The Sculptor by Scott McCloud



I think our friend Scott brought it over with Wicked and Divine, and it was just put in my book pile. So instead of reading some of the biographies or non-fiction books, I figured I would give this a shot. There is a quote by Neil Gaiman, and that's cool, right? 

However, when I went to pick it up, however, Josh looked at me, and just went
He has some strong hate feelings about Sculptor, which of course made it all the more interesting.

So... it's about this guy who lives in New York City who is an artist, a SCULPTOR to be exact.
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We're off to a smashing start.

He's a sculptor, but he's a struggling artist, and hasn't sold any pieces. He use to have a patron, but he no longer funds him because the Sculptor,  David Smith, is a huge dick. And realistically, probably on the spectrum? Or maybe a bit emotionally disturbed? Or probably just has a big case of the fuccbois.

Whatever his problem is, he's running out of money and is failing miserably in the most expensive city ever: NYC. He has no idea what to do, but getting a job and maybe getting a roommate is out of the question, apparently.

So he's in this diner dive, and in walks his Uncle Harry. They have this conversation, and Uncle Harry talks about what would exactly happened if he just moved out of NYC, got a job, got married and essentially give up his dream.

"No!" Dick McGee cries, and says he has to make art! Then Uncle Harry, who is really Death who sometimes wears the skin of  deceased Uncle Harry, says that he will be given a gift to create, but will only have 200 days to live. He will receive his gift at sunrise.

Rick McDick takes it and when he walks home, an angel seemingly appears out of nowhere, kisses him and tells him he's going to be alright.

Well, Fuccboi Slickrick is in love and he's super happy.

Then some bullshit happens after this where this guy, who is Ron Ramrod's best friend, tells him that he needs to get out more and drags him to a party. Some more bullshit happens and Fuck Fuckstein realizes that the angel that came to him was part of a Flash mob. He feels tricked.

Apparently David Smith... or I'm sorry, Rick Schlong, isn't too bright either.

He also does this annoying thing where he makes "rules" and he has to abide by them. "I don't take charity!" is definitely a thing he does, and I HATE it when that's a thing... because it's never a good person that says that, right? They are always super annoying and I never understand the not taking charity deal. If people want to give it you, take it! What's the big deal?

Anyway, You all probably guess how I feel about this comic.  There is a Manic-Pixi-Dream-Girl who Slick Dick falls in loves with, who is the same girl that played the Angel in the beginning of the story, and there is a lot drama and emotions along with the countdown to his death date.

Somewhere in this story Blunt Bangs girl reveals she is bipolar. She also apparently hangs out with her ex boyfriends... which are her only defining characteristics. BTW, girls that "hangs" out with her ex-boyfriends means she's still sleeping with them.

So, she loves David and tells him she's preggers, so the horrifying vision of him moving to the suburbs and having a family suddenly becomes appealing because the grass is always greener when you have a pretty booby lady with zero personality traits who wants to move into a nice house with you.

WOOF. There is a dramatic ending that doesn't pull any heartstrings. Spoiler: he dies, which kudos for McCloud for pulling the trigger so there isn't a Sculptor Two: More Sculpting.


I'm so clever sometimes.

It says something that I finished the comic since I ragequit both Arthur Conan Doyle and Jules Verne in a week, so it's at least an entertaining way to spend a few nights reading.

I think there is a message about following your dreams... or not flying so close to the sun... or maybe not make a deal with the devil... or happiness is least where you expect it... You know? I don't know.

So if you find the comic book in your house I like I did because a friend really wanted your husband to read it, read it. Otherwise, don't spend money on it. 

The Wicked and The Divine Vol. 1 The Faust Act by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matt Wilson, Clayton Cowles

I remember learning about this series through a variety of different posts detailing different comics books to read. It was put on my list, and I went on my merry way, not in a particular rush to buy it or read it. However, months later, Josh's friend, Scott, loaned him a few comic books, and this was one of them.

