“British girls’ comics toed the link between conservatism and rebellion. But in audience studies, they’re not remembered as conservative by the women who read them. The protagonists are remembered as brave and stubborn and pushing on through. They’re survivors, not victims. The comics left enough space for readers to remember them as they wanted to remember them.” -Julia

“I really liked the fact that Kitty’s powers get discovered and everyone’s cool with it. In British girls’ comics, girls often find out they have powers which become a source of embarrassment, and that have to be kept secret, and become isolating. Here, in the space of one panel, everyone’s like, ‘oh awesome!’” -Julia 

“I really like this as a third act for ‘Girls’ School from Heck,’ and I think this is a great place to leave Kitty, because it’s doing some important character work. For me this arc is about Kitty’s exploration of the femme or feminine gender identity. She participates in femininity but also kicks its butt.” -Andrew

“Kitty and Phoebe switch identities, which is a common theme in Claremont comics. Kitty puts on the blonde wig and becomes an image of femininity. While Phoebe becomes Kitty, putting on a dark wig. Through this reversal, Kitty becomes a cheerleader and Phoebe becomes a superhero. At least for a while.” -Anna

“As a girl who grew up in the Britney Spears era of sexy cheerleaders and schoolgirls, I have a strange reaction to some of these images, and the invitation to find them empowering. The one underwear shot, combined with the cameras and the commentary of the older male announcer, makes me uncomfortable.” -Anna

“Kitty quitting the competition is not the decision we’d expect in girls’ comics. The prized qualities in girls’ comics are humility, friendship, and camaraderie. Making the decision ‘I’m a hero, I’m going to go off and do something distinct,’ is something quite unusual.” -Julia

“We have an acknowledgement in this comic of teen girls being fans of Nightcrawler, and seeing that perspective addressed means the world to me. They’re also fans of him in a very specific way, hinting at the interesting sexual possibilities of his body.” -Anna 

“I’m disappointed by the unresolved plot threads. Though, to be as fair as possible to subsequent writers – Claremont does this. Claremont likes to put so many balls out there, nobody can hit them all. He writes like every issue like he’s got 14 more years to figure it out. Because for a while, he did.” -Mav