All-New Marvel NOW!: She-Hulk #1 Review

I found myself standing in my local comic book store just staring at this book. Rhetorical questions unmoored from the deepest recesses of my mind: Was this necessary? Was there demand for this book? How many issues are we going to get before it’s cancelled? How can Marvel justify a $2.99 price tag for this?

The whole idea of She-Hulk #1 seemed liked a misbegotten pitch by an intern who was subsequently fired after suggesting it. Before I get too cynical though, I admit, I purchased this book last week. I’m not sure that says a lot because I’ve purchased all of the ‘All-New Marvel NOW!’ number one’s… and I only partially regret it. This title contributes to that ‘partially’ part.

Let me first say that the art by Javier Pulido is one of the few redeeming qualities of the book, and the only other driving force behind me purchasing it. By no means am I a connoisseur when it comes to She-Hulk; quite the opposite, but the art fit the character – in a really good way, I think. As always, Pulido does a fantastic job when it comes to facial expressions and body language; the colors were bright and vibrant as well. The problem wasn’t the art, it was the narrative.

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!

I had very little interest in reading about the legal exploits of one Jennifer Walters, or She-Hulk for that matter. My heart didn’t break when she learned that her firm wasn’t going to make her a partner or give her a bonus/raise. It wasn’t entertaining to watch her duke it out with an old, monotonous lawyer who is the ‘legal’ department for Tony Stark. There was little to no action, which is a problem when the book has ‘Hulk’ in the title. Lastly, I just didn’t buy that Stark would take She-Hulk seriously at all, especially after she stormed into his office and demanded a resolution to her lawsuit against him.

The book is $2.99, but it really should be more like $1.49. I would go lower, but the art is worth half the price of admission. I have nothing against Charles Soule (writer); there simply isn’t much that can be done with She-Hulk in my opinion. I did a quick search on ‘She-Hulk’ in Google and unearthed some head-scratching things.

In May, 2011, IGN ranked her as the 88th greatest superhero of all-time, explaining that she received the rank based on the fact that she wasn’t regulated to being a sidekick.

Who in their right mind would want her as a sidekick… at least in terms of selling comic books? Personally, I think she is ranked way too high on that list. To me, that’s pretty much the equivalent of the planned live-action movie ALF getting nominated for an Oscar in a few years – just terrible.

Look, if you’re a collector of comic books like me, and need it for your collection, then maybe wait until it hits a $1 box. If you like Pulido’s work then it’s also worth having in your collection, but not for the cover price. Overall, She-Hulk #1 is just another example of how Marvel doesn’t listen to their core audience, and instead is throwing a bunch of stuff against the wall in hopes that something sticks. However, this nicely packaged (art) green-glob of a story is anything but adhesive.