I know there are readers out there who prefer long-form stories that go on and on but there’s something to be said about the one-off, standalone issues. They can be really fun and brilliant in their own way and there’s something quite wonderful about reading a well conceived self-contained story in one, rather than reading a bridge issue or whatever.
So I’m delighted with She-Hulk #7 for a number of reasons. 1) Javier Pulido is back on art duties with Muntsa VIcente colouring, 2) Charles Soule is still writing up a storm, 3) it’s a standalone ish, and 4) She-Hulk kicks off her second arc with a spectacularly fun story.
A scientist character called Rufus who’s working in the same building as Jen’s law firm, and whom we glimpsed briefly earlier in the series, has been working on a shrink ray. He’s ready to sell the tech but his partner isn’t - in protest, the partner has shrunk himself and run off. Enter She-Hulk and Hellcat as they team up with Ant-Man to go on a miniature adventure to track down the missing tiny scientist!
Doesn’t that sound great? It’s like a classic Marvel comic, all goofy and fun - and it is! Like after Hank Pym’s abducted by a sparrow early on, Patsy tries on the Ant-Man helmet to speak to the ants and find out where the missing scientist could be, but immediately struggling, saying that it’s like talking to a million four year olds at once - and they all want sugar! How’s that for bringing to the reader what the Ant-Man experience is like?
While Soule’s writing is as top-notch as ever, what really makes this issue stand out is the return of Pulido and Vicente. I’ve heard some people don’t like Pulido’s work and I really don’t understand it - to me, it’s perfect. It’s expressive, it’s imaginative, it’s clean, the layouts are among the best in any comic being published and every panel looks as amazing as the last. Have Muntsa Vicente colour it, and it’s the ultimate in comics art!
Vicente uses bright colours with great combinations - like the first page is strongly white, the next two are red, the one after is blue, the next green, and so on. It captures and holds the attention, and it’s gorgeous to look at. I love that colourists now are getting front page credits because their contributions are really noticeable in comics and have been for some time.
And yeah, it’s a self-contained issue, so if you want to experience the She-Hulk series and haven’t yet so far, #7 is a great place to sample it. It’s great how it’s bookended with images of Captain America, with the final page having a twist to it (though I haven’t been reading Captain America’s series so I don’t know why he looks the way he does).
She-Hulk #7 is the comic of the week - it’s a great fun Marvel story with fine writing and terrific art with one of the best creative teams I can think of: Soule, Pulido, Vicente. Don’t miss it!
She-Hulk #7
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