Comics
Review: “She-Hulk” #1
Attorney Jennifer Walters, cousin of Dr. Bruce Banner and recipient of his powers via a blood transfusion years earlier, is ready to snap necks and cash some checks in this brand new “She-Hulk” series. Big life changes loom on the horizon for our lovely green gal and an old villainous foe stirs up trouble from the grave.
Drawing heavily upon the well-knowns of the Marvel Universe, “She-Hulk” #1 doesn’t pull any punches. Though legal jargon abounds, the action is sexy, vivacious, and all out balls-to-the-wall fun.
WRITTEN BY: Charles Soule
ART BY: Javier Pulido
PUBLISHER: Marvel
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: February 12, 2014
Full disclosure, you will dislike nearly every character, including She-Hulk herself, at some point in this issue. The good news? The important characters are redeemable. My take? By creating imperfect title characters, writer Charles Soule adds tremendous depth to the story. Occasionally calling our devotion to said characters into question, only makes us want more.
This is exactly what transpires in “She-Hulk” #1. Five pages in and I’m thinking, “Am I supposed to hate She-Hulk? Why would the writer make her such an incredibly stuck up shrew?” But Soule’s moves were either a lucky happenstance or incredibly calculated—because when oh-so-confident Jennifer is refused a bonus at her law firm and subsequently told she was only hired for her superhero connections, her obnoxiously self-assured veneer crumbles into the empowered, intelligent, take-control attitude I expect from She-Hulk.
But losing a job is no fun, regardless of how fiercely you exist the building. So while drowning her sorrows in the bottom of a whisky bottle, she’s approached by none other than Holly Harrow, widow of the long-deceased Jonas Harrow (killed by The Hood exactly 4 years ago in ‘New Avengers’ #60). Jonas, criminal scientist and all around sociopathic scumbag has left his wife and children in a grievous state—with one caveat: he has audio recordings that prove the Tony Stark (Iron Man) stole one of his inventions. This caveat could make the desperate Holly a very rich woman if the recently jobless Jennifer agrees to take on her case.
What follows is a lot of red tape (even She-Hulk can’t access Stark if she’s on a legal mission), a little bit of Stark annoyance (but we’ve all been there, right?), boatloads of sassy banter, and good old-fashioned hulking-out! Because Jennifer’s not ready to lose again and She-Hulk isn’t taking any of Stark’s blasé arrogance.
It’s a lot of fun to see the resurfacing of Jonas Harrow, even if only through his wife and legal matters. And it leaves you wondering whether or not this series will dust off some other old school villains. It’s an exciting prospect to have a strong, intelligent, part attorney/part green giant, female lead take on some of Marvel’s coolest baddies.
Pulido’s art folds seamlessly into Soule’s writing. It’s brash and charismatic, hyper-colored, with a sixties Mad Men vibe. Perfect for a rebooted She-Hulk who has the boldness of ten Rosie the Riveters. 2014 is She-Hulk’s year. It’s time for Jennifer Walters to set out on her own, build her own law practice, kick some villain ass, and rock that 21st Century Female “I can have it all” attitude.
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Bree Ogden
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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