REVIEW: ‘The Immortal She-Hulk,’ Issue #1

The Immortal She-Hulk #1 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Al Ewing, art by Jon Davis-Hunt, colors by Marcia Menyz, and letters by Cory Petit. Jennifer Walters got a second lease on life when she received a blood transfusion from her cousin Bruce Banner. But Bruce didn’t save her life, he brought her back from the dead. Now, having the experience of dying and returning become a pattern to her existence, Jennifer struggles with how to handle the concepts of life and death.

The cyclical nature of life and death for a comic book superhero is one that has always given me pause. What does that do to a person? Does it make one feel invincible and reckless? Or would it make you all the more fearful that the next time won’t be the same? The concept of conditional immortality has certainly been making the rounds lately. The Immortal She-Hulk #1 does a superb job of delivering the first steps into its own deep look into the subject.

As an Avengers fan who has loved what the current comic run has done with She-Hulk, I thoroughly appreciate how Ewing is approaching the character. Delving deeper into recurring deaths and resurrections of the character, and what experiences stem from those deaths are thoroughly interesting. Her confusion and search for understanding is delivered in an emotionally deep way.

Jennifer is lost. She is struggling with what her cycle of life and death means for her. And while Ewing has her reach out to others who might have insight, the opinions they give her are not exactly helpful. And to be fair, how one contextualizes life and death is always a personal and unique thing. These interactions showing Jen searching for answers she’s clearly needed for quite some time make up the best moments of The Immortal She-Hulk #1. And while they are the best, they aren’t the only compelling aspect of the book.

What exactly Jennifer experiences when she dies is interesting. I won’t spoil, but it isn’t what I was expecting. I look forward to learning more about it this new aspect of She-Hulk’s world as this story continues.

As strong as The Immortal She-Hulk #1’s writing is, the art is every bit it’s equal. Davis-Hunt’s work captures this story superbly. The visual presentation of the world She-Hulk goes to upon dying is particularly striking. The other aspect of the art I really appreciated is how it visually presents She-Hulk’s past.

She-Hulk’s visual design has undergone some big changes in recent years. Going from a somewhat muscular green woman to a figure truly worthy of the name Hulk, jumping back into her early days could be quite confusing for a newer reader that only knows the modern character. Davis-Hunt does a great job bridging these two versions together. While flashback moments to early days in her superhero life show a different She-Hulk, the version still feels closer to the modern than I generally remember. It is noticeably different, but not jarringly so.

All this excellent art is further enhanced by Menyz’s colorwork. The colors chosen fit excellently with the issue’s tones well. Of particular note is the use of orange here. Not usually one that I see used extensively alongside the expected heavy greens throughout this book, yet it works strikingly well. It adds another unique visual element to the book.

Wrapping up The Immortal She-Hulk #1’s presentation is Petit’s letters. The job of delivering the story in a clear and easy to follow visual is executed with skill here.

As I look back on it I find myself thoroughly impressed with my experience reading The Immortal She-Hulk #1. It delivers the start of a deep story, which poses plenty of questions I hope to get answers to. Plus, it manages to do something that comics often struggle with, it leaves me worried about She-Hulk. One of those characters writers can have difficulty with creating concern for, given the often absurd power level the character displays.

The Immortal She-Hulk #1 is available September 23rd wherever comics are sold.