Welcome to another Marvel Rundown! This time in our weekly Marvel review column, we spotlight the new Planet She-Hulk series by Stephanie Phillips and Aaron Cooder. But that’s not all. For reviews of Alien vs. Captain America, The Amazing Spider-Man, and works from the Age of Apocalypse including The Amazing X-Men and Longshot, enjoy our regular Rapid Rundown.
As always, The Beat wants to hear from all you true believers! Let us know what you think of this week’s Marvel Comics! Give us a shout in the comments section below or on social media @comicsbeat or @comicsbeat.bsky.social.
Planet She-Hulk #1
Screenplay: Stephanie Phillips
Artist: Aaron Kuder
Colorist: Sonia Obak
Text: VC’s Joe Caramagna
I’ve been looking forward to Planet She-Hulk ever since I got a glimpse of its potential (a cosmic She-Hulk with a giant sword) in the first issue of Imperial magazine. The fish-out-of-water aspect proved its entertainment potential with a special Empire one-shot earlier this year. I’m a big fan of the classic Jen Walters as a single female lawyer, but I welcome new and bold takes on the character that put her in different situations that she seems incapable of handling. Lord knows those of us in this column are begging Marvel to seize more opportunities like this. Stephanie Phillips’ script is a little more serious than her previous excellent Empire stories, but no less fun.
What makes Jen such a great character is her fortitude and confidence. It’s a stark contrast to the many brooding tragic heroes in Marvel’s stable. It shines on the planet Sakaar, where she is thrown into a politics of violence and physical strength, seemingly opposed to her natural abilities: resourcefulness and legal thinking. But instead of being devastated by it, Jen is just furious and ready to go home. She knows what it takes to be regent of Sakaar and wants no part of that aspect of her family’s history: brutal power and violence. To that end, the setup for this first issue revolves around She-Hulk attempting to crush the alien into submission, then negotiate and flirt with him to board a spaceship and return home. By the end of the book, she may end up being a detective on top of being a regent and a lawyer.
Aaron Cooder’s art fits well with Sakaar’s big, burly characters and sights. There are plenty of double-page spreads of action, but he also finds moments of drama and storytelling in the quieter beats, like She-Hulk splashing in a giant bathtub for a fleeting moment of relaxation after days of non-stop politicking and brawling. He builds tension with tight panels that focus on the details of She-Hulk coming home and heading to the bathtub, then a quarter-page image of her falling into the water is interrupted by vertical panels shaped like splashes. This moment is quickly cut away by a final portrait image with a speech bubble appearing from off the page. The visual storytelling is top-notch across the board. Naturally, Cooder shines during the big action moments. Overlapping panels emphasize weight and speed, balanced by a gigantic image of She-Hulk leaping through the air, stopping time and gaining momentum, or the roar of an angry wedding beast.
The art, with its thin lines and harsh angles, doesn’t lend itself well to the humor peppered throughout Phillips’ screenplay. He’s not very good at stretching facial expressions or resisting the urge to create a cool image when more goofy moments are needed. However, Phillips is pretty much going straight with things here, so it doesn’t detract from the final product.
Sonia Obak approaches color with an earthy, muddy palette. Sakaar is a brutal civilization, covered in brown and tan stone and dirt as far as the eye can see. They are a down-to-earth people who live off the land and have no flashy colors. She-Hulk’s green skin pops in contrast to her grimy surroundings. VC’s Joe Caramagna takes over the lettering duties, and his steady hand moves the reader effortlessly through Kuder’s loose layouts, dancing around panel inserts and backgrounds. The SFX are also outstanding. This is a She-Hulk book, after all, so Phillips leans into the wacky side of the script, giving us plenty of onomatopoeia to enjoy and Caramagna’s crushing and slashing to enjoy.
Planet She-Hulk is a refreshing and fun comic that is fortunately different from Marvel’s other works. It’s fun without being overly silly, but most importantly it puts the characters in new situations and challenges them in new ways. I didn’t know I needed a space She-Hulk with a giant sword until it was presented to me, and now I can’t imagine why it took so long to get here. More of this kind of storytelling, Marvel! Give us something unexpected and different.
Verdict: Buy!
rapid rundown
Alien vs. Captain America #1 As soon as Marvel regained the Alien and Predator comic book licenses, they put both series up and running. Primarily, this has been done through numerous crossovers with Marvel heroes. Over the past year or two, both franchises have pitted themselves against the likes of Wolverine and Spider-Man, and even seen a future in which the Avengers were forced to fight a losing battle against the Xenomorphs. After the ambitious Aliens vs. the Avengers, it’s the meat-and-potatoes of Aliens vs. Captain America. The only surprising thing about Frank Tieri’s screenplay is its setting. This is a World War II cap where Bucky teams up with Howling Commando as his sidekick. Hydra discovers an ancient cache of Facehugger eggs, and the predictable happens. A premise like this should make for a much more enjoyable read than this first issue. Although the title says “Alien,” this is a follow-up to the sequel “Alien.” Torrieri seems to have misunderstood why the Alien story really works. There’s always a sense of discovering something terrifying and unknowable, but that’s not the case here. The emphasis is on action and less on mood and high-minded sci-fi. Still, there’s a sense of mood and tension in Alien’s early scenes in which the Colonial Marines investigate what happened to the colonists at Hadley’s Hope. There’s very little build-up or confidence in horror on the comic pages here. Artist Stefano Raffaele and colorist Neeraj Menon do their best to capture that here. Rafale knows very well when to hit hard on something scary, like when a Hydra agent uses Red Skull Gas on himself or when Chest Burster is born. It’s a shame that it feels so rushed and you just get sucked into the story to get to the fun stuff. -DM Amazing Spider-Man #15 I’ve been harsh about this latest installment of The Amazing Spider-Man, but Amazing Spider-Man #15 at least made my view of the series more positive. From Peter’s characterization and interesting character arc thanks to writer Joe Kelly to the amazing art by guest artist Emilio Raiso, I thought this issue of The Amazing Spider-Man was much more fun to read. This issue focuses on Peter and Rocket’s relationship, giving readers a big reveal about Peter’s new suit, and pitting him against a giant Star Wars-style space monster. It’s hard not to like most of this issue, and the idea of Peter being in space warmed my heart, especially as he realizes that being in space is no different than being in New York in terms of the types of villains he meets. And maybe because I’m a bit stuck with it now, or maybe it’s because I really enjoy Lyso’s art, I’m obsessed with the new black and yellow suit.My only issue with this issue is the ending. It has a lot to do with a new side character, the Xanthan test subject, who isn’t very interesting yet. Kelly makes some creative choices in Raylith the Wretched that are sure to upset a lot of fans, and while I didn’t care, I rolled my eyes. It feels like an unnecessary point in the drama and makes her already uninteresting character even less interesting. Kerry doesn’t seem to be doing anything interesting with these new allies yet. However, that may change in the future. As much as I’m more excited about the future of The Amazing Spider-Man, I can’t help but feel disgusted that the series could take a turn for the worse at any time with these new characters. I hope this quality is maintained. -LM
Dispatch from the Age of Apocalypse!
Amazing X-Men #2 Cyclops and the Beast’s journey into the Age of Apocalypse continues into Limbo Land, ruled by Darkchild and Juggernaut, in Amazing X-Men #2. The central plot of writer Jed McKay’s “Apocalypse Era” begins to take shape in this issue, as the nature of Cyclops and Beast’s mind-transportation into the future is revealed, confirming my own personal theory about it. This is not the true opposite of future-past days. Instead, this is a complete body swap, as the future Cyclops and Beast went to the past to prevent Apocalypse from rising. As for the individual issues themselves, they’re aptly titled “Duel of Truths,” as Cyclops and Darkchild duel hard truths in order to stay on the path of wisdom. McKay continues to build the character of Cyclops, unfazed by the past and unharmed by the truth. It reminds me of Cyclops’ judgment in the AXE: Judgment Day event a few years ago. This is the very definition of a Talking Heads problem, but Mahmoud Arsal’s artistic talent elevates it to something more. The concept of a duel of truth is difficult to convey visually, but body language and page structure can convey the impact of harsh truths. Despite my reservations, I am enjoying the series and the event as a whole. I’m looking forward to seeing if the landing will be successful. –JJ Longshot #2 The weirdest tie-in to the Age of Apocalypse continues in Longshot #2. The premise of the series, a kind of Suicide Squad meets Mojovision, pays off on this as a ragtag team of villains and heroes stumble into a power plant meat grinder. Writers Jonathan Hickman and Jerry Dugan deliver an issue packed with even more meta commentary on event comics and reality TV than last time. In this issue, jokes and asides are just more effective and helpful, and jokes work much better. The visual gags are sharper, as exemplified by the Galactus goods scene. Artist Alan Robinson does a great job with the gags and action sequences. The emotional core of this book is Wonder Man and Hellcat, and Robinson gives his characters an emotional weight that makes those moments resonate amidst a sea of silliness. The way Robinson presents the X-Babies as children rather than small adults is great and makes their gags all the more impactful. I liked the first issue, but it left me a little cold. But Longshots #2 is everything I expected from this creative team and more, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. It remains to be seen how this issue’s revelations will affect the Age of Apocalypse, but I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out. –J.J.
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