By John Byrne, Kim DeMulder & Petra Scotese (Marvel)
ISBN: 0- 87135-084-X
The story goes that in those faraway days when trademarks and copyrights were really important comic publishers were worried that rivals would be able to impinge on their sales by producing distaff versions of their characters. Thus Marvel rush-released Spider-Woman and She-Hulk so that nobody else could.
Whereas that seems rather hard to believe I must admit that the original 20-issue run of Bruce Banner’s tragic cousin Jennifer Walters was by no means the company’s finest moment. But time and deft handling by seasoned creators has since made her one of Marvel’s most readable properties, and that revolution started with this thoroughly enjoyable little tome from that “remake kid†John Byrne.
At the time of its creation the lady lawyer had joined the Fantastic Four and could change between her human and Gamma-ray enhanced forms at will, retaining her intellect in both forms, and all the fourth-world hi-jinks of her second series was yet to come…
Against the backdrop of a sentient cockroach invasion the story involves the shady higher-ups who oversee the high-tech espionage outfit S.H.I.E.L.D. ordering the abduction of the She-Hulk for unspecified “National Security†purposes. When tough but fair Nick Fury refuses to comply the mission goes ahead without him, leading to a major battle in the streets of New York and the eventual capture of not only our heroine but also a large number of passers-by.
Trapped aboard the flying helicarrier base, She-Hulk is subjected to numerous indignities and abuses whilst her boyfriend Wyatt Wingfoot and the other civilians are treated as hostages for her good behaviour. Unfortunately one of those ordinary mortals is a zombie vehicle for those cockroaches I mentioned earlier, and they want to drop the floating fortress on the city below as a declaration of war against humanity…
Spectacular action that truly utilises the expanded page format of this graphic novel line, and sharp scripting elevates this old plot to new heights and although I personally find the coy prurience of some of the semi-nude scenes a little juvenile, that’s not enough to spoil the fun in a what’s otherwise a highly effective little disaster thriller.
© 1985 Marvel Characters Inc. All Rights Reserved.
“…all the fourth-world hi-jinks of her second series…”
Bit of a Freudian slip there, I think, W!n… careful, your Kirby worship is showing. 🙂
“Fourth wall” perhaps…?
When you’re right you’re right!
And now I must apply wire brush and Dettol to my brain… I just can’t shake the gruesome image of me in a slip…