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The forthcoming Imperial event is giving She-Hulk an awesome new design, but I have concerns Marvel may be about to ruin the character. Superstar writer Jonathan Hickman is joining forces with artists Iban Coello and Federico Vicentini to revamp Marvel’s cosmic side, including a new direction for the Hulk Family. While the new designs for the Hulks are undeniably cool, they might be sending She-Hulk in the wrong direction.
Jonathan Hickman is also currently writing Ultimate Spider-Man.
As reported here on ScreenRant, Hickman, Coello and Vicentini will breathe new life into the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe, and the artists spoke with Comicbook.com about their processes, sharing some interior art as well. Of particular interest is a page involving the Hulk, She-Hulk and presumably Amadeus Cho.
All of them are wearing barbarian-like gear, including She-Hulk.
The Hulk Family’s gear recalls the epic World War Hulk event from the 2000s, as well as an entirely new direction for She-Hulk, one that may undo years of progress and erode what makes the character unique.
She-Hulk Has Always Stood Apart From Her Cousin the Hulk
She-Hulk Is Loved and Respected Whereas the Hulk is Hated and Hounded
From the moment of She-Hulk’s debut over 40 years ago, she has distinguished herself from her cousin Bruce Banner in a number of ways. According to legend, She-Hulk was created so Marvel could obtain the trademark on the name. Marvel feared that Kenneth Johnson, the showrunner behind the then-wildly popular Incredible Hulk television series, would beat it to the punch by creating a woman version of the Jade Giant. Marvel legend Stan Lee helped create the character, and he and later creators, including John Byrne, Dan Slott and Rainbow Rowell, ensured she would stand apart from Bruce.
Jennifer Walters is so comfortable as She-Hulk, in fact, she sometimes opts to remain in that state.
The differences between the two are crucial. The most obvious difference is that, for the most part, She-Hulk can control her transformations. She-Hulk also retains her humanity and intelligence when she transforms into her gamma-irradiated state. This is something her cousin Bruce has struggled with his entire time as the Hulk. Jennifer Walters is so comfortable as She-Hulk, in fact, she sometimes opts to remain in that state. Jennifer is a world-class attorney, and she has parlayed her experience with the superhuman community into being an attorney representing exclusively super-powered people.
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The arcs the Hulk and She-Hulk have taken through the Marvel Universe are vastly different too. Since his debut, the Hulk has mostly been hated and hunted by humanity, as well as other heroes. The government has devoted entire departments committed to finding new ways to stop the Hulk. On the other hand, She-Hulk has enjoyed far more respect from the heroic community and the world at large. It is safe to say She-Hulk is far more comfortable in her (green) skin than her cousin. She-Hulk has never sought a cure for her condition either.
The Last Decade Has Not Been Too Kind to She-Hulk
From Losing Her Intelligence to Becoming a Russian Killing Machine, She-Hulk Has Had a Rough Go Of It
Yet over the last decade, Marvel has taken some big creative swings with She-Hulk. For a brief period, She-Hulk was gray, not unlike her cousin when he first arrived on the scene. Then, during Jason Aaron’s Avengers run, She-Hulk’s worst fears came to realization: losing control of her humanity. Throughout the run, She-Hulk tried her best to maintain her intelligence and her sense of control, but ultimately failed. This left her prey to brainwashing and manipulation. She-Hulk was turned into a killing machine by Russian agents, but the Avengers were able to liberate their comrade.
After the Avengers, She-Hulk seemingly returned to her classic status quo: that of a highly intelligent and capable attorney, who also happened to be a gamma mutate. Around the same time, She-Hulk made the leap to live-action, appearing in her own Disney + MCU show. She-Hulk, Attorney at Law leaned heavily into the classic interpretation of She-Hulk, with a light-hearted tone and courtroom action. She-Hulk debuted in a new comic series at this time, mirroring the show’s tone. After a decade of She-Hulk being in the wilderness, Jennifer has seemed to get her head back on her shoulders.
Imperial Seems To Be Pulling From a Classic Hulk Story Arc
She-Hulk is not currently appearing in a monthly title, and her cousin’s book, The Incredible Hulk, will soon conclude, allowing Marvel to set up the Hulk Family’s new status quo in Imperial. The event promises an exciting new direction for the larger Marvel Universe, particularly its cosmic side. Writer Jonathan Hickman is no stranger to rebooting and retooling characters, and his forthcoming work on Imperial looks to keep his streak going. In books such as GODS, Hickman has shown there are still plenty of story possibilities inherent in all corners of the Marvel Universe.
While exact plot details about Imperial are being kept under wraps, Marvel has made it clear the Hulk Family will be a part of it. Just how exactly the Hulk, She-Hulk and the rest will become embroiled in the cosmic saga remains to be seen, but Coello and Vicentini’s designs bring to mind Planet Hulk, and its follow-up World War Hulk. The Hulk was exiled to space, landing on a war-like, gladiator world. His great strength allowed him to work his way upwards, eventually becoming the world’s ruler. During this time, the Hulk began wearing gladiator-style armor.
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Planet Hulk is an iconic Hulk storyline, and while it got a sequel with World War Hulk, the new Ultimate Universe just set up an even better one.
Planet Hulk and World War Hulk are considered two of the character’s finest stories, and it makes sense for Marvel to return to them for Imperial. Since the conclusion of Immortal Hulk, there has been a sense among fans that the character has floundered, aimless and with no direction. Planet Hulk/World War Hulk were epic cosmic stories, and reintegrating the character into this side of Imperial may give Bruce the verve he has been missing for a few years now.
Is The Marvel Universe Ready for a Gladiator She-Hulk?
Is She-Hulk’s New Direction the Best Course of Action?
And this time, it looks like the Hulk will be bringing She-Hulk and others along for the cosmic ride. During Planet Hulk, the character took on a more imposing and striking appearance. The gladiator armor made the Hulk seem more savage than ever, and now Imperial is giving She-Hulk the similar treatment. She-Hulk looks really cool in gladiator armor as well, and it makes her more fearsome in appearance. What role She-Hulk will play in the Hulk’s cosmic dynasty remains unknown, but her new look is sure to strike fear into the hearts of her opponents.
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She-Hulk’s New Venom Form Is a Nightmare-Fuel Transformation You’ll Never Be Able to Unsee
Horribly, She-Hulk gets infected with the zombiote virus, showing a version of the famous symbiote and She-Hulk bonded together in nightmare form.
While some fans may applaud this new direction for She-Hulk, I for one, am not entirely sold. The aforementioned differences between the Hulk and his cousin have made She-Hulk into one of Marvel’s most endearing characters, one that has stayed relevant and in circulation for over 40 years. Making She-Hulk just like Bruce has not worked out well for her in the past, and I am afraid giving her a savage, gladiator appearance is doing just that. I will reserve judgement until Imperial arrives this June, but for now I have concerns over She-Hulk’s new direction.
Source: Comicbook.com
Imperial #1 is on sale June 4 from Marvel Comics!
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