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Written by Brett Berliner Wednesday, 29 March 2006 13:24

Although she prefers to stay in her She-Hulk form, in order to get a position at a law firm, she must argue her cases in her human form so as not to cause a distraction.

She-Hulk (Marvel; 22 pgs FC Monthly; $2.99)
(W: Dan Slott; P: Juan Bobillo & Paul Pelletier; I: Marcelo Sosa)

She-Hulk has always been a tough character to understand completely. Why would she want to spend any time in her secret identity when changing into She-Hulk turns her into a super-strong supermodel? Talk about mundane in comparison. The best part about Marvel’s monthly series She-Hulk is that the character is finally given a reason to do so: money. As a result, her potential to become a deeper and more interesting character is finally kickstarted. Those scoffing at She-Hulk’s ability to a carry a comic by herself will find themselves shocked.

She-Hulk, the brainchild of Dan Slott (at least in her current incarnation), focuses much more evenly on the actual superheroine and her alter ego, Jennifer Walters, than past appearances. Although she prefers to stay in her She-Hulk form, in order to get a position at a law firm, she must argue her cases in her human form so as not to cause a distraction. Of course, the dilemma here is that Jennifer loses her confidence in her human form, which many would argue is directly proportional to her overall skill as a lawyer. Such is a typical issue at Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway, complete with one of the best supporting casts in comics, and an introduction to superhero law.

She-Hulk is generally defending superpowered individuals, and the courtroom stories resist the tendency to slip into the mundane. Whether she’s representing a man suing his employer for accidentally granting him superpowers (thus ruining his sex life—since he can’t control his super strength, he hurts his wife), or She-Hulk herself is on trial for being a detriment to society, the stories seem fresh and the issues read very well. They’re at their best, however, when they step outside the Law & Order stories and into situations where She-Hulk doesn’t quite seem to “fit,” such as a superhero babysitter and an interstellar boxer. Even more interesting is that one of the best storylines of the book is written from the perspective of She-Hulk’s arch nemesis. All of these different perspectives move She-Hulk at a mile a minute and out of her comfort zone, which is very refreshing to read.