Sensational She-Hulk came to an end today, with #10 being the book’s final issue. I just wanted to take a moment to talk about this beautiful little book that I didn’t talk about as much as I should have.
That’s dreadful to say out loud. I’ve discussed Sensational She-Hulk a few times on Twitter and in my Discord, and it’s a topic I bring up in chats with friends. But it’s not something I’ve really covered in the traditional sense.
That’s fucking criminal. On me for not covering it more, and on you for not reading this gem of a book.
Sensational She-Hulk #10 is Rainbow Rowell’s 25th consecutive issue to star the Jade Giantess and her third Marvel ongoing (Rowell also wrote the similarly underrated Runaways relaunch in 2017).
This, to me, always felt like a beautiful successor to a character that so few writers seem to get. Byrne and Slott definitely set the standards, but Rowell’s interpretation deserves just as much praise for how she realized the character. Her She-Hulk is much more vulnerable while also being — literally and figuratively — the strongest person in the room.
Did I mention those covers, by the way? Both She-Hulk runs had some of the best Marvel covers in years.
The bulk of this She-Hulk arc is a pseudo-sequel to the 2004 event “Avengers: Disassembled,” with Jack of Hearts returning after his resurrection. Winding up crashing on She-Hulk’s couch and discovering he’s somehow more human than ever, the two enter into a relationship.
Much of the title focuses on the dynamic of She-Hulk’s relationship with Jack of Hearts, someone the Avengers will understandably be skeeved out by seeing alive. But the book also delves into She-Hulk’s struggle to cope with her own place in the world after spending years as the Avengers’ brainwashed brute. She’s doing her lawyer thing, trying to be a good friend to Captain Marvel and Hellcat, and even forms a superhero fight club with Titania, Absorbing Man and The Thing to blow off some steam. It’s a fun, quirky conceit that honestly makes a lot of sense for the character. Why wouldn’t She-Hulk revel in finding someone she could throw a huge punch at who could take it?
She-Hulk and Sensational She-Hulk tackle a lot of the same issues that Mariko Tamaki’s 2016 Hulk series, which saw Jen coping with PTSD after nearly dying at the hands of Thanos. These books take a much more lighthearted approach to the emotional turmoil of Jen’s life, focusing less on the Jen vs She-Hulk dynamic and more on the She-Hulk is Jen vs She-Hulk is an Avenger dynamic.
Rowell’s She-Hulk so brilliantly captured the essence of the character, but it wouldn’t be where it is without the art. Andrés Genolet and Dee Cunniffe did the art for most of the title, and it’s beautiful. There’s a crisp throwback style with vibrant covers and an unreal amount of expression, and it just pops for She-Hulk. The action is kinetic. I need more of Jen’s Punch Club, which honestly may be a strong enough concept to warrant it’s own on-going if only to have an excuse to showcase some big, meaty superhero fights.
And seriously, the cover art.
I regret not talking more about this book before I read today’s mildly tear-jerking final issue, which sees She-Hulk at a crossroads between a life with the Avengers and a life with her friends. The final page didn’t see her snap a villain in half or get a medal for saving the universe, but it did see her find internal peace and external acceptance, and that’s all one could really ask for.
No word on what’s next for this creative team or She-Hulk, but I promise to sing its praises from the rooftop next time.
Sensational She-Hulk #10 by Rainbow Rowell, Andrés Genolet, Dee Cunniffe, and Joe Caramagna is on stands now.
