights these thugs to justice. On her daily life, she works with Mayor Bloomberg as an office lady, then the word has spread that Donald Trump declares a war in America and sent some terrifying monsters to attack the innocent and rule the world. Only one can protect the innocent and that’s Miss New Yorker. Now that I got all that out of the way, I’ll go on and finish this.
The creators did a great job of covering up with the comic series which can actually have a good sense of creating any good female protagonists. The story is terrific, and the art is more clever, but it makes no difference between the webcomic and the graphic novel, because the webcomic is all black and white and almost drawn on paper, but it’s still good, but this time the graphic novel is all coloured and it makes much easier to read, and I already explained to her, so I don’t have to go over again. So it’s a great graphic novel, no problems there, almost a masterpiece. Even the creator agreed to turn this into a graphic novel, IDW did a great job to add this to their series. I recommend to anyone to read this graphic novel, better yet start reading this comic series on the webcomic link down below and hope that this comic is more interesting on what you think.
Strong Female Protagonist webcomic:
https://strongfemaleprotagonist.com
March 9, 2021
And she’s back. MegaGirl/Alison Green, the girl with all the powers (now an added one) who just wants to have a normal life. It isn’t easy when your formerly evil potential Romeo goes on antisocial tangents (boy, that was some monologue) or your professors mess with your mind or your former friends go on vigilante sprees, but Alison tries anyway.
This novel actually much to its credit totally sorted out some of the main detractors from book one, no more funny/punny/pithy remarks on the bottom of the pages and bright vivid colors for every panel. Woohoo. But it’s still as talky as ever, more so, possibly, and being so much longer than book one, it seemed to go on for ages.
There’s still lots of really interesting social dynamics (more, inf act now) of various superpowered beings or unpowered biomorphs and it’s all done in the most woke of fashions, with all genders, sexualities, etc. taken into account on top of whatever challenges come from being radically different in appearance. In fact, the entire theme here is pretty woke and feminist, since one of the superpowered decides to all Judge Dredd on rapists. So you get to debate morality a lot. And then Alison gets this really interesting new professor and has a very long profound conversation about ethics.
It’s certainly a highly discursive book, much like its predecessor, and you’ll probably like it proportionately to how much dialogue you enjoy in your graphic novels. It’s long and reads long, but in the end there are enough original ideas to make it worth the effort. Don’t think there were any more of these made. The first two sourced by adoring public…maybe the adoration went away? Or maybe the inspiration did? Either way, it seems like Alison was finding her feet and her purpose in the world, so it isn’t an unsatisfactory ending, despite the WTF twist thrown in.
So there you go, you can say many things about these books, but they certainly lived up to the title. Which is super.
This novel actually much to its credit totally sorted out some of the main detractors from book one, no more funny/punny/pithy remarks on the bottom of the pages and bright vivid colors for every panel. Woohoo. But it’s still as talky as ever, more so, possibly, and being so much longer than book one, it seemed to go on for ages.
There’s still lots of really interesting social dynamics (more, inf act now) of various superpowered beings or unpowered biomorphs and it’s all done in the most woke of fashions, with all genders, sexualities, etc. taken into account on top of whatever challenges come from being radically different in appearance. In fact, the entire theme here is pretty woke and feminist, since one of the superpowered decides to all Judge Dredd on rapists. So you get to debate morality a lot. And then Alison gets this really interesting new professor and has a very long profound conversation about ethics.
It’s certainly a highly discursive book, much like its predecessor, and you’ll probably like it proportionately to how much dialogue you enjoy in your graphic novels. It’s long and reads long, but in the end there are enough original ideas to make it worth the effort. Don’t think there were any more of these made. The first two sourced by adoring public…maybe the adoration went away? Or maybe the inspiration did? Either way, it seems like Alison was finding her feet and her purpose in the world, so it isn’t an unsatisfactory ending, despite the WTF twist thrown in.
So there you go, you can say many things about these books, but they certainly lived up to the title. Which is super.
January 11, 2026
Even better than book one! Potentially inspired a new tattoo idea and had me buzzing all day. Truly infatuated by the way that this deconstructs the ethics of a world with super heroes by exploring such salient ideas.
Having watched a lot of Dimension20, I know that Brennan is fantastic at spinning up a compelling character with a believable moral code and center and delivering powerful moments as an improviser, so it shouldn’t surprise me that he can do so masterfully when he has time to cook.
Here’s a pile of quotes that I can’t stop thinking about:
No Glory, Save Honor - “lightbulbs are glorious, batteries are honorable, and we have a hard time seeing value in the latter.”
“It’s almost like reliably undervaluing people makes communication harder.”
