There are a few things that make She-Hulk stand out, first of which is her brains and brawn, but perhaps most famously is her breaking of the fourth wall. It’s used to great effect in Planet She-Hulk, which launches its first issue today in comic shops. Jennifer is a bit trapped tending to Sakaar with her cousin Hulk, very late to relieve her. As we saw in her Imperial tie-in, Jennifer is all about justice, but in a world built on chaos and violence, justice is far from it.
Planet She-Hulk #1 opens with a full-page splash of She-Hulk screaming, wielding a giant sword. Donning armor, you immediately get a sword-and-sorcery vibe from the book, rendered beautifully by Aaron Kuder. A turn of the page reveals a giant alien crab She-Hulk is fighting in a double-page splash, and you already know the epic spectacle is what this book is all about.
Mixed into these two pages and throughout the issue is good monologuing by Stephanie Phillips via captions. She’s talking directly to the reader, adding that metatextual uniqueness that longtime fans of She-Hulk will be pleased to see. She even looks right at us at one point. She’s very casual and sick of the Sakaar drama, but she persists because she’s a hero and she promised her cousin. It goes without saying that Phillips nails Jennifer’s voice, as well. Longtime fans of the character will be pleased with how she looks and sounds.
After a helpful recap of how she got to Sakaar, the issue details the days after Hulk promised to be back in a fun four-page montage of all sorts of violent problems She-Hulk resolves first-hand. It’s not a glamorous life being interim king, it seems.
Love when she breaks the fourth wall.
Credit: Marvel
This leads to a five-page bathtub scene that’s a bit heavy on the exposition, though Phillips and Kuder attempt to make the eye-candy of a nude She-Hulk in bubbles keep you interested. At the very least, Kuder mixes up the angles, always keeping the dialogue interesting enough.
The second half of the issue involves the wedding that required her to fight the alien crab earlier in the issue, as well as set up the major conflict. Given the backstabbing nature of seemingly all residents of Sakaar, it’ll be fun to unpack the mystery in this whodunit as the story progresses.
Kuder’s art is great, with good detail and a nice sense of depth throughout the issue. There’s an almost cleaner look to some panels, particularly when an assassin in red and black shows up. Color artist Sonia Oback does an exceptional job with skin tones, particularly of the green persuasion. You can practically feel the goo dripping of She-Hulk after she bursts through it, later in the issue.
One nagging element missing is a similar problem to Imperial War: Planet She-Hulk, in which She-Hulk never feels much in danger. With super-strong skin and strength, the danger seems to be more for those around her.
Planet She-Hulk #1 kicks off with bold energy and style, delivering everything fans love about Jennifer Walters – wit, strength, and sharp self-awareness – set against the brutal backdrop of Sakaar. Stephanie Phillips nails She-Hulk’s sardonic charm and layered resilience, while Aaron Kuder and Sonia Oback deliver some of the most vivid, kinetic art on the stands. Equal parts sword-and-sorcery romp and meta character study, this debut feels as bold and confident as its heroine. Even when it indulges in pulp or pacing detours, it’s a confident and colorful return to She-Hulk’s most chaotic playground.
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