I grew up mostly on manga instead of comics, so I like the longer story format rather than the monthly installments of comics, which is partly why I was interested in this comic. I also was interested in the premise, which gods and goddesses from different religions, current and past in urban fantasy. Sure, I could make the argument that uses such mythology in any capacity is over used and over rated, but I'm a sucker for those types of stories. It was partly the reason why I was a Religious Studies minor. Aren't we all drawn a bit to the "who, what, why and how" of the mysteries of the universe? 

Or maybe it's just me? 

It's about a super fan named Laura who follows the Pantheon, a group of 12 who have been selected to merge with powerful gods and goddesses and given unlimited fame, power and wealth only to die within 2 years and reincarnated every 90 years.

via GIPHY

I guess the reason there are such strict rules on merging with a super powerful mythological deity is so they don't become too powerful or whatever.

Joking aside, I like the strict rules placed on them, because it gives the Pantheon such urgency to live vicariously and recklessly with knowing that they have no idea how long their powers last. It also makes for a great set up to a series.

Now, I would be lying if I said I was 100% sure I knew what was going on in the first issue. There is a lot being thrown at the reader that includes the predicament of Lucifer, the introduction of these famous but doomed deities, the super fan, the world itself, along with brazenly diverse characters, Whedon-esque dialogue with a splash of super stardom and a side of cheese.

Instead of taking the time to explore the world and the setting, the authors demand the reader to buckle in and enjoy the ride, because they are not stopping to cater to those new to the world where gods and goddesses exist.

Normally, my eyes would scrap the top of my skull from rolling so hard at this. It shouldn't work, and I should be bothered by this. Seldom are authors able to pull this sort of immersion off, and I'm quick to judge those books that don't make the cut.

What I think saves it all.. is the illustrations. The art is just beautiful, and seeing these particular characters, in their diverse, wonderful glory interacting with each other and barely able to navigate their own world brought it all together for me. I was able to just sit back and enjoy the ride, bypassing the fact that I was lost on several occasions.

I can't wait to read the rest of the series... Hopefully, my friend Scott has them!

Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat #1 by Leth, Williams and Wilson

I first heard of Hellcat back when I was ready my She-Hulk comics. I thought it was interesting that Marvel decided to have a superhero who was merely human. She had no special powers except for the exceptional desire to help others. She resented and loved She-Hulk and did her best in a world that was not made for her. In fact, she thrived on it.I definitely relate to Hellcat, being in a world that not made for her.

I particularly enjoyed Patsy Walker's interpretation on the Jessica Jones show on netflix and her friendship with Jessica was possibly one of the only good things to come out of that season. (WHAT? COME AT ME BRO)

As usual, Josh got me the comic book of the first Hellcat, and I was particularly interested to see how they would reimagine her character.

I really enjoyed the illustrations and artistry of the issue. It had an Manga, Kawaii feel to it, which takes me back to my Otaku days in high school (and college and early 20s...). It's colored very brightly with her red hair standing out along with her blue and yellow suit. I really appreciate the intentional brightness because sometimes comics just seem to drag with the mood and how dark everything is and how dire everything is. Hellcat isn't drawn like that, which it's a joy to look at. You just feel happier looking at it's pages.

It's a very upbeat and happy comic too. It's also very tongue in cheek, and once you realize that (I'm a slow poke, so it took me a bit), you enjoy the comic for what it is. Patsy Walker is already an established superhero, who is biffles with Jenn Walters, or She-Hulk. She has some sort of superhero powers--she can sense who has powers nearby her and she can change her costume at will. She meets an telekinetic, who is named Ian or (Telekinian) and convinces him to use his powers for good.

Patsy gets into other trouble and Ian finds out that she's the actual Patsy Walker, the girl from the books her mother wrote when she was very young. The writers gleefully foreshadow that Patsy's past will come back to haunt her. Patsy comes up with a business plan, that she pitches to Walters and company about Heroes looking for paying work. Jenn agrees to help her, and Hellcat sets on her next journey, working in retail.

