Shulkie is large and in charge, at least for the moment.
The She Hulk is large and in charge; she's one of the best lawyers in NYC, an adventurer and superhero alongside the Avengers, party girl during her time off, and she usually gets the hunk when she wants to. Life couldn't be better for The Incredible Hulk's younger cousin. But there comes a time when people have to change and become more responsible for their actions. Her fellow superheroes and co-workers wonder can she become more than an immature party-goer. -summary
She-Hulk is one of Marvel's derivative characters that always feels criminal not to have a long running series. The character had long ago removed herself from the shadow of the more popular Incredible Hulk, by carving herself a rather impressive track record; she not only managed to fit in quite well with the Avengers for years, but she also stood in for the Thing as a member of the Fantastic Four. Although she could never replace him, I wasn't completely glad to see her leave the FF. She-Hulk is irreplaceable in the Marvel Universe. It's impossible to dismiss her as just a carbon copy of the original, so I was happy when it was mentioned back in around 2004 or so she was getting her third solo series. Dan Slott was picked to pen the green beauty, and although his run pales in comparison to the Savage She Hulk and Sensational She-Hulk runs written by Stan Lee and JohnByrne respectively, there are definitely some moments I can look back on fondly. She Hulk: Single Green Female collects issues 1 - 6.
Dan Slott's writing and Juan Bobillo's artwork immediately sets the tone alerting the reader on what they're in for. This book resembles the Sensational run a lot more with its quirky sense of humor. There's a heavy reliance on comedy that fits very well with the story concepts. One part of the story follows She-Hulk in her new law firm, and they're purpose is to work cases completely out of the ordinary. There's one occasion where a super-being wants to sue his company for accidentally giving him powers, which also works towards She-Hulk's development. Dr. Strange makes an appearance to bring a man's ghost to trial, whom wants to testify at his own murder case. It's definitely as bizarre as it sounds, and these things could only take place in the comic book world.
Slott manages to handle She-Hulk very well; in her original series at some point it was established that She-Hulk could no longer change back into Jennifer Walters, which really wasn't a problem since she preferred her green form. Slott explores this by pointing out that she suffers from a terrible inferiority complex of being Jennifer Walters. The thing about Slott's writing I appreciate here is that while he delves into this issue, he makes the story fun without diving into any of the psycho babble for a deeper meaning. It's cut and dry, and the story remains within the realm of being nothing more than low brow entertainment.
The problems with this book are minor but they shine brightly. One story involves Spider-Man in a sue claim against the Daily Bugle for years of slander. This is by far the book's major highlight; unfortunately it's Spider-man stealing all of She-Hulk's thunder. This also happened with Ben Grimm earlier. It is crystal clear which superheroes Slott cares for the most. The funniest interactions do not involve the She-Hulk much, so I could imagine a casual fan running out for a Spider-Man title before hers. This isn't all either, the writing leans too much towards our world on some occasions. For example, She-Hulk's law firm can actually use Marvel Comics issues as legal documents in court, since the heroes OK'ed their adventures to be read. The Sensational She-Hulk was known for some type of fourth wall breaking but here it just doesn't register.
Juan Bobillo's artwork can be fun for the type of mood Slott's writing sets. It's not always a hit though. Some of the designs are just atrocious with She-Hulk looking more pudgy and sloppy than totally fit. The Scorpion makes an appearance resembling his style from the 60's, except he doesn't look cool here at all. At times the artwork does look good with some fine facials. Bobillo can draw She-Hulk really cute some times. Paul Pelletier draws the last two issues and these stories look more up to date with some fine character designs for everyone. There's more of an attempt to make her sexy here.
She-Hulk: Single Green Female for what it's worth is a fun book. The comedy and character development is handled well. The only problem here is that the action really isn't much, and there just isn't enough at all. If She-Hulk's random activities don't rope you in then this book will not appeal to you. The second volume is more action oriented. Fans of the character will probably enjoy it, new fans will receive a good enough introduction, but I would also recommend the second volume as a quick back up.
3.5/5
Pros:
-Fun stories with a good amount of comedy and character development
Cons:
-Some of the artwork is tough to enjoy, guest appearances overshadow main character