It’s a new day for the She-Hulk, but her life isn’t getting any less complex. Your Major Spoilers review of Sensational She-Hulk #1 from Marvel Comics awaits!

SENSATIONAL SHE-HULK #1

Writer: Rainbow Rowell
Artist: Andres Genolet
Colorist: Dee Cunniffe
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Editor: Nick Lowe
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 18, 2023

Previously in Sensational She-Hulk: After a near-apocalypse involving her boyfriend, a villain with a crush and a nuclear weapon, Jen Walters is dusting off her adjective and kicking off a new era! The best hero slash lawyer in the Marvel Universe is going to remind you why she’s so SENSATIONAL, going up against her deadliest challenge yet!

LOVE IN THE TIME OF GAMMA RAYS

We open with a huge, passionate kiss between She-Hulk and her main squeeze, Jack of Hearts, who has finally discovered that he can avoid absorbing her gamma rays if he’s already full of radiation. Thus, he’s been spending time in the most radioactive places on Earth, taking in all the exotic rays that he can, in order to spend time with his girl. For her part, Jennifer is happy to be in a stable relationship with someone who wants more of her attention rather than less, but it’s a difficult balance. An attempt to bring Jack to her weekly Punch Club goes wrong when Titania’s husband, The Absorbing Man, attempts to kill him, breaking up the meeting in an awkward fashion (after Jack of Hearts blasts the villain quite decisively). Her work situation isn’t that much less complicated, as she is hired by Ransak the Reject and Karkas to help them with their pending eviction, with the difficulties of their relationship seemingly reflecting on Jennifer’s own. Most difficult of all, though, is the final page appearance of her cousin, The Incredible Hulk, who has one question for her, “What do you want from me?”

ENJOYABLE, BUT A BIT PUZZLING

Rowell and Genolet pick up all the threads from the last volume of She-Hulk, which ended earlier this summer, but that’s no surprise – they are the same creative team! She-Hulk is still working for Mallory Book, still hanging out with Marvel’s finest heroes (this issue features guest appearances by The Thing, Titania, Volcana, and more), and she’s still living in the beautiful apartment gifted to her by The Wasp. The only thing that’s really new is the Sensational She-Hulk title. Well, that’s not entirely true. We also get a second story written by Jessica Gao, the head writer of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, as seen on Disney+. Is the new title meant to be a tie-in? If so, it’s oddly timed, as the last episode of Season 1 aired a year ago, and while Season 2 has been announced, it can’t start production until after the resolution of the SAG/AFTRA strike. Either way, I enjoyed Genolet’s art throughout this issue, with special attention paid to the subtleties of a romantic moment between Mallory Book and Awesome Andy. I enjoy Rowell’s balance of romance, day-to-day life, and legal stuff, and I especially like how realistic the Jennifer/Jack of Hearts relationship feels.

BOTTOM LINE: NOT SURE WHY THIS IS A NEW NUMBER ONE?

The best part of Sensational She-Hulk #1 is the continuation of everything that I enjoyed about She-Hulk Volume 4, meaning more Jack Hart, more fun legal drama, and a last page promising to utilize even more of Jen’s extended Marvel Universe circle of friends, earning 4 out of 5 stars overall. As someone who loved the irreverent takes of She-Hulk’s TV show, this book carries much of the same cache, with the added bonus of Punch Club being able to use anyone and everyone in the multiverse.

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