Welcome to the Legion!
Image: Marvel Comics; Hulk #1 cover by Jeff Dekal

Image: Marvel Comics; Hulk #1 cover by Jeff Dekal

In an exclusive from the AV Club, we found out that a new Jennifer Walters aka She-Hulk series is going to be launched, but with some obvious and not so obvious changes. The new series will be focusing on Jennifer Walterslife after the events of Civil War II and how she adapts emotionally to the death of her cousin Bruce Banner aka the Hulk. The most noticeable change is in the title of the series ‘Hulk‘.  She-Hulk has been tossed to the side and Hulk is taking its place, fitting an image of the character that is going through a huge change:

“The title She-Hulk evokes light-hearted stories about a Jennifer Walters who is at peace with herself and in full control of her powers,” says Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso. “This isn’t that book. On the other hand, the title Hulk implies all of the baggage that comes with that comic’s 50+ year history—the ongoing battle with the monster within—and that’s why it’s more appropriate for this series. Jen went through major trauma in Civil War II, and Mariko and Nico’s story will deal with the fallout of that trauma—the anxiety and anger, sometimes self-destructive, that comes along with it. If there is light at the end of the tunnel, Jen is going to have to search hard for it, and she’s going to have to battle with some pretty big monsters—including the one within—to find herself again.”

via AV Club

Writer Mariko Tamaki and artist Nico Leon are working on the newHulk’ series. Mariko Tamaki has become known for her emotional and nuanced writing, having worked on the Eisner Award-winning ‘This One Summer’ and having worked on licensed properties like Tomb Raider and TMNT: Casey & April. This December marks a huge leap into the comic world for her. Not only is she working on Marvel’s ‘Hulk’ series, but she has been tapped to work on DC’s Supergirl: Being Super mini-series. Since her work leans more towards an analysis and display of the human condition, Mariko Tamaki has found Jennifer Walters to be an interesting character study:

“Jen is absolutely shaped by the trauma she’s experienced,” says Tamaki. “Much of it was inspired by thinking about how different people deal with the hard things that happen in their lives, how memory, trauma, can infuse our whole being, be a physical presence in our lives.”

via AV Club

For Nico Leon, ‘Hulk’ marks his series debut with Marvel. He’s previously done artwork for Marvel’s Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man. Nico is excited to be able to tackle a character that has such a significant day-to-day life. The complexities of the character bring both excitement and new challenges for the artist, especially when it comes to conveying the internal struggles she’ll be facing post-Civil War II:

“I think one of the most interesting and unique challenge in drawing her in this series will be to share with the readers her inside struggles,” says Leon. “All heroes have their own internal struggles, but in this series, Jen will be dealing with something new and huge that is happening inside her own mind. The great challenge will be to share that feeling with the readers. It is a serious topic and it needs our most careful approach.”

via AV Club

The new ‘Hulk’ series will debut in December. I, for one, am super excited about the concept of the series as well as interested to see how Mariko Tamaki and Nico Leon handle the emotional complexities that will bombard Jennifer Walters now that she has to come to grips with her new circumstances and grief.

What do you think about this series? Does it sound interesting to you? Let us know in the comments below.

 

About author View all posts

Sarah Musnicky

Sarah is a freelance writer and self-described workaholic. She loves fantasy and sci fi and will admit having dual loyalties between Star Trek and Star Wars as well as Marvel and DC. When she's not being socially awkward, she is in a corner obsessing over dragons, cute things, and a need to master all languages on the planet. She would like to be a professional blanket burrito when she reaches the peak of maturation.