Marvel-Verse: She-Hulk

Marvel-Verse

by Stan Lee

She may have started out Savage, but there’s no doubt that She-Hulk is the most Sensational hero in all the Marvel-Verse — and these are the adventures that prove it! Discover how a life-saving blood transfusion from her cousin, Bruce Banner, led to a green-skinned transformation for lawyer Jennifer Walters! As the emerald attorney interviews for a new law firm, Jen meets the legendary Blonde Phantom! While She-Hulk takes on the Mutant Registration Act in court, her arch-foe Titania causes serious disorder! But Jen’s most important case of all comes when she is accused of crimes against the time-space continuum — and if found guilty, the sentence is complete erasure from reality! Plus, a night at the museum…with Spider-Man!

COLLECTING: Savage She-Hulk (1980) 1, Sensational She-Hulk (1989) 4, She-Hulk (2005) 3, Avenging Spider-Man (2011) 7, material from Solo Avengers (1987) 14

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Superheroes, Marvel, Comic Book, Science Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published July 13, 2021

About the author

Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.

With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

"What?! Byrne! What kind of game are you playing?!" -- Jennifer 'She-Hulk' Walters, breaking the fourth wall to angrily and directly address her long-time series writer John Byrne

"Jennifer! Control yourself! We're inked, colored and printed! There's a READER out there now!" -- Louise Mason, the retired crimefighter 'Blonde Phantom,' pulling Jennifer back into the frame

Although debuting in 1979 - marking the final writing / creating work of company bigwig Stan 'the Man' Lee, by the way - in large part to simply protect against the chance of derivative or knock-off versions of their flagship character, She-Hulk blossomed in the 80's and beyond to arguably Marvel's premiere solo super-heroine. Action, sex appeal, and large doses of knowing humor - courtesy of adept scribe John Byrne - helped propel the character to experience 'sensational' popularity in the comic book world. So how does this Marvel Verse edition fare, especially since I was disappointed with some of the other recent books in this repackaging series? It was probably the best of the bunch thus far, but still had a minor misstep or two. Kicking off with a staid origin story (sort of expected, given its age) from 40+ years ago, there are three other fun tales - one of which is a zany team-up with the wisecracking Spider-Man, whose involvement I again will contend makes ANY narrative better - which made this volume just plain fun to read. But I throw up my hands in some frustration with the inclusion of the lightweight middle story 'Un-enchanted Evening,' in which our title character was severely lost in the shuffle amidst an ensemble cast. She-Hulk would assuredly climb out the panel and exchange a barrage of testy words with her editor about THAT one. ;-)

[Corey Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Savage She Hulk #1- I've already read this one, but it's still a fun read. And if you ask me is a way better origin than the show. 4 out of 5 stars.

Sensational She-Hulk #4- I really liked this one. It's a fun story that pretty much centers around breaking the 4th wall. What's not to love? 5 out of 5 stars.

King Size Spider-Man Summer Special #1- The enchantress brings a bunch of the woman from the marvel universe to work for her or something. I think that's what happened. To be honest, I wasn't even paying attention for this issue it was so dumb. It's obviously aimed at a younger audience, which is fine. But, I don't think it fits in this collection, because she hulk is barely in it. 2 out of 5 stars.

Avenging Spider-Man #7- I've never been a fan of team ups. Most of the time, there stupid and unnecessary. And this one is no different. Spider-Man and She-Hulk team up to defeat a bunch of Egyptian cat gods? I don't even know anymore. 2 out of 5 stars.

Guardians Team Up #4- Didn't I just say I hate team ups? Well, guess what? This one was actually pretty fun. Gamora crash lands on earth fleeing from a battle and the people trying to kill her get she-Hulk and Gamora mixed. It's not amazing or anything, but it is fun. 4 out of 5 stars.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A coleção Marvel-Verse editada pela Panini Comics Brasil tem sido uma grata surpresa. É um ponto de entrada muito bom para novos leitores, mas vai agradar também aos leitores mais antigos e exigentes. Começamos pela história de origem da Mulher-Hulk por Stan Lee e John Buscema, que é bem "fabricada", afinal Stan Lee já estava afastado dos quadrinhos há um bom tempo quando foi chamado para garantir os direitos sobre a versão feminina do Hulk para a Marvel. Seguimos para o genial John Byrne e sua pegada metalinguistica numa aventura ao lado da Fantasma Loura contra o Metalóide. Depois, a Verdona e várias mulheres da Marvel recebem uma amostra de shampoo que faz literalmente uma lavagem cerebral nelas. Homem-Aranha e Mulher-Hulk se unem contra a deusa dos gatos, Bast, na história seguinte. Por fim, na história que encerra essa edição especial, Gamora e Mulher-Hulk fazem um encontro contra piratas espaciais, a trama mais chatinha de todo o encadernado.

