If you had told me when this book first came out that I would be praising it to the heavens and telling people it was one of my favorite titles and they really should buy it, I probably would have said you were crazy. Especially if you told me right after the first issue, which I didn't actually like upon first read-through. However, Dan Slott's She-Hulk has been so good that not only is it a common ground for the old school and new edge fans (a group about as divided as Democrats and Republicans these days), but it has pushed Slott's buzz to the point where other companies are mentioning him as "She-Hulk's Dan Slott" when he writes something for them. This trade collects the best of She-Hulk so far, the first six issues, which means it has the setup of her role as a lawyer to superheroes and supervillains, the hilarious one-off tale that pits her and Spider-Man against Jonah Jameson and a two-parter that introduces the concept of a new superprison and does more for making supervillains cool than the entire series of the much-hyped Identity Crisis.
It is clear that Slott's take on She-Hulk is that she's more of a split personality than just a green, superstrong version of Jen Walters, lawyer and cousin to Bruce Banner. In the first issue, she's... well, a little slutty, a little boozy, like a party girl literally on steroids. This put me off at first, but it quickly becomes clear that Slott is treating She-Hulk as Jen Walter's addiction to some extent, and so she has to have a little bit more of an edge if Slott wants to focus as much on She-Hulk's human half. Honestly, I really liked having She-Hulk without a "secret identity" or human persona, but Slott really makes it work, and it allows him to make She-Hulk more vulnerable than she would otherwise be, as she has to give up parts of herself, both her superstrength and her confidence, in order for her life to get back on track.
The real gem of the series is introduced in issue two, however, as Slott takes the reader into the field of superhuman law. I loved the superhuman law wing of the prestigious law firm, which reminded me of some of the wackier background moments and unexplored notions of Alan Moore's Top 10, as well as the quirky indie legal comedy Supernatural Law. I especially love the use of Awesome Andy, a terrific visual gag and use of a C-list Marvel character that actually made me laugh out loud. The law office aspect also gives Slott some amusing and unusual plots, probably best demonstrated by what was originally issue #4, the "Spider-Man sues Jonah Jameson for libel" issue. The jokes fly fast and furious in that one, and it's kind of fun to see Spider-Man winning out over his nemesis for once, even if the actual finale is a funny, bittersweet victory rather than tons of cash.
She-Hulk has of course been used for humorous effect before, in John Byrne's series, and Slott's take is both similar to that approach and very different. There's no fourth wall breaking, no awareness of the absurdity for She-Hulk, but there is plenty of winking at the reader about the absurdities of the superhero universe. There's a delicate balance in this kind of thing, because if the writer just feels it's all stupid and doesn't have any affection for the absurdity, it doesn't work, but it's clear in these stories that Slott loves these odd characters, from MODOK to the Awesome Android to the New Warriors to the Mad Thinker.
There are also any number of neat ideas explored in the pages of She-Hulk, ideas that show that Slott is a fan of the genre. Probably the best example of this is the "Big House," introduced in the last story in this book. It's a really clever and new take on the superprison concept using technology from an established Avenger, and it's one of those things that will probably be woven into the fabric of the Marvel Univers for other writers. The concept allows Slott to write a funny and inventive jail break story, but it's also just a good idea all on its own.
In addition, while She-Hulk is quite funny and full of imaginative superhero elements, Slott has done a pretty good job of filling out the cast and making them real as well. The romantic interest displayed by both Pug and John Jameson is a nice little subplot, and I like that both of She-Hulk's potential suitors are legitimately nice guys, which makes the triangle all the more interesting. Then there's Holliway, who begins the story looking like a mentor for She-Hulk but is revealed to have benevolent (if sneaky) ulterior motives during the "Big House" story, and of course Awesome Andy, who starts out as comic relief but is such an endearing character that the reader really feels for him when his loyalty is tested, also during the "Big House" story.
There are two different art teams at work on these first six issues, and they're both pretty good. Juan Bobillo and Marcelo Sosa really impressed me right off the bat with their work on the first four issues. With facial expressions and comedic timing that put me in mind of Kevin Maguire, Terry Moore and Adam Hughes and attention to detail that reminds me of Frank Quitely, this is gorgeous, gorgeous artwork. They avoids the temptation to use too much cheesecake, giving the book sex appeal without making it cheesy, and while their She-Hulk looks a little too "doughy" for my taste, it's definitely something you get used to. The rest of their character designs, however, are excellent. Jen Walters looks like the meek, fragile object that She-Hulk believes her to be, Holden Holliway has a nice distinguished air and arrogance to his countenance along with a fatherly vibe that is obviously intentional, and I can't express how perfect "Awesome Andy" looks.
Pelletier's work is more "superhero" than the work of Bobillo, but he's the perfect choice for the "Big House" story and his more familiar style of art is probably more welcoming to the average fan. Half of the credit for the more obscure villain appearances belongs to Pelletier, who does perfect background scenes and throws in any number of goofy supervillains. However, while Pelletier excels at the action and other superhero standards, he's no slouch in the comedy department either, and his depiction of the different size-changes throughout the story really bring the whole situation to life effectively. There are three different inkers on Pelletier's stuff, and while all of them are good, I'd have to give the nod to Roland Paris as the strongest I've seen outside of Pelletier's work on Negation. Kudos also to whoever had the idea to include old school sound effects in the book, as they're a nice touch that adds to the humorous and action moments of the issue, and to Dave Sharpe for carrying them off with style without making them over-the-top.
She-Hulk might not be the best comic that Marvel is publishing right now, but it's probably the funniest, and it's got plenty of heart too. Full credit to Marvel for giving this "buzz" book a chance, despite less-than-stellar sales in the singles format. Now's your turn, trade paperback readers, to give the book its chance as well. 9/10
