Princeless Book 1: Deluxe Edition Hardcover (PRINCELESS DLX HC) Hardcover – February 9, 2016

For the past several years, I have been at odds with most of what I encounter in books, movies, games and comics because of the seemingly endless horde of negative tropes about women, POC, foreigners in general, or any demographic that can fall under "The Others" that are so prominent in all of these. Rarely do I find things I am able to truly enjoy as a result.Princeless, on the other hand, challenges a lot of this recurrent trend and revolves almost entirely around empowering, not just female character who would normally be defaulted with being weak and subservient, with pipe cleaner arms; but also respectfully integrates the presence of both female and male characters that fall outside of what is normally expected of their gender roles.While there are certainly elements in the story and characters specifically designed to challenge these tropes, it is clear that none of the characters present are one way or another because of their genders. The lead character, Princess Adrienne, for example, is not a gimmick defined by her breaking all of the "frail princess" tropes. Instead, she is a fully realized protagonist that organically carries the plot forward.The books are very effective in addressing all the problems inherent with what can only be called misogynistic tropes, without actually turning its story into a gender war by focusing a lot more on each character as an individual who lives under their own circumstances and are influenced by the world and the culture around them and how each of them deals with it.Even King Ash, who quickly sets himself up as the primary antagonist, at least for now, seems to operate the way he does thanks to the culture he was brought up in. But even he makes no gestures of disgust when he encounters that a girl outside of his culture is slated to lead her clan without any required male entity in the future.For a series that deals with such harsh topics as our Western World's internalized mysoginism and subtle quips that address clashing political ideals and manipulation, it is extremely friendly for audiences of all ages. All of the more sensitive stuff, if it can even be called that, is woven into the fabric of the story so subtly and clearly that, even the younger audience would get the notion of what it is trying to say, and an older audience would be able to get much more out of it without it coming off as "too adult" for the little ones.The books also feature a spectacularly racially diverse cast of characters that are strangely devoid of other fantasy stories where there are humans, elves, dwarves and orcs, but a lot of authors tend to draw the line at the presence of POC. Adrienne herself is black, and she is no weaker for it. In book 2 we find that her sister is known as the most beautiful lady in the land. I cannot recall the last time this was done for anyone who wasn't a "white, blonde, blue-eyed princess." Needless to say, this is refreshing from all angles.The writing itself can be a little stilted, and at times it feels a bit on the amateur side. For example, there are a few pages throughout the first two books where the word balloon layouts was a bit confusing and I couldn't tell either who was speaking first, or who was speaking at all. But that didn't really bring anything down for me. As an aspiring comic artist myself, I'm actually extremely encouraged to find that even people who are able to put together such wonderful piece of literature and art is still human, and that we all can do something without the pressure of being perfect. We can all be better, not just in skill, but as people.Jeremy Whitley, the author, is a role model. In a world where destructive gender biases are so ingrained in our culture that so many people (especially men) fail to realize how wrong it actually is, we really need more people to present us with strong examples of how to become better than ourselves.I only discovered Princeless recently when I was doing research for my Animation MFA thesis, which centers around female character design, specifically. I got both books a couple of days ago in the mail and I'm absolutely in love with the series. I've shared it with my two friends and girlfriend, all of which ended up loving it every bit as much as I, and I will be citing this in my thesis as a prime example on how to do it right.I really cannot wait to give this to my young niece who lives abroad. I'm fairly sure she's about to reach that age where adults begin to drive her toward specific gender expectations and I would love for her to see this and discover that she doesn't have to be bound by that.As far as the shipping; It went well. Unfortunately, there's a page in my Book 1 that came partially torn up, so I'll have to purchase a new copy in the future.I definitely hope to see more Princeless and stories like it in years to come, and not just from Whitley, but from other men and women in the creative field that have the chance to make a difference.

Disclaimer: this review contains spoilers. You have been warned.Flipping through the pages of Princeless, the reasons for its multiple Eisner nominations become apparent. Written by Jeremy Whitley, with art by Mia Goodwin, Princeless tells the story of Princess Adrienne, who, after being locked in a tower by her parents, saves herself and sets off on a quest to rescue her other sisters. Right off the bat, Adrienne's characterization is solidified. The story opens with her mother, the Queen, reading her daughter a tale of a distressed princess and her ensuing rescue; but Adrienne doesn't take from the story what her mother intends. Even as a small child, Adrienne points out the various plot-holes in the book. She questions how the prince managed to get the princess down from the tower; and when her mother tells her they must have climbed, she notes the "pipe cleaner" arms of the damsel would have prevented her from being able to scale the structure; she wonders how the girl ended up in the tower in the first place; and she asks, how does one even buy a dragon to guard a tower? Within the first three pages, Adrienne is established as a competent, critically-thinking character, strong-willed and autonomous in design. What's not to love?If I listed every aspect I admire about this title, most of the pages would be recounted and this review would be the length of a novel. Instead, I will mention two more positive plot-points that make Princeless worth reading. The first is directly after Adrienne wakes up in the tower (after being drugged on her sixteenth birthday by her parents, noting that she was "elbows deep in steak" at her birthday dinner before she realized something was wrong). When a prince comes to rescue her, she isn't impressed; instead, she finds herself annoyed. As he yells up to her, seeking a "fair maiden" she asks him what he thinks "fair" means; when he replies with a guess that it means "beautiful" she explains irately that it means "white," and points to herself (she is a character of color), asking, "Does this look fair to you?" She follows up by telling him that if he's so anxious for a wife he should acquaint himself with a book first, "Work your way up." Again, Adrienne's value of intelligence is emphasized, as is her pride; she refuses to be infantilized or degraded, and instead respects herself. Further, Princeless depicts a positive relationship between two women after Adrienne meets the half-dwarf, half-human Bedelia. This fosters female friendship, discouraging the common occurrence of "girl-fighting" (a negative phenomenon that pits women against each other). This portrayal, removed of the typical "competition for a man" is both refreshing and inspiring; other works should take note and replicate.But why is Princeless so important? Whitley created the work after discovering how lacking stories are for young girls. As a father of his own daughter (also a girl of color), Whitley wanted more positive role models for his child. And, rather than complain about it, Whitley did something about it: he crafted his own tale, featuring a character he would be proud to have his daughter admire. Princeless presents a rarity (inmost genres, but especially in comic book genres); not only is the lead a woman, but she is a woman of color. Whitley's story provides visibility and representation that are often missing from published works. Further, Princeless is an all-ages comic book. It is meant to be read by children and adults alike. Reading this story to a child can instill positive messages about gender and race/ethnicity; it provides a diverse landscape and socializes children to be accepting of others. Further, in a world damaged by "Princess Culture" (i.e. "pinkified" in a way that encourages girls to emphasize physical appearance and dependence on men), Adrienne is a breath of fresh air. Like Merida, the protagonist from the popular recent princess movie, Brave, Adrienne does not value beauty, nor is her goal in life to find a man and have her "Happily Ever After." Instead, these women teach girls how to protect themselves and others. Princeless gives me hope of defying the dominant ideology infecting society - of overturning the idea girls are waiting to be "saved." As such, Princeless is essential reading for children - boys and girls alike - to see autonomy in action while having fun along the way.