Hellcat is totally cute, and such a different pace from a lot of very broody, dark comics that Marvel is putting out recently. I would like to read the second issue, though I have a backlog of other comics that my husband also reads and passes on to me. Anyone else been keeping up with Hellcat? Does it stay tongue in cheek or does it go deeper into her dark past?

The Mighty Thor #1 by Aaron, Dauterman and Wilson

When it was announced that there would be a new Thor, and that Thor would be a lady, I just sort of shrugged. Some people were very upset, but usually change along those scales doesn't bother me. It's unique and different but honestly, the change had no real impact on my life. I had questioned briefly why they couldn't have brought forward another female character from Thor, like Sid, but I digress.

My husband bought me the comic, and I am very glad he did. The art is just beautiful and on the cover, you see Jane Foster turned into the mighty Thor, with her strong arms and luscious hair, wielding Mjolnir. Half way down the page, however, you see human Dr. Jane Foster, looking sickly and bald. The other Thor is on the right side of the page (which I might add, taking the stereotypical 'female' stance with his booty popping out. Alright, Marvel, drawing for the ladies, I like it) in normal Asgardian dress.

It opens up to Jane undergoing chemotherapy. She watches on the screen the weather station in space, reporting the news and changing the weather. Suddenly, the space station shakes, and a disturbing image appears. Dead elves are in space with writing over them: So Begins The War of Realms.

With a sigh, Foster unplugs her chemo and calls for her hammer, and she goes and saves the day. Later she explains why she won't get better, and the reader takes a glimpse into present day Asgard and Foster's attempt to save all of mankind, cancer be damned. Of course she is worthy to wield the hammer. Of course she should be the new Thor.

Reading about Jane undergoing chemo, and forgoing her wellbeing to be Thor and to step outside of herself to save the world made me think of David Bowie. Through the pain of his cancer, decided to leave one parting musical gift for the world before he passed away.

I took a step back and even made me question and philosophize the meaning of life. I usually hate philosophizing and trying to answer the question of "what does it all mean?" However, the question of our legacy mulled around my head, and still does. What is the purpose of life? What is our legacy? What are we when we leave this world?

Dr. Jane Foster's legacy is her sacrifice for the greater good. David Bowie's legacy is his music and ability to be bold and daring, when no one else was. What about the average joe? What about me? What will I leave behind? Fortunately, no one ever expects it to be figured out right away and it's all OK. I'm normally OK with the idea of not knowing what my legacy will be and I will be again.

I'm excited to read the second issue of The Mighty Thor. Will Thor make an appearance or will it be up to Jane Foster to save the day once more? Will I continue to philosophize the meaning of life? Check back soon!

Which is Better? AKA Jessica Jones and Alias

Wait, AKA Jessica Jones was based off this comic book? Did the script writers read the comic book, toss it to the side and thought, 'no, we can do better?' Or they thought, 'hey, let's take the most uninteresting things about the comic book, toss the rest aside that makes it great, and put other characters in because, well, we're sooo creative and naturally, what we come up with is far more riveting than Alias?' Because that's what the show felt like.

AKA Jessica Jones has been critically acclaimed and raved about, but honestly? I thought it was just OK. Not the worst thing I've ever watched (I'm looking at you Chappie. You abomination.) Now that I've read the beginning of Alias, I've realized that the tone and the mood doesn't transfer over into the show. There are also quite a few terrible things they added, like Ruben and... what was her name? Rylie? Rudder? Rumplestiltskin? and Malcolm, who, let's be honest, had the most thankless character arc ever. Not to mention they rewrote the entire story to where it's almost unrecognizable. There are bits and pieces of the show that I appreciated, and recognised what they were trying to accomplish, but it fell flat. Especially standing next to the comic book.

Even Jessica Jones' hair is different! Which, ok, it's not a big deal. I mean, hair is hair, but did they keep the black hair because it's Krysten Ritter? It would have been interesting to see her have a hair change, but maybe she's butt ugly with red hair... who knows? But it felt to me that black hair was to on the nose with how "dark" the show was.

