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quietjenn's review
3.0
Literally cutting and pasting what I said about the first collection:
I definitely felt at a disadvantage with this one from not being entirely plugged into the Marvel Universe. But I like She-Hulk so, so much as a character.
I definitely felt at a disadvantage with this one from not being entirely plugged into the Marvel Universe. But I like She-Hulk so, so much as a character.
quirkycatsfatstacks's review
4.0
After what I read in the first volume, I had no doubt that I absolutely had to continue reading this series. For those of you who haven’t read Deconstructed I can’t recommend it enough, it’s so wonderful. Mariko Tamaki is absolutely what we needed for a She-Hulk reboot, and I couldn’t be happier with her. Which is going to make my next statement that much more depressing. Before the release of this volume it was announced that the series was going to be cancelled. We’ve got at least one more volume ahead of us, but beyond that I can’t say. I sincerely hope Tamaki and her team were given enough warning to give this series the proper sendoff it deserves. I’d be heartbroken if it ended with an unfinished plotline in the air.
I’m sure that they’ll reboot She-Hulk again at some point, but I’m still feeling the loss pretty heavily. Especially since there’s no guarantee that Tamaki will be a part of said reboot. In the meantime I strongly urge everyone to keep an eye on Tamaki’s future works, as I’m sure they’ll be worth it (I’ve read a few other series by her, so I feel confident saying that).
Some people out there are saying that the second volume isn’t as strong as the second; and maybe they’re right. It didn’t hit me in the feels as much as the first one did (seeing Jennifer react to the loss of Banner the first time was really rough) but I’m still finding myself fascinated with the puzzle laid out before us.
Take a look at the cover, what do you see? Does that look like the normal green tone we’re all used to seeing Jennifer take upon herself? No, it doesn’t. And it wasn’t a printing mistake or artistic license either (that can happen on covers, after all). She-Hulk is grey. And I’ve got to say, she looks fantastic that way. There are some changes that coincide with the color swap, which based on the other Hulks we know isn’t terribly surprising. I’d love to know the how and why of everything that is going on here, and I sincerely hope it is answered soon.
Ironically the whole She-Hulk being grey bit isn’t even the main plot (hard to believe, isn’t it?). There are actually two plot arcs in this volume, the first one taking up four issues, and the second taking the final fifth issue. And before you worry, yes Hellcat makes an appearance in both plots.
The main plot revolved around unfortunate circumstances that can turn one into a monster (or a Hulk) and how sometimes it’s the luck of the draw. It doesn’t change the loss one feels, or the betrayal (which some will experience more than other). The concept of grief continues to be explored as well, thankfully (I’m loving how Tamaki is handling it), and if I’m being honest I suspect this is the root of She-Hulks change to a greyer tone (or maybe they were implying somebody drugged her? Now that would be scary).
I’m still blown away by how much emotion is crammed into a few short issues every time. It’s amazing, really. She-Hulk has never felt so real or so human, and I hope she never goes back. I hadn’t really felt the impact of Banner’s death before I read her series – but now it’s like this aching black hole I can’t deny the existence of, and it’s all because of her pain, her grief. I just want to reach out to her and help her make it all better (not that anyone can really do that).
The second plot is a whole lot lighter in tone, I promise you. At first I actually thought it was a whimsical one-shot sort of story, especially with the fourth-wall breaking that was going on. I wouldn’t have blamed them for going for a comic relief episode, to be sure. That being said, I’d suggest that you don’t skip this issue; it actually contains some important information. I suspect it’s going to be related to the plot for the third volume, though I couldn’t say that for certain.
Regardless, I can’t wait until volume three releases, even if that means we’re that much closer to the end (my poor heart). I do find some irony in that we’ve been watching She-Hulk learn how to deal with loss, only to learn that we’re going to be losing this series. This has been one of my favorite She-Hulk series, so I am very saddened by its loss, and I don’t care if anybody thinks I’m silly for feeling that way.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
jilljemmett's review
4.0
In this volume, Jennifer Walters AKA She-Hulk has to figure out what is causing a man to turn into a monster. He was given a drug that turned him into a giant green creature. The incident of him consuming the drug and changing was caught on his cooking vlog. She-Hulk investigates the problem through her job as a lawyer.
Most of the volume was about the man who turned into the creature. There wasn’t as much stuff for She-Hulk to do, with most of the story focusing on him. The story jumped around to many different settings every couple of pages so it was hard to focus on one plot.
I liked the final comic, which was a story about Jennifer going on a date. It didn’t work out too well for either of them, but it was entertaining because she kept interrupting the narrator of the comic.
I liked this graphic novel, but I hope the next volume has more about She-Hulk.
Most of the volume was about the man who turned into the creature. There wasn’t as much stuff for She-Hulk to do, with most of the story focusing on him. The story jumped around to many different settings every couple of pages so it was hard to focus on one plot.
I liked the final comic, which was a story about Jennifer going on a date. It didn’t work out too well for either of them, but it was entertaining because she kept interrupting the narrator of the comic.
