She Hulk 4 review

The last issue if She Hulk was kind of intense. Kristoff Vernard, the son of Dr. Doom, asked Jennifer Walters to help him seek asylum in the United States. While she ended up winning, Dr. Doom showed up within seconds and abducted his son, taking him back to Latveria. It was the perfect mix of action, lighthearted fun, legal drama and the kind of humour you’d expect from a book starring Bruce Banner’s lawyer cousin. This issue picks up shortly after the last ended.

The bulk of today’s issue views another angle of a superhero legal drama. How far is the lawyer willing to go to protect their client – even one as rude as Kristoff? After a brief office meeting and a broken desk, She Hulk heads for San Francisco to seek advice from fellow lawyer/superhero Matthew Murdock. It’s a nice scene that shows the potential friendship between the two, followed by a splash page of them spending “a night on the town”. What follows is a great action scene in Latveria that’s both intense and hilarious. Even Doom’s servo bots are proud to a fault, and She Hulk enjoys that big gun a bit too much. The plot resolves itself smoothly, and the remainder of the issue teases the next storyline complete with antics from the other occupants of the building where She Hulk’s law office resides.

Javier Pulido’s art is polarizing, but it fits the comic’s mood perfectly. The simple, slightly cartoonish look and flat appearance will turn off some, but there’s a charm factor for those who enjoy it. There’s a lot of environmental detail that add extra touches to the storytelling, including an excited kid who points at the green superhero as she and Daredevil climb down from the Golden Gate Bridge. While they’re on the bridge, they have a number of flags and banners showcasing the issue’s title and credits, one hanging from the back of a plane. Also, there’s a parachuting monkey. The “night on the town” page is a splash image complete with angry thugs with their improvised weapons and all sorts of neon-lights in the background. In the Latverian action scene, there’s plenty of debris as Jennifer smashes through Doom’s bots. There is one panel as they descend the bridge where She Hulk’s footing is odd, almost making it look as though she’s flying, but otherwise the only complaints one could have are of personal taste.

Charles Soule is killing this series. It’s a consistently fun title where each issue stands on its own, and it seamlessly combines superhero action with legal drama while making it easy to understand. It has a real sense of authenticity, surely helped by the fact that Soule is a lawyer himself. While the art may turn off some, this is well worth checking out for anyone looking for a fun solo title that’s really not like any other current Marvel series.

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