What I also noticed most about the show was how... cheap it looked. Now, I don't mind low budget movies, and honestly, sometimes creativity can be a wonderful thing that actually adds to it. However, when you notice that even the makeup looks awful in certain lighting (really... there was a defining line between her makeup and her neck, not to mention her skin looked yellow), and your husband points out that the high profile lawyer's office is incredibly bare, and not in a minimalist way, but in a oh-shit-we-have-no-money way, it's a problem. I don't set out to watch a movie to look for makeup flaws and bare settings but it smacked us in the face. It was so low budget that it couldn't even be covered up.

Now, Josh and I have different theories on why it looked so low budget and I think it's a mixture of both of them. I think some of it was intentional, or tried to be. In the comic book, at least in the first volume, she's mostly on the streets, investigating. She's just in tee-shirts and jeans, and only twice does she demonstrate her super powers. It seems like they tried to carry that over to the show. I also think they spent a lot of their money getting Carey Ann Moss, David Tennant, Krysten Ritter and Mike Colter on the show. Josh thinks that most of the budget for the Marvel TV shows were blown with Daredevil, which had a lot of really remarkable shots and stunts and they none left over to shoot Jessica Jones. Man, I hope they are able to film the Luke Cage one (which btw, was one of the best parts about the show).

So, verdict? I haven't read all the comics, so I would have to update as I read them. However, it's a shame that AKA Jessica Jones didn't use much of the story line with Alias, because it would have been neat to see, even if it was just the Rick Jones, sidekick stuff. So far? Read Alias... and I guess see the show if you want to know what everyone else is talking about and you want in on the convo...  but you didn't miss much.

The All-Different, All-New Avengers # 1 by Waid, Kurbert and Omack

The Avengers are incredibly famous now since the movies. I was wondering what they were going to do with them since they are rebooting all of their new number 1's. I was pleasantly surprised with the familiar superheros they kept and then added a few new ones to the mix.

It opens up to Sam Wilson saving someone, and no matter what he does, cannot catch a break. Tony Stark arrives and provides a needed distraction while they separate from the masses who want Captain America to buy some girl scout cookies.

Tony Stark is poor now? I'm not sure what the deal was, but he sold Stark tower to... someone that looks evil, who discovered Warbringer hiding in one of the boxes they were moving. He technically teleported, but hiding sounds funnier. Spider-man (Oh, Spider-man), was eyesdropping, but since I know that he pays Hobie Brown to be his stand in, I wonder if it's him? Anyway, he's caught by the random evil guy and Warbringer, and tosses him out the window. Tony's car is turned into an Iron-man, and Captain America save Spider-man and help save the day.

The comic then cuts to a girl who is in the midst of an argument with her teenage friends. A side note here, I love the awareness of diversity in the new comic books. It's such a simple thing to have a friend who wears a hijab in a comic book, but with all the anti-muslim rhetoric, anything that can be used to show that muslims are people too is beneficial.

Anyway, Ms. Marvel is a teenage girl who witnesses a large beast in her neighborhood and Nova battling it. She goes and change, and of course, Nova is smitten at first by the citizen, then by the changing Ms. Marvel. I don't know a lot about her, but I already think she's rad. The pair of them bicker as they take down the beast, and Nova reveals who he is in desperate attempt to get her to like him.

It does not go over well.

There are 2 more characters that haven't been introduced that will be introduced next issue: Thor and The Vision. We knew The Vision from the movie, but we'll see how they interpret him. I'm interested in reading his comic, The Visions. Finally, they changed the gender of Thor. I'm not sure how or why, but I think there is also another all knew comic about the change.

I'm excited to read the second issue of the The Avengers with the spin on it.

Also, side note, I'm excited that the new Hulk is Asian. That's pretty cool, right?

