Rainbow Rowell's run on 'She-Hulk', from 2022-2023, is admittedly my least favourite 'She-Hulk' series and omnibus, that is still one of my favourites of the awesome green lawyer lady with the weight of the world on her biceps. It has the lowest stakes, the most romance, the most romantic drama, is almost painfully heteronormative for the 2020s, is perhaps the most disjointed and unfocused in terms of juggling so many storylines, plot points and characters (that end up going nowhere), and is the most unfinished - a lot is left unresolved and forgotten about, by this run's supposed end.
And yet, it is still She-Hulk.
The whole omnibus is fun, funny, colourful (all the art in this is to die for), entertaining, breezy (at fifteen issues I devoured it like cake in a flash-flan-pan!), and sweet. It is a Marvel series that is unapologetically girly, with as much focus on the array (in every sense of the word) of individual female characters as on their male flings and romantic partners, if not more so.
There is a strong emphasis on female friendship and support - I adore Jennifer Walters and Patsy Walker's relationship, and their "Eat Cake and Wear Fancy Dresses Wednesdays", and the Punch Club, which consists of the reformed former nemesis Titania and her bestie Volcana. Then there's Janet Van Dyne, aka Wasp, and Carol Danvers, aka Captain freaking Marvel, leader of the Avengers and the mightiest, greatest Avenger.
There's even a special story included where Jennifer forms a book club with her woman friends, including Sue Richards, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing. No villain attacks or fighting in that club, it's just women, who happen to be superheroes, talking, hanging out, and having fun being together. How refreshing!
Mallory Book, Jennifer's lawyer firm boss and other "former" nemesis, is the biggest bitch and hard-arse of the cast, who somehow manages to be among the most reasonable and grounded of the cast. "Firm" suits her to a solid T. She is like a female J. Jonah Jameson.
The Scarlet Witch is also present as an Avenger, but just barely, sadly. She doesn't graduate beyond background player.
Other badass ladies are Ganymede -the "last of the Spinsters!" - and Anathema - a Hulk! Though their appearances are too brief, and their stories either end abruptly or are forgotten midway.
There is a good, vast variety and balance of female personalities in 'She-Hulk by Rainbow Rowell Omnibus', plus friendships, and complicated frenemies, which sort of make up for the heteronormality.
The heart of the entire run is, well, Jack of Hearts. Or, actually, it is the relationship between She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters and Jack of Hearts/Jonathan Hart.
It receives the most attention out of anything, from beginning to end. Their romance is slow building at first, and well developed and sweet, if dramatic and highly complicated (when isn't it between superheroes?). They have a history together that's fraught with disaster and tragedy. They are both heroes powered and fuelled by gamma radiation - though Jack is the most cosmic, and nuclear and dangerous, an actual atomic bomb - and so their relationship is literally toxic. But not emotionally. They won't let the potential downfalls ruin their chances of happiness with each other. They make it work however they can.
Jen and Jack are mature adults who love and care for one another, and do their best to deal with the complicated situations in their lives (and bodies) - for the safety of themselves and others. I am on board for them as a couple, which is quite an accomplishment considering I had never heard of Jack of Hearts before reading the first volume of Rowell's series, initially.
On the subject of my subpar knowledge of Marvel comics, the newest 'She-Hulk' run may be enjoyable to new or newish readers, but accessible? No, not really. As light and breezy as it is, with the plethora of Marvel characters, relationships, histories and stories crowding and vying for attention, it can get confusing and not flow well.
