Rainbow Rowell and Andres Genolet came out swinging with The Sensational She-Hulk #1, mixing romantic melodrama and a sense that the Marvel universe is big and lived in. It was a delight, but it appears Hulk will ruin everything as he takes up much of Jen’s time in the second issue. The problem is that Bruce isn’t around anymore as Hulk has taken over, so it’ll be tough to get through to the big galoot.
The second issue is all about crisis aversion. Picking up where the cliffhanger left off, She-Hulk faces Hulk on a city street. She’s hoping he’ll go away quickly before anyone sees him. Fat chance of that, as he’s aggressively accusing She-Hulk of following him. Rowell and Genolet maximize She-Hulk’s badass nature by showing she’s not afraid of Hulk. She does have fear, though, when she realizes people are gathering and could get hurt.
The character expressions in this book are spectacular, especially in one scene where She-Hulk gives Hulk a talking-to. You could read the comic without the dialogue and still gather the varying things She-Hulk is saying across the four panels. Panel one, she’s done with his BS. Panel two, she’s annoyed as hell. In panel three, she’s a bit sassy and lying to him. Panel four, she’s gritting her teeth and wanting him to leave yesterday.
She has had it with Hulk.
Credit: Marvel
That is until another She-Hulk enters the story! The action ramps up from there, and it looks fabulous in every panel. Genlot draws a great muscle-clad hero (and villain) with a good sense of weight to crush things. Damage to buildings has a great level of detail. This book looks realistic and has the quality of the best comic art out there—props to color artist Dee Cunniffe, who adds good skin tones to these giant green heroes.
I might be spoiled, however, as I hoped for more romantic melodrama or Jen doing her lawyer duties. The entire main story is a single action scene, starkly contrasting the first issue. It’s good, but it’s a lot less of what made the first issue so damn good.
Also contained here is a backup story by Bobby Wilson and David Cutler featuring Wyatt Wingfoot. She-Hulk is acting as his lawyer, but soon they’re getting tangled up in an invasion of the U.S. Capitol. The story loops in the Keewazi while connecting Wyatt to the Fantastic Four. The ending shows he’s a great ambassador as well. The overall story has a nice classic Marvel feel, especially with its connections to the past.
The Sensational She-Hulk #2 is another excellent issue but suffers a bit as it becomes too singular and focused on action. Still, the expressions are spot-on, and She-Hulk couldn’t be written better.
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