Marvel Mondays: Captain America #1 by Nick Spencer and Daniel Acuna

OK... Chris Evans as Steve Rogers who is Captain America is hot. There, I said it. He's gorgeous and he has a heart of gold. Sure, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers is not really in the comics but I enjoy him all the same. I haven't read the other comic books with Steve Rogers, but when my husband informed me that he does give the mantel up, I was devastated.... but Sam Wilson is a pretty good follow up. I loved how Anthony Mackle played him in the movies, so I'm glad that his character stepped up to be Captain America.

Whereas Spider-man had me eye rolling so bad that I thought my eyes were going to fall out of my skull, I really liked the new direction Captain America is heading. It opens up to Sam Wilson getting on a commercial airline, and is wedged between two bros, who discover that Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, is sitting between them! They ask why he is sitting in coach, and Wilson, almost kind of breaking the fourth wall, goes into how he got the mantel, and why he was sitting in coach.

At a time in America where there is social upheaval, outraged voices and the presidential primaries looms near, it makes sense that Marvel has an outlet to address these issues. Young people are either angry, confused, aloof, or a combination of all three, and there needs to be something that makes sense of all of what is going on, and someone that they can relate too.

Steve Rogers has always maintained an air "above it all," concentrating on being Americans, and coming together to support each other, no matter the disagreements. He keeps his political beliefs close to his chest, choosing to endorse liberty and freedom, believing the constitution and government should protect all, no matter their beliefs.

Sam Wilson, on the other hand, realizes who he is. A man of color who has been given the most notable shield in the entire world. He recognized that he couldn't just remain a symbol, but rather become a voice for those whose voices get lost in the protests, or dismissed because of a few violent outbursts. However... he is punished by the big wigs, and he decides to go on his own, to varying results.

It's a great first read, and I'm relieved that this comic is much better than Spider-man. Spider-man felt juvenile, like instead of paying attention to real issues, they just wanted to write about a poor man's "get rich" story... who happens to be Spider-man. Which, I'm not knocking silly stories... but in terms of silly stories that work, Spider-man isn't it.

I also love the inclusion of other lesser known characters. Misty Knight seems awesome, with her bad ass nature and afro, I really want to read more about her. Dennis Dunphy is also another character that I've never read about before. He's a ginger man with a beard... I definitely do have a type.

I'm excited to read issue 2 and 3! Stay tuned for next week!

Marvel Mondays: The Amazing Spider-Man #1

This idea was given to me by my husband, who does a sketch comedy show in Baltimore parodying his beloved comic books. I have reviewed some comic books before (mostly She-Hulk) but since they are coming out with new number 1s of all the issues, why not review them? He also buys them, so it's mostly him spending the money for me to read.

I randomly picked out the Amazing Spider-Man #1. There are so many movies about this character that it's hard to not know who Peter Parker is by this point. He's a high school kid who's down on his luck, lives in the poorer part of New York and has unspeakable tragedy. He has a tough time with girls but despite of that, he's a witty, snarky guy. My husband and I have had many conversations about Spider-Man and how there is a comic about Miles Morales, which would be a better match for Spider-Man. What frustrates us the most is that there isn't really much diversity in comic books. Don't get me wrong, they are trying and doing a better job of expanding diversity when it comes to some reboot of some characters, but... well, they failed when it came to the reboot of Spider-Man.

Peter Parker is a new age industrialist with branches all over the world. The series opens with Spider-Man and Agent Morse, or Mockingbird, fighting a few bad guys from the Zodiac. Spider-Man is snarky, like he usually is, but... there is something off about Peter Parker. It goes flashbacks to him learning how to drive and learning Chinese at the same time. There is some important bits about S.H.I.E.L.D, but I don't really notice because I'm perplexed to why I dislike Peter Parker so much. Finally, the chase scene ends with them capturing this dude with a lion mask on, who works for Zodiac, who is important... but for the life of me I can't remember why. All I'm concentrating on is why Peter Parker is like Tony Stark, with his gadgets and technological know how. I mean, wasn't he a photographer?

