• Written by: Rainbow Rowell
• Art by: Andrés Genolet
• Colors by: Dee Cunniffe
• Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
• Cover art by: Jen Bartel
• Cover price: $3.99
• Release date: June 28, 2023

She-Hulk #14 marks the penultimate issue in the series when She-Hulk agrees to meet Scoundrel to find out what he intends to do with all the high-tech parts he stole. The answer might just shock you.

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Is It Good?

Yes, you read that right. She-Hulk #14 is the penultimate issue in the series before Marvel puts She-Hulk back on the shelf after issue #15. Why? A poor story and poor sales are a safe bet, but regardless of why, there’s one more issue to go before the series is gone. With that in mind, you’d think Rowell would try to put some pep in She-Hulk’s step and tell an actual story. In some small way, Rowell has.

When last we left She-Hulk in her glacially-paced slice-of-life adventure, she found herself attracted to Scoundrel, the invulnerable thief who keeps stealing high-tech parts on behalf of an unknown mastermind. With Jack of Hearts back to his powered self, preventing physical touch between him and She-Hulk, the situation was ripe for a rival to swoop in.
Now, Scoundrel swoops in (literally) in his spaceship with the promise to answer all of She-Hulk’s questions if she’ll spend some time with him in his “apartment.” She-Hulk gets the answers about the purpose of the stolen parts, which puts a wet blanket on a romantic evening.

You could rightly make the case that Rowell is doing too little, too late, but at least the story is picking up some steam. In fairness, the romantic chemistry between She-Hulk and Scoundrel is palpable, so if you’ve come to this series for a romance comic, you’re getting your money’s worth.

However, Scoundrel’s thievery is a prelude to a devastating attack on NYC, which undercuts the tone and vibe of the title. An inconsistent tone has been one of Rowell’s chronic failings in this series, and in this issue, the (again) inconsistent tone bears that failing out starkly. Is this supposed to be a romance comic? A slice-of-life comic? A superhero comic? Something else? Rowell can’t seem to decide, so when you try to make a comic that’s a little bit of everything, you wind up with a comic that’s effectively nothing.

How’s the art? It’s fine. Genolet does an excellent job of rendering She-Hulk through a range of emotional angst in this issue, and Cunniffe’s colors are a considerable step up from Rico Renzi. In truth, the art team doesn’t have much to do because the script doesn’t give them much to do, but they make the most of what they have.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces

She-Hulk #14 picks up the pace slightly in She-Hulk’s will they/ won’t they relationship with Scoundrel until she finds out what his thievery has led to. The art team does a fine job with what little they have to work with, and the emotional beats are strong, but as the penultimate issue in the series, it falls short of building momentum for the finale.

5.5/10