She-Hulk #12: 175th Anniversary Giant-Size Book/Fight Club Bonanza

Never a big fan of celebrating 175th issue anniversaries – issue #12 of Rainbow Rowell’s run on She-Hulk does feel like an inflection point for the title. A favorite comic of 2022 She-Hulk for many reasons – but most all of them stem from Rowell’s talent for making Jen likable and relatable in the face of adversity that felt realistic. A derailed career, dealing with the actual living costs of putting others before yourself, and a budding romance with a guy who keeps threatening to move back to Connecticut are problems that most of us have faced. One superhero comic of 2022 was primarily about the relationships that sustain us during challenging times – female friendships, professional camaraderie, and romance… The superhero fight clubs interspersed with Eat Cake in Fancy Dresses Wednesdays were icing on the…cake.  

Long is a sucker for superhero romances, and Jen of Hearts has been one of my favorites because Rowell took her time and allowed the superhero to build sweetly. It felt more satisfying than a series of flirtatious one-liners during team-up battles that eventually crescendo into a rooftop, splash page kiss. And it makes Jen and Jack’s inevitable decline all the more tragic and heartfelt. The pacing of She-Hulk is where Rowell excels. She creates authentic character moments – facilitated by the incredible talent for facial expression that both artists Luca Maresca and Andres Genolet have employed to compliment the understated whimsy of this series. 

She-Hulk #12, a giant-size issue with two stories, seems like a transition to the next chapter in Jen’s life. The return of Jack of Heart’s powers has not just robbed him of his desire for food and other human biological needs – he has now lost his interest in poetry. His emotional detachment makes you forgive Jen’s interest in a roguish, charming super-villain called “The Scoundrel.” During their second encounter, Jen fairs better against the Scoundrel than the first, and he flashes a flirtatious smile before fleeing to fight another day. This new villain is an appealing alternative to a wanna-be poet slowly turning back into a D-list Silver Surfer and a reader’s reprieve from the depressingly slow death of one of the most satisfying super-hero couplings in recent memory. 

In this issue’s second story, Rowell and artist Joe Quinones pull superheroes of feats… making a book club seem fun. Rowell is in her element with the witty one-liners and the general awkwardness of superheroines mingling out of costume. This tale culminates in the Wasp gifting Shulkie her posh Manhattan apartment. The developments of both stories represent a clear turning point from the down-and-out Jen Walters of the first year of Rowell’s run on She-Hulk. While Jen deserved a change of luck, falling backward into a multi-million dollar apartment and a new love interest gives the reader the feeling that things may be wrapping up too neatly for our heroine. Hopefully, change is a good thing, and the next act of Rainbow Rowell’s run on this book will be as satisfying as the first.