The next scene shows Peter Parker in a suit, discussing the future of his company, and the start of the Uncle Ben foundation. I guess he's using Parker Industries to help the world? Fair wages and raising the quality of life for every person that he employs in the countries his company resides in? Then Slott and company really hit the nail on the head with a reporter calling Peter Parker a "poor man's Tony Stark." Peter leans heavily into it, by patting himself on the back and stating that he's wages are that of middle management and that he couldn't feasibly give himself a pay raise above his junior executives.

...what?

Look, I get what Slott and company were trying to do. In a way, I appreciate it. It's providing commentary for greedy CEOs and Wall Street and the 1%. However... why Peter Parker? Why Spiderman? I feel like they were going to do this with Tony Stark, and at the last minute, decided to go with Spiderman. I'm not very well versed with super hero legend, or the continuity of Marvel.... but it just doesn't fit. There is already a few heroes in Marvel that own their own companies and do what Parker is trying to do (or unabashingly doesn't do it) but Parker doesn't feel like one that needs to do something like that. Isn't the appeal of Spider-Man is that he's a regular Joe that just happens to have superpowers? Wasn't that the reason those movies were so popular and one of the first that Marvel put out, because he was so relatable?

There is a smart bit of Hobie Brown also being Spider-Man to keep Peter Parker's cover intact. However, I don't know Hobie Brown from Adam, and it sort of falls flat. Oh, and there is a gay wedding thrown in there, which I also don't know from Adam. I see that Hubbie also bought the second issue of Amazing Spider-Man, so I hope it really picks up. But the verdict? Peter Parker is another rich white dude who's trying to use his money for good, which isn't a bad thing, but this trope would look better on Tony Stark.

She-Hulk Volume 2: Disorderly Conduct

The second and final volume of She-Hulk. This final volume focuses on Jennifer Walters as an attorney running her own law firm rather than She-Hulk the superhero. Captain America comes into her firm looking for representation... and he's also 90 years old! They don't describe or explain how he got 90 years old, and it was only after BAE told me that I understood. I'm not sure if they should have wasted time explaining how he got so old, but maybe it was assumed that I would have read other comic books such as the Captain America ones?

Anyway, Steve Rogers wants Jennifer to represent him in a case where a dying man laid claim that Steve Rogers murdered his younger brother in the '40s. The lawsuit is in California, and Jen calls her friend Matt Murdock to lend her office space to work out of. However, Murdock, Daredevil, turns a cold shoulder to her, and soon she figures out why: Matt is representing the plaintiff.

There are cool flashbacks to little Steve Rogers and his friends, along with THE NAZIS and ROBOT NAZIS. Steve Rogers puts a lot of faith in his two superhero lawyer friends along with the law for the truth to come out. However, the comic does not reveal whether Rogers is found guilty or not.

The secret of the blue folder is also revealed, with an epic fight between Titania and She-Hulk. In the first volume, there was such a build up over the blue file, and in the second volume, it was solved quickly in the final two issues. I knew that the 2nd volume was the final one, and I think they rushed to finish the story. It's a shame.

Angie Huang continues to be mysterious and when Shulkie begs for her to stay at the end of the book, she does. Oh, and there is a nod to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D where Jennifer Walters are the Inhumans' lawyer.

The art is consistent and She-Hulk looks strong, beautiful and intelligent. There are a lot of other characters, such as Ant-Man, with the return of Hell Cat. I love She-Hulk and she is easily my favorite superhero of all time. I have Red She-Hulk... I don't know much about that story line, so hopefully I get my Shulkie fix!

She-Hulk Volume 1: Law and Disorder

Growing up, my mother was never willing to buy comic books. I was a ferocious reader (and obviously, still am) and I went through books like food. Comic books are expensive and didn't have the staying power like some books did. Now, you may be wondering why my family didn't make use of the library. I don't really have a good answer to that, other than my mom never remembered to return books. Library fines are not fun to pay. Comic books, although a potential interest, fell to the wayside. 