“These were your actions! Defend them or regret them! There is no middle ground!”
“Isn’t that what ethics are, at the end? The thought that with a little cleverness, life could be more beautiful?”
“In a messy, complex world, maybe the ends do justify the means. But the threat of living that way is you pretty quickly stop looking for better means.”
“Truth be told, I have never known what to do with freedom. A goddess worshipped by slave and master alike. And it seems obvious which of her acolytes she favors more. I have always suspected she was simply Power, by a different name.”
Having watched a lot of Dimension20, I know that Brennan is fantastic at spinning up a compelling character with a believable moral code and center and delivering powerful moments as an improviser, so it shouldn’t surprise me that he can do so masterfully when he has time to cook.
Here’s a pile of quotes that I can’t stop thinking about:
No Glory, Save Honor - “lightbulbs are glorious, batteries are honorable, and we have a hard time seeing value in the latter.”
“It’s almost like reliably undervaluing people makes communication harder.”
“These were your actions! Defend them or regret them! There is no middle ground!”
“Isn’t that what ethics are, at the end? The thought that with a little cleverness, life could be more beautiful?”
“In a messy, complex world, maybe the ends do justify the means. But the threat of living that way is you pretty quickly stop looking for better means.”
“Truth be told, I have never known what to do with freedom. A goddess worshipped by slave and master alike. And it seems obvious which of her acolytes she favors more. I have always suspected she was simply Power, by a different name.”
December 15, 2020
I really enjoyed both these books and wish they went on further. How do you try fix the world's problems? Are solutions only valuable if they get to the root? How do you help the people that are hurting immediately? Lots of other big questions with the story part plot and bigger philosophy through.
This book focuses on Alison coming to the realization that if she wants to fix the world, there is no one big secret solution. She has to focus on an imperfect solution to problems that are happening now and lead by example if she wants to tell others what they are doing isn't right. At the same time she has to start trying to deal with the problems in her own life like her dad being sick, college, her friendships in need of repair and underdeveloped love life. I didn't like that the Menace/Patrick storyline felt unfinished but hopefully there is a next book where this is explored more, but I did like that it pushed forward more than from the first book. I also just didn't get the ending. Overall, pretty enjoyable read.
This book focuses on Alison coming to the realization that if she wants to fix the world, there is no one big secret solution. She has to focus on an imperfect solution to problems that are happening now and lead by example if she wants to tell others what they are doing isn't right. At the same time she has to start trying to deal with the problems in her own life like her dad being sick, college, her friendships in need of repair and underdeveloped love life. I didn't like that the Menace/Patrick storyline felt unfinished but hopefully there is a next book where this is explored more, but I did like that it pushed forward more than from the first book. I also just didn't get the ending. Overall, pretty enjoyable read.
September 27, 2021
One of the best superhero stories I've ever read about the ethics of heroing — not just the usual "is vigilantism justified?" questions, but bigger, more complicated, and less easily addressed questions about the endless complications of wielding or giving up power, and how it interacts with some of the fundamental assumptions of society. Parts of this particular volume are a vigilante story about a character who murders rapists, which becomes a down-the-rabbit-hole interrogation of why society is so willing to tolerate rape and so reluctant to prosecute it, and how heroism and really just about everything else we take for granted in stories are all social constructs that can't easily be budged, but still invite interrogation. That all sounds pretty deep and heady and possibly dull, but Strong Female Protagonist is funny and accessible, even when it's confrontational and challenging. This is an entertaining book, but it's also a great conversation-starter.
December 10, 2019
Further adventures of superheroes-taking-on-philosophy. Sometimes you see the effect of this being funded on kickstarter— some of the ethics conversations seem to go on for really longer than they maybe should, reducing their punch— but also sometimes you really see the effects of this being funded on kickstarter— emotional crises can turn on an unfair game in axiom class, we get go back and forth on whether someone is a bad guy right alongside our main characters over many pages. There's nothing quite like this that I've read, I think, and I really like what it's out here doing. There are no easy answers.
October 15, 2024
I really enjoyed this!! Full color!! I get how people think this is preachy but personally I’m like please Brennan Lee mulligan tell me the secret to being a good person and how to save the world. Just like a ton of interesting stuff to chew on a bit. And the art!! Truly spectacular so so many cool things are done! So I finish this book and take to the internet to see if a third book is being published soon and if not if I can read more online because like cliff hanger! Please tell me more! I could read this story all day! And the internet tells me the comic has been on hiatus since 2017😭😭😭😭 and I can’t even read the next few chapters after the book that were published online because they took the website down and the internet archive is SO slow and buggy :( I came across someone on the internet saying that as a fan they of course wanted the story to be resumed so they could read more, but as a literary critic, it’s fitting that a book about morality is left hanging and doesn’t have a nice tidy ending, because the question of how to show up in this world isn’t one that can really be answered conclusively, even if I feel like reading enough pages of this comic would reveal the secret to life eventually.
