She-Hulk #28 – Review

By Peter David (Writer), Val Semeiks (Pencils), Dave Meikis with Victor Olazaba (Inks), Chris Sotomayor (Colors)

She-Hulk is in jail? What happened? Did I miss an issue? No, Peter David starts at the end and backtracks to how we got to this point,  which is an effective device. The book opens with a nice Byrne-esque splash page, too. She-Hulk and her Skrull colleague Jazinda head to Cleveland in search of Bran Murphy, wanted for blowing up a bar in a previous issue. The trail leads them to a Browns game and the hijinx ensue.

The scenes at the football game were good. Often I cringe when comics cross over into sporting events but this was well done with some amusing moments as our heroes ventured into the “dawg pound” in pursuit of their quarry. We have a bit of mystery established for the future as Bran seems to be not entirely himself.

I really like what Peter David has been doing here. She-Hulk has questioned and come to terms with her role as a heroine. She has been operating outside the normal confines of the law as a bounty hunter posing as an FBI agent while still standing for and upholding justice. With She-Hulk traveling as a bounty hunter the book does not have a permanent locale and this gives this gives the book a vibe somewhat reminiscent of the old Hulk TV series. The constant banter between She-Hulk and her Skrull partner Jazinda is always enjoyable and a highlight of the book. In this issue we are treated to a look into Skrull sexual mores, unless Jaz is exceptional among her people in her practices. The book promises a story arc that will reveal the reasons behind Jennifer Walters’ disbarment and a Hercules guest shot to follow that. I find plenty to like about this book at the moment and I am looking forward to continuing with it. (Grade: A)

– Arthur Cooke