She-Hulk #3
Clint Theron
Recap
Jack of Hearts is back, and it’s up to She-Hulk to help him figure out why. But Jack may be the key to figuring out something that has been chasing her since 1989. In the meantime – A SMASHING RETURN! GUEST STARS! AND THE FUNNIEST, SEXIEST BOOK ON THE STANDS!
Check out Comic Watch's review of She-Hulk #2 here!
Review
She-Hulk is a character near and dear to my heart. I’ve read every solo She-Hulk title and several runs of Avengers and Fantastic Four that feature the jade giantess (although my heart truly belongs to her own series). I was thrilled when I saw Rainbow Rowell take inspiration from two of the best She-Hulk runs for her own: John Byrne’s Sensational She-Hulk and Dan Slott’s She-Hulk. Especially since in recent years, Marvel hasn’t exactly had a clear vision for the character, and Jason Aaron’s version from Avengers is not particularly beloved by her fans. But that has all changed, and the confident and fun She-Hulk that we all know and love is back!
The first issue was a fantastic re-introduction to the Sensational She-Hulk, but I was a little less impressed with the second issue which felt far too devoted to Jack of Hearts. I’m not super familiar with the character, but past runs of She-Hulk have loved taking C and D-list characters like Man-Thing, Howard the Duck, and the Two-Gun Kid and plopping them in Jen’s world (or vice versa). So my superfan arms were open to the Jack of Hearts storyline… and I’m glad they were, because he is utterly fantastic in this comic book.
The majority of this third issue is spent on Jen and Jack investigating his reappearance. These scenes could easily have been boring in a superhero comic, but Rowell’s dialogue kept me entranced. Jack of Hearts comes off as a great possible love interest for She-Hulk, and his admiration of her confidence is something we She-Hulk fans share with him. Patsy is certainly right about Jack’s hotness, too. I have a feeling the character will become a hit with readers who are into men. Unfortunately, we don’t get any hints of why Jack is back despite the cliffhanger ending last issue. But that’s okay, because not a single panel of this issue is wasted.
As a longtime She-Hulk fan, I also love various supporting characters like Awesome Andy and Hellcat continuing to exist in Jen’s life. Mallory Book can be overbearing at times, but I’m really looking forward to future exchanges between her and Jen. I hope other supporting characters like daddy Morris, Weezi, Pug, Zapper, and maybe even Jazinda make future appearances.
The art by Rôge Antônio and colors by Rico Renzi perfectly capture the essence of the character. Jennifer retains her Sensational fashion sense and I couldn’t be happier about it. And I can’t even begin to describe the joy I get when I see any She-Hulk pieces by Jen Bartel. I adore when cover artists use more than just the titular hero, so seeing Jack of Hearts on the cover with She-Hulk is delightful.
Final Thoughts
I felt that issue #2 focused more on Jack of Hearts than She-Hulk, but this issue evened it out by putting Jennifer center stage as she struggles with her new job, rekindling old friendships (including fan-favorite Awesome Andy!), and investigating Jack's mysterious reappearance all while looking fabulous and eating the best Sicilian pizza in New York City. I love this title so much.
She-Hulk #3: You Must Be Thinking of Another Seven-Foot Girl with Great Hair
- Writing - 9.5/109.5/10
- Storyline - 8.5/108.5/10
- Art - 8.5/108.5/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 10/1010/10
A great book, that is still trying to find
She-Hulk is my favorite character, and I love how she is portrayed by Rainbow Rowell — a really relatable and even adorable character. She comes out as a really sweet and down to Earth person. A great friend, who you can rely on to share your problems and your inner struggles. She is trying her best to help Jack of Hearts solve his mystery as much as she is trying to cheer him up — all of that while keeping her promise to maintain his current status unknown to other superheroes.
Rowell is extremely detail-oriented on continuity. Past references are recurring: Mallory Book, Awesome Andy, Jack of Hearts’ last appearance as zombie — to name a few. Even the apartment in which Jen now lives was first seen in Sensational She-Hulk #2. Rogê Antônio is reproducing Byrne’s original art in detail, and his art is really stunning across the issue!
His She-Hulk is big and beautiful.
In spite of all the high points, the story is lacking in action. Afterall, this is a superhero book, and fans love some senseless mayhem. Aside from a quick scuffle with Titania in #1 — a character who she fought and defeated dozens of time –, She-Hulk hasn’t flexed her muscles. The book may be struggling to find the right balance between action and cuteness — a flaw that might turn casual readers off.
And while the focus in on Jack of Hearts, She-Hulk’s superhero status is still up in the air. She left the Avengers and is currently serving with the Fantastic Four, but there are points that need to be addressed: Does She-Hulk maintain her connection with the Celestials? Is she at her original powerlevel before being killed by Thanos or does she maintain some of her last powerup? Can she still absorb energy and project radiation in different forms, or are those ability gone?
All in all, a great issue, that needs more action as well as to focus on She-Hulk’s own superhero status.