What an awful comic book. It gets dumber as it goes along, with Jennifer’s dad joining forces with the guy who killed his wife in order to kill She-Hulk. The villain isn’t a regular mobster, he has a huge Bond villain subterranean fortress. It’s not too big, however, since She-Hulk is able to find everyone right after she breaks in.

The comic also has the further adventures of She-Hulk’s Rick Jones, the Zapper kid. It’s really dumb, especially as Kraft tries to show She-Hulk predisposition towards rage. Except she doesn’t change when she’s angry, she changes when she’s in pain or danger.

I also need to address the art, even though there’s nothing nice or interesting to say about it. Volsburg and Stone produce some severely lacking artwork this issue. The action scenes can’t compete against bad composition.

It’s a bad comic. Slow, dumb and ugly.

D 

CREDITS

The She-Hulk Strikes Back!; writer, David Anthony Kraft; pencillers, Mike Vosburg and Chic Stone; inker, Stone; colorist, George Roussos; letterer, Joe Rosen; editor, Mary Jo Duffy; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Well, Kraft certainly doesn’t turn things around this issue. He might make them worse–nothing this issue gets a full breath. The big ending, which should be an exciting fight between She-Hulk and her first superpowered villain, flops because of the setting. A beach house isn’t the place for a visually dynamic brawl.

There’s some subplot development with Jennifer’s dad and then a little bit more with the villain, but nothing with Jennifer herself. The idiotic “faked her own death” plot turn gets even worse with her opposing counsel, also a confidant in that plot, harassing her. And then there’s Jennifer’s good buddy, Zapper, who gets to play dude in distress.

The art, from Volsburg and Stone, is also weak. The action’s too small but they couldn’t handle anything more. Volsburg doesn’t have any sense of style to his composition either. It’s confused and unpleasant.

It’s a trying read.

C- 

CREDITS

She-Hulk Murders Lady Lawyer!; writer, David Anthony Kraft; pencillers, Mike Vosburg and Chic Stone; inker, Stone; colorist, Carl Gafford; letterer, Michael Higgins; editors, Mary Jo Duffy and Al Milgrom; publisher, Marvel Comics.

If only writer David Anthony Kraft had a better artist, his first issue of She-Hulk would've been a lot stronger.

Even though the mob tried to have Jennifer Walters killed last issue, there's no proof. Except sworn witness statements. But those don't hold up in the Marvel Universe, so the mob makes another attempt on Jennifer's life. She turns into She-Hulk and tries to remedy the situation, which has her best friend their unintended victim.

So the big action is She-Hulk running after a car without brakes and trying to save her friend. Even with the incredibly problematic pencils from Mike Vosburg–who just can't compose panels to make the scenes intense enough–it's a good sequence.

Unfortunately, Kraft brings back in the Marvel Universe legal logic at the end–Jennifer Walters is legally dead, killed by the She-Hulk, yet still a practicing attorney.

It's not bad though. It's definitely an exciting read.

C 

CREDITS

Deathrace!!; writer, David Anthony Kraft; penciller, Mike Vosburg; inker, Chic Stone; colorist, Bob Sharen; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Jim Shooter; publisher, Marvel Comics.