She-Hulk Epic Collection Vol. 3: Breaking the Fourth Wall by John ByrneMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
She-Hulk: Breaking the Fourth Wall collects She-Hulk #1-12, Ceremony #1-2, Solo Avengers #14, Marvel Comics Presents #18, and Marvel Fanfare #48.
The She-Hulk tv show is going to drop any day now so I decided I'd finally give this a shot.
For those keeping score at home, Jennifer Walters got her powers from a blood transfusion from her cousin Bruce Banner, aka The Hulk. Most of the stories in this collection have a lighter tone than most super hero books at the time. She Hulk even breaks the fourth wall from time to time.
John Byrne is responsible for the lion's share of the writing and art but a slew of other people contribute once Byrne jumps ship. There are some tonal shifts after Byrne leaves. There is less breaking of the fourth wall and the jokes become more understated. By the time Ceremony hits, there's little humor to be had.
Most of this book is pretty fun. I never laughed out loud but I found a lot of She-Hulk's antics to be amusing. Byrne digs deep into Marvel history and pulls out all kinds of lame characters to use as he sees fit. The space trucker story actually made me want to read US1, the trucker book Marvel put out a few years earlier. The former Blonde Phantom being a recurring character in her old age was a nice touch.
There are some inconsistencies once Byrne leaves the book, culminating in the humorless Ceremony. It wasn't a bad story but the tonal shift was a little unwelcome. I thought Byrne's initial She-Hulk run was longer than I thought it was. I think the book is pretty accessible to new She-Hulk fans. Everyone is brought up to speed on She-Hulk fairly early on and the villains and other characters are well explained.
She-Hulk: Breaking the Fourth Wall is a good intro to the character and a fun book. Four out of five stars.
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