I have unanswered questions, such as:
Are Patsy Walker, aka Hellcat, and Tony Stark dating? Did She-Hulk and Thor used to date? When? And when did Luke Cage become the mayor of New York? Where are Jessica Jones and their daughter Dani, and where do they fit in this? Is Scarlet Witch officially an Avenger again, and emotionally and mentally stable, and forgiven for everything she's done? (I am aware of what went down in 'Avengers: Disassembled' and its fallout and aftermath.) Have the events of 'Civil War II' been forgotten about, and Carol Danvers is back on everyone's good graces, including She-Hulk's, as they're suddenly friendly again? I'm not complaining, because that event was utter BS, but in canon continuity it is odd that the mid-2000s 'Avengers: Disassembled' storyline is bought up, mostly in relation to Jack of Hearts, but something as recent as 'Civil War II' is never mentioned once. Neither is anything from Mariko Tamaki's run on 'She-Hulk' which resulted from it, and that dealt with Jennifer's subsequent severe PTSD and trauma-fuelled Hulk-outs.
Okay, I'm on this tangent and I'm not letting off: In both 'Disassembled' and 'Civil War II', She-Hulk lost control in her Hulkness, suffered grief and trauma, and was left comatose! But never mind that - here's Rainbow Rowell's lighthearted romcom interpretation of the character. Tonal whiplash!
Oh, and Wasp was a big part of 'Disassembled', too, but not in this comic, where she never interacts with Jack or the Avengers. Even when Jennifer and Jack are living together in an apartment that was Wasp's and she gave to Jen!
And how did Jack of Hearts come back to life? Who revived him and messed with his powers? It's not even clear whether it happened in space or on earth. It's another mystery unsolved; abandoned, scrapped for his sexy times with Shulkie.
Additional cameos include: the Fantastic Four (Jen's membership and time with them isn't forgotten about, at least), the Deviants, Nightcrawler (him as a client to Jen, and all the potential awesomeness of that story, with her helping all of mutantkind, goes absolutely nowhere, WTF?), Wyatt Wingfoot, King Blastaar, Titania's husband Crusher Creel, Patsy's ex Daimon Hellstrom, or Hellstorm, a Doombot, Victor Mancha, Iron Fist, Moon Knight, the original, very alive Hulk (with no Bruce Banner, apparently), Thor, Vision, Black Panther, Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, and Captain America - both Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson. Steve likes book clubs too, it turns out.
I may be betraying my feminism by liking a superheroine comic with loads of superheroines and antiheroines in it, that nonetheless drives home the message that every woman needs a man in her life to be happy and complete - Ganymede seriously emphases this point by saying, "It's hard to know who you can trust [...] That's why it's so valuable to have an honest man at your side.", and She-Hulk agrees!
But sod it, it is my kind of guilty pleasure girliness, and I am a girly romantic at heart - my girl power loving heart and core. 'She-Hulk by Rainbow Rowell Omnibus' has cake, pretty dresses, fancy clothes and condos, and book clubs!
Through its romance drama and modern woman slice-of-life stuff, there is equally as much fun, action-packed superhero stuff. She-Hulk fights bomb thievery, an alien invasion, other Hulks, hell demons, and goes to a romantic resort in space - it is a superhero comic! She even does a John Byrne homage once and breaks - well, tears - the fourth wall. Lawyer, attorney and court stuff is thrown in in a suitable measure and respectful manner, of course.
Finally, I cannot overstate how brilliant the artwork is all around. Green never looked so good! And no fanservice! I love the art variants at the end.
For further analysis, read my review of where 'She-Hulk by Rainbow Rowell' started for me: 'She-Hulk, Vol. 1: Jen, Again'.
For my reviews of other 'She-Hulk' omnibuses and fun comics, read:
'She-Hulk by Mariko Tamaki Omnibus'
'She-Hulk Omnibus' by Dan Slott
'She-Hulk by Peter David Omnibus'
'Marvel-Verse: She-Hulk'
How sensational is She-Hulk!
Never mess with the Jade Giantess!
Thus concludes my last Marvel and/or DC comic review in perhaps a long, long time. It's been a hell of a few years, and I'm burned out again. We'll see how it goes.
Stay true believers.
Stay She-Hulk.
'She'll always be She-Hulk. [...] And she's given that name more meaning than it ever deserved. [...] She made it--she's made all of this--her own.'
Final Score: 3.5/5
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