December 29, 2018
I sincerely cannot believe that this comic exists.
It's so sad but so hopeful and I think Alison might be one of my favourite characters ever but also all of them are really interesting. Also the art is fantastic and uses the medium of comics really well.
The first four chapters were impressive and these are somehow even better.
It's so sad but so hopeful and I think Alison might be one of my favourite characters ever but also all of them are really interesting. Also the art is fantastic and uses the medium of comics really well.
The first four chapters were impressive and these are somehow even better.
April 5, 2019
It is hard not to rave endlessly about this book. In a sea of superhero stories struggling to tell stories that engage with the world as we, the reader see it and the basics of what make the Hero Myth compelling, Brennan Lee Mulligan manages to weave a tale that makes most other efforts feel labored.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2021
Nemůžu si pomoct, ale přestože samotná kvalita kresby se výrazně zlepšila, tak samotný příběh začal postupně stagnovat, jako kdyby mu docházel dech. Pořád dobrý, ale ne tak dobrý jako první části Aliina příběhu.
August 13, 2024
4.5 Rounded down.
More interesting than the last book— with really great character developments— but sort of amplified the issues I already had with the series like poor paneling in terms of the text (too small and too much at once), and the character voices being indistinct.
More interesting than the last book— with really great character developments— but sort of amplified the issues I already had with the series like poor paneling in terms of the text (too small and too much at once), and the character voices being indistinct.
January 20, 2020
Popsugar 2020 Challenge: Read a book with a rating on GR over 4
May 25, 2022
Funny and heartwarming, while also dark and so thinky, I loved this second installment in the Strong Female Protagonist story even more than I was prepared to.
Cw for sexual assault, violence and murder, transphobia.
Cw for sexual assault, violence and murder, transphobia.
April 16, 2023
Philosophical, gut-wrenching, and hilarious. I wish I had read this years ago.
March 30, 2020
This is definitely the most philosophical superhero graphic novel series I have ever read!
Read
May 27, 2024Couldn’t finish it and need to turn the book back on. Need Goodreads to get a “did not finish” shelf
January 27, 2018
First let me precursor with the fact that I know this book at the time of this review is currently unpublished with a release date that is months from today's date. I did not read this in it's bound format, and there may be some special or extra details I will not be aware of until it's physical release. However, what I did was read all the pages on their website https://strongfemaleprotagonist.com.
This comic is a gift. It speaks volumes of society in general and how it seems it would be impossible for even the strongest superhero to truly save the world. With hints of how us non-superheroes could possibly take steps to help the world and how even the most notable, strongest individuals with the best intentions can lead you down a path of even more destruction. The characters in this are dynamic, riddled with inhuman and--sometimes too real-- human qualities and complexities.
I am very happy that I have found this now in this journey of my life, even though the anticipation of the completion of the series may be hard to withstand.
Thank you for writing and continuing to write this. I hope this series continues to be as good as it has been. I could write so much more but I don't want to reveal too much and in many ways I don't feel I could do it justice. Just go read it. Maybe you'll disagree with me, maybe you wont like it... but I love it.
This comic is a gift. It speaks volumes of society in general and how it seems it would be impossible for even the strongest superhero to truly save the world. With hints of how us non-superheroes could possibly take steps to help the world and how even the most notable, strongest individuals with the best intentions can lead you down a path of even more destruction. The characters in this are dynamic, riddled with inhuman and--sometimes too real-- human qualities and complexities.
I am very happy that I have found this now in this journey of my life, even though the anticipation of the completion of the series may be hard to withstand.
Thank you for writing and continuing to write this. I hope this series continues to be as good as it has been. I could write so much more but I don't want to reveal too much and in many ways I don't feel I could do it justice. Just go read it. Maybe you'll disagree with me, maybe you wont like it... but I love it.
May 3, 2018
I really enjoyed this. A great exploration of the ethics of being a superhero. Very relevant to today's #MeToo culture.
This one, maybe kids 11+ or more?
This one, maybe kids 11+ or more?
August 9, 2020
I was surprised at how many details I'd missed when reading the weekly pages on the web, but the story hangs together so much better when you read it in a physical collection like this. Alison continues her journey to figure out what to do with her life and powers if she's not going to be part of a superhero group anymore. Meanwhile, she also has the fallout from that group ending to deal with as well. I really miss this series since Mulligan and Ostertag have put it on hold...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews