Jennifer Walters’ new status quo has been revealed — and it proves it’s still not easy being green or gray. As announced by AV Club, the new Marvel series will launch this December. Writer Mariko Tamaki (“This One Summer”) and artist Nico Leon (“Ms. Marvel”) will guide Jennifer through the next phase of her life, one that sees her shed the She-Hulk name and star in a series simply titled “Hulk.”
The series will follow Walters as she tries to go back to her life as a lawyer and superhero following this summer’s “Civil War II,” which saw her near-fatally wounded in a battle with Thanos. The decision to shift from the She-Hulk moniker to the Hulk one was intentional and indicative of the emotional state Jennifer is in post-“Civil War II.”
“The title ‘She-Hulk’ evokes light-hearted stories about a Jennifer Walters who is at peace with herself and in full control of her powers,” Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso told AV Club. “This isn’t that book. On the other hand, the title ‘Hulk’ implies all of the baggage that comes with that comic’s 50+ year history — the ongoing battle with the monster within — and that’s why it’s more appropriate for this series.”
Tamaki, the Eisner Award-winning author of “This One Summer,” spoke to Jen’s emotional state going into her new ongoing series. “Jen is absolutely shaped by the trauma she’s experienced,” said Tamaki. “Much of it was inspired by thinking about how different people deal with the hard things that happen in their lives, how memory, trauma, can infuse our whole being, be a physical presence in our lives. I was really into the idea of a Hulk, of the ability to transform into something close to monstrous, that’s still human, and heroic. It was interesting to think about what’s human about Hulk and vice versa.”
Nico Leon, who worked on an arc of “Ms. Marvel” earlier this year, said he looks forward to capturing Jennifer Walters’ internal life in his art. “I think one of the most interesting and unique challenge in drawing her in this series will be to share with the readers her inside struggles,” said Leon. “All heroes have their own internal struggles, but in this series, Jen will be dealing with something new and huge that is happening inside her own mind. The great challenge will be to share that feeling with the readers. It is a serious topic and it needs our most careful approach.”
The new “Hulk” #1 launches from Marvel this December.
An emotional mess after the death of Banner Jennifer in Hulk title should be fun to read with Mariko Tamaki writing and Nico Leon art work. Will check this series out.