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The introductory issue was a bit dated, but all the other issues were a fun read. I think my favourite was the ‘Sensational She-Hulk’ issue, since there was so much fourth wall breaking it was insane haha. In that one issue there was more fourth wall breaking than even most of the Deadpool stuff I’ve read, and that’s saying something. Besides that, the issue with Spider-man was cool, and the final issue with Gamora was a fun read too. I might look into reading some more She-Hulk stuff…

[Leo · Rating 2 out of 5]

J’ai aimé les 2 premières histoires après le reste c’est sympa

[Artemis Crescent · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny collection of 'She-Hulk' comic issues, from classic to contemporary. It's small, but it's jampacked full of entertainment for fans old and new. It's worthy of the sassy, badass green lawyer woman herself.

I've come to really admire her in recent years, much like a lot of superheroines. I wish she'd receive more mainstream attention. Are there even any plans for her to be included in the MCU?

Well, anyway, here are my thoughts on each issue:



1. 'The Savage She-Hulk #1: The She-Hulk Lives' - She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters' first ever appearance, by Stan Lee. It's fun and well written, establishing Bruce Banner's character, his younger cousin Jennifer, their sibling-like relationship, Jen's profession, the danger she's in because of a case, and how and why Bruce had to transfer his gamma ray-irradiated blood into her, to quickly save her life. Jen is smart and brave. From the start, her personality and faculties remain when she turns into She-Hulk, whether on an enraged rampage or not. She and Bruce care for each other deeply. It begins as Bruce's story but ends as Jen's, with her victory. And wow, do these early comics love to put narration and descriptions of actions into the characters' dialogue! How unnecessary and unnatural can you get? Why even bother with actual narration? But it's oddly charming, at the same time. All in all, a good introduction.

2. 'The Sensational She-Hulk #4: Tall Disorder' - Wowie, this might put Deadpool's fourth wall breaking antics to shame. She-Hulk and the other characters know they are in a comic book, and are aware of all the tropes and conventions. They even literally skip over panels. Deliberately dated pop culture references; She-Hulk speaking directly to the reader, the narrator, and the artist; publishers and editors getting a word in - speaking of, there's tons of self-deprecating humour from the comics industry inserted here. Its meta humour is transcendent, especially for its time. It's an Abridged series before there was an Abridged series. 'Tall Disorder' is where we meet an older Blonde Phantom, a classic comic heroine, who has aged because her comic never continued or endured since the forties. Famous superheroes never have to age! Hilarious girl power!

3. 'King-Size Spider-Man Summer Special #1: Mary Jane Watson in: Un-Enchanted Evening' - A very funny ensemble comic, full of females - superheroines, villainesses, and civilians. As you can gather from the title, this is more Mary Jane Watson's story, with She-Hulk playing a bit role in the superheroine group; which also includes Hellcat/Patsy Walker, Marvel Girl, the Scarlet Witch (who talks like animated series Starfire here for some reason), and Clea (Doctor Strange's sorceress girlfriend - didn't know he had one). The villain is the Enchantress, who really hates Thor and has a complex over it. For such a silly and cartoony kids' comic, 'Un-Enchanted Evening' contains some clever twists and subversions. I love that it celebrates women heroes (though it's a little stereotypical with its incorporating shampoos and modelling), and it's great to see MJ Watson get in on some action that doesn't involve Spider-Man (she's still with him in this, I'm happy to see). A joy.

4. 'Avenging Spider-Man #7: Wadjetmacallit?!' - She-Hulk and Spider-Man team up on an Egyptian artefact-style romp. This version of Spidey is highly light-hearted, jokey and childlike, and his banter with the cross and serious version of Shulkie is hilarious. There are cats everywhere, and of course there are curses. Another comedy smash hit (pun intended).

5. 'Guardians Team-Up #4: Gamora Meets She-Hulk' - Ah, the She-Hulk and Gamora crossover event we've all been waiting for. Two green warrior women literally from different worlds join forces to defeat an intergalactic threat (plus an earth case of lawyer Jen's on the side). We learn much about both women, and it's clear the creators of the comic respect them. I've certainly never liked Gamora as much as I did here. The Guardians of the Galaxy are barely mentioned, and Gamora is called "the deadliest woman in the galaxy". The message from She-Hulk and Gamora: Women are "not little", "not weak", and "[T]here's still plenty of fight left in her--and there's not just one of her, either."



So cool. So funny. I'd underestimated Marvel.

She-Hulk - what a gal.

Link here to my review of another She-Hulk comic, 'She-Hulk, Volume 1: Deconstructed'.

Final Score: 4/5

[Nicholas Bond · Rating 4 out of 5]

She-Hulk is my favourite comics character. She's smart, she's funny, she works well solo or in a team - if you write for Marvel, I don't understand how you can avoid writing her in at any opportunity. This book give a solid, if not exceptional, overview of what's to love about the character.

