Avengers #72-75/487-490 (2003-2004): The Search for She-Hulk

This story really “the big fight against She-Hulk.”  She’s found before the end of issue #72. But she becomes a rampaging Hulk.

avengers search for she hulk

Due to the “Red Zone” story, She-Hulk was exposed to radiation and can neither control when she transforms nor what happens after her transformations.  She’s trying to hide out to prevent being triggered, but The Avengers hunter her down and immediately piss her off.

I like Scott Kolins as an artist, but that art is uuuuuggggly.

Lots of big fights against She-Hulk until, at the end, Jack of Hearts shows up and cures the problem.

Hawkeye has a big role in the story so Jen kisses and hits him at the end, which is about par for the course of their ongoing love/hate relationship.

This story is a big step down for the already underwhelming Geoff Johns run.  The whole thing is dumb and should have been easily fixed in a few minutes.

In the background, as the big Shulkie fights are happening, Scott Lang is showing his daughter Cassie how his shrinking powers work.  We learn that she’s got a new step dad. 

Scott is actually the person who convinces Jack of Hearts to stop being a jackass and go help She-Hulk.

As a result of Jack and Jen’s volatile interactions due to their mutual radioactivity, only one can stay on the team.  Hawkeye joins at the end of the issue, but the resolution of whether She-Hulk or Jack of Hearts stays on the team happens in the next issue.

avengers bone

This is a pretty bad comic.  It’s like a DC comic, with simplistic characterization and stilted dialog.

Oh, wait, it was written by Geoff Johns.

But there’s one Easter Egg–a tribute to the indie comic Bone. 

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