Who's got a hyphen in their name and Dan Slott for a writer?
She-Hulk, of course! Who did you think I meant?
Slott's run begins with the Jade Giantess on top of the world. She-Hulk's saving Earth with the Avengers, costing evil corporations millions in court, and picking up underwear models in her free time. The only problem is, her rockstar lifestyle has become too much for everyone around her. But the most prestigious law firm in New York has a proposition for Jennifer Walters. They want to hire her, with one condition: when she's at work, she can't Hulk out.
On its surface, She-Hulk is a funny book. From her over-the-top antics in green to the clever solutions she finds for trying unprecedented superhero cases, the book trades in humor. And that makes it entertaining. But what really makes it interesting is the low-key, personal conflict Jen faces: she doesn’t like being Jennifer Walters. The first thing we see is her law school graduation, where none of her classmates knows who she is because she kept her head in her books. As She-Hulk, she’s powerful and flashy and impossible to ignore. She’s larger than life in every conceivable way, and no one can overlook her. Being normal, being unremarkable—this is the nightmare that Slott makes her face.
Juan Bobillo and Paul Pelletier share pencilling duties; each leans into a stylized look. Bobillo’s is rounder, more upbeat, and charming. Pelletier’s is more angular, with a more contemporary comic book flavor. Both look great. And even with separate inkers and colorists, their styles, while different, both fit the over-the-top, sometimes silly tone Slott leans into.
I always enjoy Dan Slott’s writing, so it should be no surprise that I loved She-Hulk. It’s a humorous, occasionally bittersweet title. Jennifer Walters (and She-Hulk) are charming, human, and sympathetic. It plays fast and loose with the legal side of things sometimes, but never in a way that feels unreasonable. If you like Dan Slott, She-Hulk, or courtroom dramadies, you should check this one out.
Collected in
- She-Hulk, Vol. 1: Single Green Female (#1-6)
- She-Hulk by Dan Slott: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1 (#1-12; She-Hulk 2005 #1-5)
Credits
Writer: Dan Slott: Pencillers: Juan Bobillo (1-4), Paul Pelletier (5-6) | Inkers: Marcelo Sosa (1-4), Tom Simmons with Don Hillsman (5), Roland Paris (6) | Colorists: Chris Chuckry (1-4), Avalon Studios (5-6) | Letterer: VC’s Dave Sharpe | Assistant Editors: Schmidt & Wiley | Editor: Tom Brevoort