PLANET SHE-HULK #3 – By the Law

Creative Team – Stephanie Phillips, Emilio Laiso, Sonia Oback, VC’s Joe Caramagna

Published by Marvel Comics

Catch up with Planet She-Hulk #2!

This comic is reviewed by both Megan from the Vigilante Vibes Podcast and Matt from the Hops “Geek” News podcast!

The Story

Matt – It was a matter of time before my beloved She-Hulk would have to choose sides, and sometimes in the face of tyranny, difficult choices must be made. Korven is someone who is using his beloved’s death as a means to an end for his ulterior motives, bringing about corruption to its highest level. Stephanie continues to find a way to weave both action and Jen’s backstory of being a lawyer into play as we are setting up for the trial of the century in Marvel. At first, you could feel the reluctance from She-Hulk to help and accept the fact that she is stuck here on Sakaar. However, slowly throughout this issue and Phillip’s incredible storytelling ability through Jen’s inner monologue, we begin to sense a strong feeling of determination and almost anger seep through.

Megan – She-Hulk has officially pledged her allegiance against Korven, who declared himself the new king of Sakaar. This puts her at a huge risk, but it’s a risk she’s willing to take for the good of the people of the planet. Siding with Quade, a blacksmith who has challenged Korven in a battle to the death for the crown, She-Hulk is prepared to assist him however she can. That includes defending the town against a pack of Wildebots, who are out to get the townspeople in the town square. Once this problem is taken care of, another plan is forming, one that She-Hulk knows nothing about. A plan to get rid of She-Hulk and Quade in one fell swoop from the minds of Korven and Creed. What happens next is the perfect example of injustice and corruption, and She-Hulk is willing to fight as hard and she can, in or out of the courthouse.

Stephanie Phillips, the writer of Planet She-Hulk, brings higher energy and higher stakes to the story of Jen Walters, AKA She-Hulk. It’s now been 20 days since the Hulk left Sakaar in the capable hands of She-Hulk, and Jen is feeling every bit of those 20 days. Phillips is able to show Jen’s growing frustration to this violent world, and her never-ending loyalty to her cousin for still doing what’s best for the planet and its people. As time goes on in Sakaar, you’re able to emphasize with Jen’s frustrations as it seems no matter what she does to create peace, it seems like its three steps backwards. Now, with this new plan made against She-Hulk and Quade, based on the cliffhanger we’re left with, something tells me things are about to reach a whole new height of excitement and chaos.

The Art

Matt – Emilio and Sonia deserve all the praise for the issue. We see She-Hulk’s muscle and strength burst through each panel, and then we also see the softer side of her. Their ability to switch at the drop of a hat is fascinating and a highlight of this run.

Megan – The artists were perfectly able to capture the different tones of the story throughout the artwork. With She-Hulk and the Wildebots, the high energy in the art was expertly handled, showing the shear strength of She-Hulk. When Quade is arrested, the tension in the air was thick, and was easily seen in the panels along with the emotions of the characters. Along with the excellent drawings, the coloring work was top notch, as there was a great contrast of vibrant focal points and the muted nature of the violent planet.

Final Thoughts

Matt – 9/10. Planet She-Hulk is slowly building up to be Marvel’s trial of the century as Jen must now defend Quade with his life and the fate of Sakaar on the line.

Megan – 9/10. Planet She-Hulk continues to get more and more exciting with every issue!

Overall Grade: 9/10

Let us know in the comments what you thought of Planet She-Hulk #3!