Vixens, Vamps & Vipers compiled by Mike Madrid (book review).
I found this book when I was researching supervillainesses. ‘Vixens, Vamps & Vipers’ is the third of three books compiled by Mike Madrid looking at different comic book characters. This one is mostly, if not entirely, pre-Comic Code Authority, showing women are the deadliest of the species when it comes to scheming and committing crimes.
I can’t compare it to any male version because I haven’t seen all the equivalents from that time period, but considering how many in the last panel are doomed to be executed, you do have to wonder if there was any equality of fate back then.
This book has a mixture from supervillains to women who changed into villainy and often lead teams of men and all, as Madrid describes, lethal.
There are twenty-two villainesses here, none that evolved and exist today, and one would have to be a comic book historian to have come across them. Some of them appear under heroic characters’ own comic books, although there are also crime stories where they are followed alone, staying a few steps ahead of the police.
The fact that they get their just deserts should hopefully have persuaded readers at the time that crime does not pay and to stay away from a crooked path. That would also assume that teens likely to take this route were actually literate. Back in the 1940s and 1950s, that wasn’t always the case. If anything, the latter CCA got in the way of such a deterrent, as it may have created barriers for literate teens to engage with the material effectively, potentially leading to a decrease in their understanding and appreciation of the artistic works presented. You can form your opinion based on the samples presented here.
Madrid manages to identify some of the artists. Some you might recognise, like Will Eisner, and a lot more are obscure today. I was impressed by Fred Guardineer, but I’m sure you’ll find your own favourites here.
In an afterword, Madrid points out how there was a quasi-time where supervillainesses became superheroes, like Catwoman. Conversely, some superheroines, such as Wonder Woman and the Phoenix, engaged in negative actions. Oddly, not a mention of Harley Quinn, who must surely have been around when this book was released. She won’t like that.
As I said at the beginning of this review, I’m doing research for an article on why villains can be more popular than the heroes. Although none of these exist today, it does give some insight showing the early stages in American comic books. There are still copies out there. The stories are complex for their time period and not a quick read, so you are indulged.
GF Willmetts
March 2026
(pub: Exterminating Angel, 2014 252 page medium-sized soft cover graphic novel. Price: varies but you can find a reasonable price. ISBN: 978-1-935259-27-5).
check out websites: www.exterminatingangel.com and www.heaven4heroes.com