Savage She-Hulk #1 will more than likely come across as old-fashioned to a modern comics reader, and that's not unfair: it's a little overwrought and clunky. The Jennifer Walters and She-Hulk presented here are more representative of the idea of the character then what I'd come to love about her. Still, it's the last comic Stan Lee wrote for Marvel, and deserves to be of interest for that alone.

Sensational She-Hulk #4 shows what Shulkie is probably most famous for in comics circles: breaking the fourth wall long before Deadpool ever existed. There's a handful of dated references (who's going to get the comparison from Ozzie and Harriet to J.R and Sue Ellen?) but on the whole the jokes hold up and the John Byrne art is fantastic.

King-Size Spider-man Summer Special #1 features She-Hulk in a supporting role, alongside other female characters in the Marvel universe. It's not bad (I do like Colleen Coover's art), but there must be something from Dan Slott's excellent She-Hulk run that would spotlight the character better and more deserve a slot here.

Avenging Spider-man #7 is a fun story where She-Hulk and Spider-man team-up to take down museum thieves, only for Shulkie to wind up a servant of the Goddess Bastet. Of all the stories in this volume, this is probably my favourite, showing a good balance between She-Hulk's funny side and her action hero side.

Finally, in Guardians Team-Up #4 She-Hulk is mistaken by intergalactic bounty hunters for Gamora. It's a solid log line that provides some fitfully amusing scenes, but the script doesn't really do much with it beyond that (also, Gamora and Shulkie act like they've never heard of the other, even though they met in Dan Slott's aforementioned run. Comics, man).

On the whole, if you're completely unfamiliar with the Jade Giantess, there are worse places to start, and if you're a die-hard fan (like me), you'll enjoy spending some time your favourite heroine. But it's not what I'd call an essential graphic novel.

[Lucas Savio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quadrinho mais vale pela primeira aparição da Hulk e a história que mais gostei foi do Byrne e as outras não trazem nada de diferente, a arte não se destaca recomendo mesmo a fase do Byrne agora só esperar um preço legal para pegar ela!!!

[mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read, good preview if Jen Walters, exactly what I was expecting from a Marvel-Verse comic!

[Danielle Zimmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun collection of She-Hulk stories in this small volume! While I was expecting a couple of gems mixed in with some duds, what I got was a collection of pretty great (and fun!) slices of Jen Walters’ comic history and the ways in which she interacts with others. There honestly isn’t a weak one in the bunch (except for maybe her introductory issue, but we’ll put that aside because it’s an important one).

Now I just want to read an entire anthology of her comics.

[Josh Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was really quite good as someone with no prior knowledge of the character! Tough to rate because there isn't much here, just a few quick stories that show off her range over the years. I can now see why all the fanboys were complaining about the show, and that makes me want to watch it all of the sudden.

[Andie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious. Empowering. Fourth-wall breaking. I can hardly wait for the TV series.

[em · Rating 4 out of 5]

she’s my bae fr… didn’t think the king-size spider-man summer special comic was too pertinent to shulkie other than her delivering the final blow :(

[Reagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice sample of She-Hulk over the years. My favorite is the Sensational She-Hulk of the '80s.

[Vinicius · Rating 3 out of 5]

A HQ reúne algumas histórias one-shot da She Hulk, que se tratando de importância para a construção da personagem, as duas primeiras são relevantes, que mostram como a Jennifer se tornou a She Hulk e como ela estava vivendo com a vida dupla de advogada e super heroína.

As demais histórias são mais descontraídas, mostrando a interação da personagem com outros personagens. A leitura é bacana, mas nada demais.

Acredito que seja uma HQ legal para conhecer o básico da personagem e sua personalidade. Estou ansioso pela série.

[Sonia Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first graphic novel I have ever read. I have read and used to collect comic strips from the newspapers when I was growing up. But nothing like a graphic novel. I didnt consider myself as a big superhero comic kind of kid. But I did like a couple of superheroes. I have watched many superhero films but never read the comics. I really like Iron Man and Spiderman. I guess that puts me on the Marvel end of the DC-Marvel superhero spectrum. I read an article from the internet about a movie that was coming out called She-Hulk. I was like, "She-Hulk?!" Who was She-Hulk? So I learned that she is the cousin of Dr. Bruce Banner, The Incredible Hulk. Jennifer Walters is a lawyer in LA and was working on a case. She reconnected with her cousin, Bruce, who was facing trouble about people discovering his Hulk identity. One day, they were headed to her apartment and these gang members shot her. In order to save her, in lieu of going to the hospital, Bruce used his own blood to complete a blood transfusion to save her life...

