Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: The Search for She-Hulk – part 1: “Hidingâ€
Written by: Geoff Johns
Art by: Scott Kolins
Colored by: Chris Sotomayor
Lettered by: Virtual Calligraphy’s Rus Wooton
Assistant Editors: Marc Sumerak & Andy Schmidt
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Is that Bill Bixby in drag?
Sadly, Geoff Johns’ run on Avengers is rapidly drawing to a close. I take solace that there’s one more arc left, and it centers on the She-Hulk’s current problems. One thing Geoff Johns does as well as just about any writer in comics, is tell old school style comic stories that capture present-day sensibilities. They’re written for the contemporary market, but still bear a strong resemblance to the comic books I read as a kid. Something not that many other Marvel books can claim.
Johns’ plot has a really nice energy, as the currently de-powered She-Hulk, does the Hulk TV-thing, hoofing it along in search of her famous cousin. Johns effectively tells a story devoid of action, but keeps things very interesting. She-Hulk was bombarded, during the recent “Red Zone†storyline, with a biological weapon, and has reverted to her human self, Jennifer Walters. Jennifer, unlike her famous cousin, has always been thrilled with her green hue and extraordinary powers. Johns brings us inside Jennifer’s head, showing the devastating reversal of fortunes, and its effect on her psyche.
There is a dual search motif this month. While Jen searches for the Emerald Giant, the Avengers are attempting to track down their teammate. The arc seems to be a “you may just get what you wish for†storyline, converging from several points. Jennifer really wants to be She-Hulk again. She’s got to find the one man that can help her, Bruce Banner. Then the Avengers are desperate to find She-Hulk before harm comes to her, or someone else. Geoff Johns isn’t going out with a soft story, there are some real edgy moments ahead for everyone involved. Being a rather big Hulk fan, I’m most anxious to see how things play out when he gets involved.
Together again for the last time?
One fantastic occurrence in Geoff Johns’ last storyline for Avengers, is the artist he gets to team with. Scott Kolins recently left DC’s Flash, which he worked with Geoff Johns on for almost three years. While the team only split a few months ago, it’s a wonderful case of déjà vu as the pair comes together once more. I can almost see Wally West, Jay Garrick, and Zoom as Johns and Kolins weave their magic again. With Geoff Johns exclusive to DC for three years, and Kolins under a similar contract with Marvel, we probably won’t see this dynamic duo again for quite some time. If you think Johns and Kolins work well together in these pages, then you really should check out some of their past work in the pages of the aforementioned Flash.