Until this year. BAE read comic books for much of his life and even now has a sketch comedy show about comics. Though the Batman movies have consistently been apart of popular culture for decades, the Marvel movies and now the DC television shows made superheroes (and comics) more accessible to society. Which leads me to The Hulk. The Hulk has a few movies (and a very famous TV show under it's belt) but I was more drawn to his lesser known counterpart, She-Hulk. I'm not sure where I heard about She-hulk, but without knowing much about her, I was already her biggest fan. Someone that turns green, is super strong and looks like me? Done. 

Now that I'm an adult, I can purchase my own comics and She-Hulk was my go-to. After reading the complete volume 1 and 2 by Dan Slott, BAE bought me Volume 1: Law and Disorder. To give a little background on She-Hulk: Jennifer Walters is a lawyer, whose cousin is Bruce Banner. After an accident, Jennifer needed a blood transfusion, and Bruce was the only match. However, he also passed along the "Hulkiness" (or is it the gamma rays?) and Jennifer Walters is also now a Hulk. The Complete volumes of 1 and 2 do not focus on her transformation, but rather her life as a lawyer and coming to terms with her Hulkiness. 

Alright, Law and Disorder picks up with Jennifer Walters waiting to be brought him by the partners of the law firm she works at. What I love most about the She-Hulk is the devotion to her craft. She is seen in other issues her practicing law, and her defending superheros' rights is a very big theme in the complete volumes 1 and 2. The partners bring her in and they drop a bombshell--she is let go from the firm even though she has worked her butt off and brought in a lot of billable hours. So, she cracks the table (like She-Hulk does) and starts her own firm... with lackluster results. She still has one case opened... the dreaded blue file! 

So I read some of the reviews on this volume on goodreads, and there was a lot of outcry about the art in the last two issues and that She-Hulk looked like a man, etc. etc. So I cracked open my copy of the book and looked at it. And looked at it again. 

First of all, women come in many shapes, sizes and transitions. To say that She-Hulk looks like a man in the last two issues is harmful to the way society views women and the reviewers on goodreads who said that should be ashamed. Now, for the reviewers on goodreads who expressed they didn't like the art, well now, that is a grown up way to express your displeasure. Good job. Did I prefer the work of Pulido over Wimberly? Yes, I did. I thought the panels were not set up clearly enough and I found myself reading over the issue because I wasn't  sure where it was going. Did I have a problem with the way She-Hulk looked? 

To be honest with you, no, I didn't. Along with She-Hulk's commitment to the law, I loved and admire the way Jennifer Walters embraced She-Hulk, almost to the point of hiding behind her superhero mask during points of complete volume 1 and 2. She is aggressive. She knows what she wants and she is not afraid to be sensual and sexual. She is powerful and she physically stands over others. She even goes to bed with men that are shorter than her, and all of that is ok! I feel like I am oversimplifying her character a bit, and that's not all who she is, but the main point is that she embraced all of the physical characteristics of She-Hulk--big, bulky, powerful and green, which are all characteristics that women do not want to be.

At this point in time, I have spent more time being shorter than most power than not, but girls never forget the times where they felt bigger, fatter and out of place. Women are constantly bombarded with the message that the proper woman and the right woman, is someone thin, or even skinny, and petite. They are quiet, sweet and nice. Those are traits that women should strive for and even though many women (myself included) try to fight those messages, it still seeps into our subconscious. It's the idea that women shouldn't take up space. 

Jennifer Walters, She-Hulk, takes up some motherfucking space with all 7ft and 300+ of her. So what if the art in the issues #5 and #6 is funky? She looks different and it's OK for women to look like that! It's OK for them to have angular faces, an Adam's apple and beefy arms. It's OK for them to be svelte or hippy, or have round faces or square faces. It's all OK! I think the point of the art is to show a different version of She-Hulk and that she can represents different manners of women. Women don't have to look good to men. She-Hulk doesn't have to look a certain way to please men (and to make her less threatening). She-Hulk is going to do whatever she damn pleases, beefy arms and weird hair included. 

Now where is my She-Hulk show?!