She-Hulk #159 review: ‘Jen Walters Must Die Part 1’ Marvel Legacy

A review of She-Hulk #159.

She-Hulk #159

Writer: Mariko Tamaki

Artist: Jahnoy Lindsay

Colourists: Federico Blee and Chris Sotomayor

Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham

Cover (Main): Mike Deodato Jr. and Marcelo Maiolo

After reading the first arc, ‘Deconstructed’, in Hulk from Mariko Tamaki, I have made sure I kept up to date (somehow I knew this was a winner). Tamaki’s decompressed approach to storytelling was a page-turner in the six-parter.

For those who do not know, She-Hulk has turned an ugly shade of gray as of late and that is due to the trauma she endured by Thanos during the second civil war. Adding to the fact Jennifer Walters’ cousin, Bruce Banner, also known as the original Hulk was murdered by Hawkeye – her one-time romantic interest is more than enough of a single bitter pill to swallow.

Jahnoy establishes our first scene in Times Square, New York with Jennifer dining with Professor Robyn Meiser Malt at Burgercakes Diner. Clearly, Jen’s mind is adrift as she is finding what can be indeed “edible” from the menu she is viewing that can be left to the imagination. Aside from that, Jen is wondering not only why she is at the diner, but also why she agreed to an interview with the Professor.

Robyn asks her about the fact she practices law in a society that is working relentlessly against those who break the laws of physics on a whim and thus upsets the system and her status as a super-powered individual i.e. altered human being. She then asks Jen about an incident when she transformed outside a courthouse when her client (presumably the plaintiff) – who happened to be a mutant – is acquitted. Jen leaves and then calls Patsy Walker A.K.A. Hellcat.

Patsy has been a great addition to this current series’ supporting characters, serving as the one person outside of the Hulk family who has Jen’s back. She has been there when Jen has been out there on least successful dates, been there emotionally and when she is out trying to be a superhero in her current Hulk form and dealing with her personal trauma.

While purchasing her green (pistachio) flavored ice-cream, a young thief steals her phone and Jen pursues the phone-snatcher toward a back alley. Knowing there is nowhere else to go, she is confident that she can handle the boy. Jahnoy manages to emphasize the [twist] coming with his panel layout when the boy mentions her full name, suggesting that either he does not have all of his mental faculties and is being controlled against his will or this is a trap and someone is pulling strings. Jen recognizes the voice coming from the demented boy and she thus changes into her grey form, however, a tranquilizer pump with a high dose sedative takes her out.

Waking up, Jen finds herself on a patient-safety strap facing Robyn above. Jen finds herself in the Professor’s lab. From a few close-ups of a photo board, folders containing files on her, news-clippings and DNA samples, we have some idea of Robyn’s intentions. She is obsessed with Jen.

Trying to get past the effects of the drugs in her system, she is in no mood to answer Robyn’s neurotic questions about her motive, even thinking elsewhere for a brie cut with Patsy watching a superhero film (The Amazing Spider-Man 2 anyone?) and eating potato chips. The quote “GAH! So much anger” I presume might be a reference to Jamie Foxx’s Max Dillon/Electro (other than that nice pop culture and brief fourth wall break Tamaki).

Cutting back to the lab, The Leader, one of the Hulk’s archenemies enters the room and reveals to be the one assisting Robyn. Jen urges Robyn not to trust The Leader, who believes the Professor would “Make an amazing specimen for [her] particular gamma manifestation,” also noting he liked Jen better when she was “green”. Robyn proceeds with more tests.

The Good:

She-Hulk #159 has a fairly decent pace of events of the story and was clear to understand. This has a supple balance of humor and suspense, particularly the scene where the thief led Jen Walters into a trap.

This issue has a great set-up as to what is to come for this new story arc “Jen Walters Must Die” and the plot-twist towards the mid-point was pretty well placed.

In terms of the line work, Jahnoy’s strengths fall more in line with his foregrounds and specific types of shots in the panels i.e. certain shots like hero shots (medium long-shots) and tight angles are laid out better as some of the panels had a lot of work in the designs highlighted than others.

Towards its close, the issue allows you to figure out what Robyn’s plans could be and how The Leader comes into this. Will he betray Robyn? How will he manipulate her? Why does he want her as his lab assistant?

The Bad:

What may detract from the issue if you have followed this series up until now is a worthy enough opponent for Jen as She-Hulk (in her Gray Hulk persona). Even though Leader is by far more than a challenge, you cannot help but place Robyn as a temporary-villain-for-this-chapter trope and hope she may stick around a while longer after this.

The major flaw with this issue is in some panels within pages of this issue, the sketches within the layouts are off. Some of the designs within the content of this issue lack a sense of elegance in movement. The main example was the cut-short Hulk-out; there is not enough of a transition there with those panels.

In addition, the lettering that depicted a distinct tone in voice Jen referred to earlier was not established and could have been highlighted with a creative design.

Aside from this, the coloring in certain scenes was bland on these pages and do not blend with the shading presented by Jahnoy. It does not match the color palette that colorists Matt Milla and even Federico Blee were able to utilize in some of the earlier issues.

Highlights:

• Hellcat (Patsy) makes a fitting addition to the comic’s supporting characters.
• Professor Robyn M. Malt serves as a potential threat and recurring antagonist for Jen and in addition to The Leader makes things interesting.
• Leader’s implied telepathy was put on display and demonstrates one of the reasons why he was the Hulk’s deadliest villain.
• Hopefully, they add some of Leader’s other attributes including the classic 70s “mind bolt” ability for good measure.
• Both Robyn’s and Leader’s have hidden motives serves as a driving force behind their scheme to destroy Jen’s life in subsequent issues.

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