Since 1980, Jennifer Walters’ heroic alter ego, She-Hulk has been one of the lighter hearted characters in the Marvel Universe. Recent events in Civil War II have physically and emotionally transformed Jen. And as this December, she will be She-Hulk no more!
AVClub was the first to report that Marvel is launching a new Hulk series, starring Jennifer Walters, who has apparently abandoned the She-Hulk name. Writer Mariko Tamaki and artist Nico Leon will be the creative team of Hulk, and Jeff Dekal will be the cover image. While speaking with AVClub, Marvel’s editor-in-chief, Axel Alonso explained the apparent shift for Jen’s character.
“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.”
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“Jen is absolutely shaped by the trauma she’s experienced,” added Tamaki. “Much of it was inspired by thinking about how different people deal with the hard things that happen in their lives, how memory, trauma, can infuse our whole being, be a physical presence in our lives. I was really into the idea of a Hulk, of the ability to transform into something close to monstrous, that’s still human, and heroic. It was interesting to think about what’s human about Hulk and vice versa.”
Given the events of Civil War II, it’s likely that Jen won’t be siding with either Captain Marvel or Iron Man’s factions. That could also potentially isolate Jen from her friends on A-Force as well. For fans of the classic She-Hulk stories, this probably isn’t great news. But just keep one thing in mind: the status quo will always reassert itself. Always, and especially when there’s money to be made by the reversion. This take on Jen could last anywhere between a few months to a few years, but even the Dark Speedball/Penance experiment eventually came to an end. So too will this eventually fade into the background. As they say on Comics Alliance, “Comics, everyone!”
What do you think about the new status quo for Jennifer Walters? Hulk out in the comment section below!