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been a She-Hulk fan since the comic first started. I have been a fan of John Byrne's artwork since I first saw it.
Not so much a fan of his writing, and I didn't care for his stint on She-Hulk. The reason for that is prominently included in this collection, which was snarky fourth-wall-breaking humor that didn't always work well.
In addition, one of the major stories in this collection includes She-Hulk as one of many characters, but she's in less than 20 panels, in all. It was a cute story, but not a She-Hulk story.
The first issue of the first version of the comic was nice, in that it gives the original version of her origin story, along with two pages of the original art. There's also a good She-Hulk/Gamora crossover that's very good and a Spider-Man team-up that was good, but had plot holes.
So, if you want to introduce someone to She-Hulk, this is an okay introduction, but it may not wow them. If they've seen the Guardians of the Galaxy movie and the She-Hulk trailer, but have never read the comic, definitely show them the crossover story.

[Francine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew I was going to like Shulkie.

This book is a collection of 5 short stories, from her origin story up to recently. I loved the first three stories, they were all light-hearted and fun. The last two stories were a bit more recent and I wasn't really in the mood for them. I guess I prefer the nostalgic older stories because they seemed a bit more fresh, paradoxically enough? Like the newer stories were a dime a dozen but with the older stories I felt like this was one of the first times a story like this was told, they felt more original and less cookie-cutter.

I'm really looking forward to the live action series, I can't wait to see this single female lawyer boss babe trope in action, haha! In the mean time, I'll seek out some more of her comics.

[Glyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Needs more lawyering. Pretty good tho.

Story by story review:

1. Eh it’s fine. Origin was a bit coincidental (ie convenient doctor house).

2. The four wall leaning was a bit much. Still, some funny goofs. Would like to read more.

3. Art was a bit of an adjustment (very Archie comics). But it was cute and fun.

4. A good team up. The “I won’t punch cats” bit was pretty funny and Spidey’s enthusiasm about ancient Egypt was adorbs.

5. Art was!! So good!! Would like to see more/whether the storyline continues.

[Miro Knaak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein wirklich toller Einstieg und Vorstellung von She-Hulk, eine Superheldin die ja bisher so noch nie in Erscheinung getreten ist(also in den Filmen) und die jetzt vor einiger Zeit ihre eigene Serie bekommen hat.

Beim durch stöbern meiner Comicsammlung habe ich den Band aus der Marvel-Verse Reihe entdeckt, die Reihe verspricht ja immer einen leichten Einstieg in die Welt der Superheldinnen und Superhelden und ihre Comics und wie bei dem Moon Knight Comic von gestern, kann ich dem Klappentext von dem She-Hulk Comic zustimmen.

[Andrei · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Good intro into the character, including the first appearance of She-Hulk, and a Byrne-era issue which are both great. The modern issues are pretty decent as well, the team-up with Gamora in particular. On the flipside, the inclusion of the King-size Spider-man material feels like a poor choice for this book - it features extremely little of She-Hulk, and she's only around to punch stuff. They could have went with another story more representative for this character.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just some silly fourth wall breaking superhero comic book stories.

Nothing earth-shattering

Nothing fancy.

Jen is the cousin of The incredible Hulk. The differences she is in control of both personalities. She's also a lawyer.

On top of all that she knows she's in a comic book. And she loves to talk to the audience.

Simply a superhero story that doesn't take itself serious.

[Szymon · Rating 3 out of 5]

From now on, whatever Jennifer Walters can't handle, the She-Hulk will do!

While the oldies stories were fun (the 4th wall breaking works miles better than in the show), the rest was a mid selection of very random stories. Doesn't do Jen, as a character, justice if you ask me.

[Juan Carrillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

love it

She hulk the most amazing and sensational character I have always loved her how brazen she is, as well as how out there your personality is when it comes to her status as a hero. With in these pages we start with savage and move through sensational till we get to more recent ones very worth adding to collection

[Dan Blackley · Rating 4 out of 5]

She hulk! This is a small volume of She Hulk stories for someone who is just starting out in comics. I found the stories fun and neat. There are four stories from various adventures from Sensational She--Hulk, Savage She-Hulk and Spiderman summer spectacular.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So... I apparently really like She-Hulk. Honestly, I found this collection delightful from beginning to end--definitely empowering from a female standpoint--and I absolutely ate up all the fourth-wall breaks. I need more She-Hulk by John Byrne in my life!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love She-Hulk! This was a really fun introduction to some of her comics. I loved the different art styles throughout, but the first two comics were probably my favorite. I love when Jen breaks the fourth wall!

[Arman Waggoner · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading and watching Ant-Man and The Wasp and Ant-Man and Wasp: Quantumania, I got Marvel high and wanted to read more of the Marvel-verse. Ok, so Marvel-Verse is about collected stories about each hero, heroes and even villains.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better collections of this Marvelverse series. This is a decent collection of stand-alone lightweight stories.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of a handful of She-Hulk appearances from over the years. Light and fun.