All superheroes struggle to cope with trauma and internal conflict. Jennifer Walter’s inner demons just happen to be more monstrous than most.
As She-Hulk, the popular Marvel character worked as an attorney and enjoyed a certain amount of stability. But coming away from the events of Marvel’s Civil War II crossover event this summer, Walters is wounded, both in body and in spirit. Her cousin, Bruce Banner, is dead, and she’s struggling to regain control over her life in Marvel’s new Hulk comic coming this December.
Announced today on the A.V. Club, Hulk will be an ongoing series written by Eisner Award-winning writer Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer, Skim) and rising-star artist Nico Leon, who you might recognize from work on Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man.
Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso explained the choice drop Walters’s She-Hulk title in a statement to the A.V. Club.
“The title She-Hulk evokes light-hearted stories about a Jennifer Walters who is at peace with herself and in full control of her powers,” says Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso. “This isn’t that book. On the other hand, the title Hulk implies all of the baggage that comes with that comic’s 50+ year history—the ongoing battle with the monster within—and that’s why it’s more appropriate for this series. Jen went through major trauma in Civil War II, and Mariko and Nico’s story will deal with the fallout of that trauma—the anxiety and anger, sometimes self-destructive, that comes along with it. If there is light at the end of the tunnel, Jen is going to have to search hard for it, and she’s going to have to battle with some pretty big monsters—including the one within—to find herself again.”
While Alonso’s comments make it clear the comic will have a serious tone, fans seem excited to see Walters’ evolution under Tamaki, who has a history of deftly writing female characters. It also wasn’t lost on them that this move continues Marvel’s recent trend of having female characters take the starring role in long-standing hero comics.
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Perhaps the real question is when Marvel might bring some of this willingness to experiment to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
H/T A.V. Club