| Pro Review: | By Steven Bari
Originally posted at Comics Bulletin
"How could I not see this coming?," asks a distressed Jennifer Susan Walters--a.k.a. She-Hulk. "Because you live life everyday with… extraordinary circumstances," answers Jaz, a cosmic, shape-shifting, bounty hunting Skrull, and Jennifer's only confidant. "So it didn't occur to you that others might not accept such scenarios as plausible."
From courtroom surprises to jail box confessionals to unexpected apologies, She-Hulk Vol.2 #27 is full of the unexpected, all of which is extraordinarily emotional and poignant. The book opens with a very complex introduction and summation of the previous issues. Essentially, She-Hulk is the only person who can save a man from being unfairly convicted for murder. Her good intentions lead to a hellish road where she confronts her own pride and reaches out to the unlikeliest of allies.
Peter David's Jennifer Walters is all woman – from her head right down to her resentment for every slight done against her. Elephants never forget, and neither does She-Hulk, who holds onto the anger of her own injustice by defending others' injustices with extreme passion and resilience. David, however, uses the convicted man to consider her passion otherwise, surmising that heroes like her don't necessarily combat evil so much as allow it to follow wherever they go. Therefore, Jennifer's Hulkish anger inhibits her from seeing the great damage she causes in trying to fix the man's problems. Such real and truthful characterizations make this book affecting. David posits serious arguments about human pride and intention working counter to its goal. Each of us must face doing the right thing even though it is counter to our self-importance. In short, humility will yield better results than smashing through walls with big green fists.
Furthermore, Semeiks' art is expressive and clean, immediately relatable and easy to follow. For instance, Jennifer's transformation into She-Hulk to stop two criminals from robbing a gas station comically conveys her displaced anger and the thugs attempted atonement.
For this reason, She-Hulk Vol.2 #27 is a great read far fans looking for more substantive Marvel comics. Moreover, David's spot on female characterization will definitely resonant with female fans. If you haven't been reading thus far, start now!
Score: 5 (out of 5) |