She-Hulk 1.10 - Issue #10

She-Hulk : Issue #10
Genre : Superhero / Comedy / Legal
Showrunner: Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Writer : Chad Taylor

Based on the Marvel Comics characters

Cast: Jenny Slate, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Michael Richards, Kate Walsh, F. Murray Abraham, Himesh Patel, Eric Andre, Kyle Mooney, Domenick Lombardozzi, Reid Scott, Al Harrington, Stevie Howey and Storm Reid

Plot:Jen (Jenny Slate) is holed up in her apartment, unwilling to leave. She can hear the paparazzi making a ruckus outside. She keeps getting calls and messages, especially from Mary, but says that she is definitely not ready to deal with that right now. She gets a knock on the door and is afraid to answer before the person ends up opening the door with a key. It is Morris (Michael Richards).

Without any words being spoken between the two, she gives him a long hug. He says that this was always what he was worried about when she started turning green. He didn’t want to lose her daughter underneath all of that. She admits that she got carried away and that Mary had told her the same thing, she just chose to ignore it. She feels scared and unsure of what to do. He tells her to embrace who she is and do what she does best - go kick some ass in the court of law. She smiles.

Jen walks in slow-motion to her spot in the courthouse with all eyes on her, including Mallory (Kate Walsh) and Holden (F. Murray Abraham). She is unable to read their mood. Krakoa is not there as he cannot fit in the room but Leio (Al Harrington) is since he is being sued, too. The trial goes fairly smoothly, with Jen using the arguments about overtourism and trespassing that Leio had expressed to her. She stands up for the discriminatory behaviors against mutants, and the treatment of Krakoa is no different.

The trial takes a recess and Jen goes outside for some fresh air. However, the paparazzi are all there waiting for her. Subsequently, she meets with Mallory and Holden who tell her that they are proud of the work she is doing out there. She is surprised that they seem non-bothered by the She-Hulk revelation.

As she is leaving the courthouse steps, Absorbing Man (Steve Howey) crash lands on the steps. Jen tries to transform quickly into She-Hulk but Absorbing Man breaks her arm first. She is still able to transform but the broken arm is still in effect, meaning she is weakened. A bunch of other Hood goons arrive and start to team up on her. She is able to fight them off semi-successfully but not totally because of her arm.

Absorbing Man takes advantage of her weakness and begins to pummel her in the fight, absorbing the concrete steps, leaving him with stone hands. He calls for Titania to come help but gets no response. He calls again but still nothing.

Mary (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) is in a room nearby, decked out in a full-on purple supervillain outfit and freaking out. She can’t get herself to leave the building and join Carl and Jen. She takes a back emergency exit and hurries heads home.

As Absorbing Man is close to finishing the job, he tells her that she is proving to be more challenging than her mom. He starts to grow more powerful and successfully fighting off police officers and security guards in the area. Paparazzi Geoff (Eric Andre), there for Jen anyways, starts taking pictures of the fight but Absorbing Man takes a nearby cop car and smashes him with it.

Loud footsteps are heard and she stops for a second. In runs Danger Man (Domenick Lombardozzi), who knocks Absorbing Man off of his feet. When Absorbing Man touches Danger Man, he starts to radiate and is emulate those powers. However, before he can successfully fight back, Starfox (Reid Scott) comes swooping in and starts to fight him with his alien techniques. However, he is still smaller than Absorbing Man so he is not totally successful either. Absorbing Man is worn down but starts to get up before being knocked out by a clubbing blow from a giant robot hand. It is Awesome Andy. She-Hulk smiles and gives him a nod.

A big rumble is then heard but Leio emerges from the courthouse and urges Krakoa to stay in the sea, so as not cause any unneeded damage and bring on more lawsuits. We get a quick cutaway of a sad Krakoa returning to the ocean.

She-Hulk and her ragtag group of friends defeat Absorbing Man and save the surrounding area from incurring any more of his damage. However, the damage he made the foundation of the block is starting to take effect and the courthouse begins to fall apart. She-Hulk and crew are able to hold it together and bring it to a stable standing, saving the day once again. The onlookers nearby start to cheer on the heroes for saving the day. This puts a smile on all of their faces (except for Awesome Andy, who technically has no face).

The court case proceeds the next day in a different building as the courthouse is being repaired. Jen is ready to win the case and walks in as She-Hulk (in her business attire), unashamed. However, the only people there are Holden and Mallory, looking somewhat disappointed. Holden tells her that the other side successfully argued for a mistrial. Jen is angry, which scared Mallory, but Jen is quick to say she’s under control. Holden says that She-Hulk saved the lives of many of New Yorkers yesterday, including jury members. Thus, they argued that this gave you an unfair advantage in persuading them. She’s still mad, saying she also saved the judge and that couple, too, you know? Mallory says rules are rules.

Holden tells her not to take this to harshly. Mallory asks how does it feel to be on the losing side again, jokingly. He wants her to keep being his go-to person for Superhuman Law. However, this jury argument will likely come up again if she continues her escapades as She-Hulk. So he needs her to be Jennifer Walters and give up She-Hulk for awhile. She reminds him of the first time he offered her the job and how he gave her some time to think about it. She asks if she can do that again. He happily agrees. Once Holden leaves, Jen has a favor to ask of Mallory.

A montage begins with Jen narrating over it.

“So...what a crazy few months this has been.”

Jen and Morris put flowers at the grave of Sheila Walters.

“I’ve lost so much…”

While in her apartment, she tries to call Mary but can’t get an answer.

“...But gained a lot along the way.”

Jen apologizes to Stu and asks for a second chance. He says that he wants to take it slow, leaving her feel disappointed as if he is still upset at her. He quickly realizes this and says that is because he hasn’t dated much before and doesn’t want to fuck it up. Because he really thinks she is special. Jennifer Walters, that is.

“Including some nice new friends.”

Danger Man’s daughter Veronica (Storm Reid) is the talk of the school as everyone is checking out and liking her Instagram selfie with She-Hulk.

Jen meets with Leio and gives him the money she has earned from sponsorship deals as She-Hulk. She tells him to use it to pay the expenses that he owes the couple after she cost them the case. He tells her that Krakoa would be happy for her to visit any time she’d like.

“I've always wanted to help people. And now I’ve finally found a place in my life where I can do that professionally and personally.”
Mallory sits dressed up at a fancy restaurant, unsure of what to say. It is revealed that Awesome Andy sits across from, dressed in a giant-sized tuxedo.

“So I think it’s time I make a decision.”
She dials in Holden’s number on her phone and presses to call.

Whether you like She-Hulk, or not, you can't say it's not like anything we've seen before and a much needed bit of fresh air. It succeeded where other superhero shows failed and that's an achievement in itself.

I feel like there are missing elements in the first season, like the lack of interesting supporting characters. They are used to move the plot forward, but we never get to know them fully, so it took me out of it a bit. If the finale is any indication of what the second season will be, then I'm all for it.

It may sound controversial to say in 2019, but I'm not much a superhero film fan as I find them too generic, but She-Hulk won me over, thanks in large part to Chad Taylor's high-paced script and Phoebe Waller-Bridge's vision.