Immortal Hulk is a modern masterpiece. It’s proven over and over again with every single issue that comes out. It stands to reason, then, that She-Hulk’s time under the “Immortal” banner will be just as good, especially since it’s also written by Al Ewing. Joining him is Jon Davis-Hunt (who blew us away on The Wild Storm for 20+ issues) in a tale about the Green Door spoken of that’s some kind of level far worse than Hell. The question is: if Hulk can go there and never die, what of She-Hulk, who has died a few times over? Coming just a few weeks after we found out She-Hulk died in Empyre, this one-shot aims to explore what it means to never die.
This is a decent jumping on point, even if you haven’t been reading Immortal Hulk. Of course, it’d be far more interesting if you knew Uncle Brian was, or more about the Green Door, but Ewing crafts a story here that helps explain the supernatural stuff, She-Hulk’s sordid past with death, and even uses Wolverine to smooth out the unfamiliarity. As it stands, this book takes a look at a character like She-Hulk, who is beginning to understand what is going on when she dies and, more importantly, why she can’t.
This book, and Immortal Hulk with it, capture a supernatural power of Hulk that isn’t tied to science but something far more evil and carnal. That makes these green characters a little more complex and interesting. Layered with this is the concept of knowing you can’t die — how does that change you? That’s where Wolverine comes in. I’ll say no more to avoid spoilers, but the concept is a fascinating one. It’s also a setup for the last third of the book that’ll have Immortal Hulk fans quaking for the next issue, and She-Hulk fans wondering how this changes their favorite character.
Davis-Hunt’s art is detailed as ever, with a level of realism that has also kept Immortal Hulk book at the forefront of quality storytelling. There are multiple moments of extreme detail and quality showing energy dispersal and explosions. Most importantly, the pain, anguish, and confusion She-Hulk goes through are all on full display. Backed up by color artist Marcio Menyz, there’s a heightened realism in the use of color that helps shed a new layer of fear inside you when things get freaky. The skin tone of She-Hulk, for instance, has a subtle use of shadow that helps bring out her face. Uncle Brian at one point is backlit with red just on the edges of himself to convey a sense of demonic evil.
Speaking about realism, there’s a great scene with She-Hulk and another hero working out. As a comics nerd, I’ve always loved these display of normal, everyday activities being carried out by superheroes. Much like heroes playing baseball, it’s fun to see how they let their hair down when not fighting aliens and whatnot.
This book does suffer a bit from recap syndrome, reminding us of She-Hulk’s antics in the past, from recent Empyre events to Civil War II. That gives the book a meandering slow crawl to the finish. This may be due to much of the narrative hinging on a big reveal near the end and not giving us direct conflict in the plot itself. The conflicts arise in flashbacks.
The Immortal She-Hulk is an interesting story about the grander world of being a Hulk in the modern era for the character. It’s also a great entry point for new readers. It’ll make you want more She-Hulk comics, more Jon Davis-Hunt-drawn Marvel Comics, and more horror entwined with your superheroes.
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