I liked this graphic novel, but I hope the next volume has more about She-Hulk.
dogunderwater's review
4.0
I like this comic in part because people use the internet in it like normal actual people use the internet, and the idea of creating 'gonzo reality tv' is both terrifying and probably could be a hook for any number of superhero stories. Tamaki continues her journey into examining Jen's trauma, through a meeting with another monster, and it's pretty good. Hellcat and Hulk's friendship is also...perfect.
pantsyreads's review
2.0
Jen is still reeling from the death of her cousin Bruce Banner AKA The Hulk. Navigating her grief has led her to question her involvement with the superhero community. Amidst all this, a popular internet personality known for his baking is poisoned with a drug that causes mutations. His gruesome transformation is filmed live online and Jen finds herself dealing with the fallout.
I really enjoyed Tamaki’s first volume of her She-Hulk run, but this one felt severely lacking. The plot was lackluster and I didn’t feel it connected much to the parallel plot of Jen dealing with her grief (though in one issue it felt like Tamaki was trying to force a link between the two.) There’s also an issue that’s unrelated to the main story that follows Jen on going on a date. It had very out-of-place instances of characters breaking the 4th wall and the humour didn’t work for me at all.
There was also the very bizarre issue of the artist changing literally every couple of pages (not even every issue!) Some of the artist changes were so jarring, especially when they came out of the blue. It makes for a disruptive reading experience.
I would still like to read the final volume in this run, but I’m so sad that this second volume didn’t live up to my experience with the first.
I really enjoyed Tamaki’s first volume of her She-Hulk run, but this one felt severely lacking. The plot was lackluster and I didn’t feel it connected much to the parallel plot of Jen dealing with her grief (though in one issue it felt like Tamaki was trying to force a link between the two.) There’s also an issue that’s unrelated to the main story that follows Jen on going on a date. It had very out-of-place instances of characters breaking the 4th wall and the humour didn’t work for me at all.
There was also the very bizarre issue of the artist changing literally every couple of pages (not even every issue!) Some of the artist changes were so jarring, especially when they came out of the blue. It makes for a disruptive reading experience.
I would still like to read the final volume in this run, but I’m so sad that this second volume didn’t live up to my experience with the first.
captwinghead's review
4.0
The most compelling part of this series for me is Jen's recovery story. Tamaki does a wonderful job of portraying Jen's life after CW II without making it seem like there's a "miracle cure". She attends support groups, she has her coping techniques to manage anxiety and this series shows her finding a way to function while helping people around her.
Overall, I didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous volume because of the last, sort of hammy issue and it just didn't seem to flow as well as the first one. It's still wonderful but it didn't resonate with me the same way the first one did.
That being said, there is still a LOT to love here:
- the couple, Oliver and Warren, were written well enough that I got attached and cared about their plight. They're actually people with their own goals and lives so I really cared what happened to them. They truly care about them and I was so angry on their behalf during this book.
- Jen is wonderful as always. Tamaki has a great handle on the character and I root for her everytime. I'm enjoying this book a lot more than Slott's run which is saying something. Sorry, but a part of me will always think women write female characters better than 99% of male writers. It's all in how you choose to portray our motivations. Which brings me to:
- Patsy Walker and her friendship with Jen. I really love this! They're really supportive of each other and Patsy is never scared of Jen or the Hulk. It's a great female friendship.
- the plot is actually interesting. Sometimes, it's hard for authors to accomplish great characterization and development and still give us a decent plot. Tamaki doesn't struggle with that at all.
- the metaphor and Jen wondering about what Bruce would think if he read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein really resonated with me. Bruce didn't read a lot of fiction but I'd be interested to see his thoughts on who was the more sympathetic character: Victor or his monster?
Overall, I didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous volume because of the last, sort of hammy issue and it just didn't seem to flow as well as the first one. It's still wonderful but it didn't resonate with me the same way the first one did.
That being said, there is still a LOT to love here:
- the couple, Oliver and Warren, were written well enough that I got attached and cared about their plight. They're actually people with their own goals and lives so I really cared what happened to them. They truly care about them and I was so angry on their behalf during this book.
- Jen is wonderful as always. Tamaki has a great handle on the character and I root for her everytime. I'm enjoying this book a lot more than Slott's run which is saying something. Sorry, but a part of me will always think women write female characters better than 99% of male writers. It's all in how you choose to portray our motivations. Which brings me to:
- Patsy Walker and her friendship with Jen. I really love this! They're really supportive of each other and Patsy is never scared of Jen or the Hulk. It's a great female friendship.
- the plot is actually interesting. Sometimes, it's hard for authors to accomplish great characterization and development and still give us a decent plot. Tamaki doesn't struggle with that at all.
- the metaphor and Jen wondering about what Bruce would think if he read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein really resonated with me. Bruce didn't read a lot of fiction but I'd be interested to see his thoughts on who was the more sympathetic character: Victor or his monster?
adeniverville's review
3.0
Vol 1 was a really strong run for this iteration of She-Hulk, but vol 2 wasn't at the same level. It was still enjoyable, but it missed a certain spark. And the conflict got resolved really quickly towards the end. I would've liked a little more before reaching that point.
booknooknoggin's review
3.0
Decent read...just glad it wasn't over the top girly/cutesy bs that Marvel has been doing with other titles.