Written by Dan Slott
Art by Juan Bobillo; Marcelo Sosa; Chris Chuckry & VC’s Dave Sharpe
Cover Art by Adi Granov
SUMMARY:
Published by Marvel Comics for July 2004, the issue’s title is “Dead Certain.” After aircraft engineer Bailey Briggs is horrifically murdered, Jennifer Walters’ law firm (Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg, & Holliway) takes the defendant’s case. With snooty Mallory Book choosing Jen as her co-counsel, they seemingly have an unbeatable defense witness: the victim’s own ghost.
Meanwhile, Jen’s new workplace friend, Pug, offers to help finish her move from Avengers Mansion into the firm-owned Excelsior apartment building. Doctor Strange, Benjamin “The Thing” Grimm, and the Avengers’ butler Jarvis make guest appearances, as Jen and frenemy Mallory investigate a Matlock-like murder mystery.
REVIEW:
For the most part, writer Dan Slott delivers an entertaining mystery reminiscent of TV programs like Law & Order and Matlock. The idea of a victim’s ghost testifying at a murder trial certainly deserves credit for originality. While Slott’s script incorporates some well-played humor, what is sorely missing is a plausible motive — i.e. why would the culprit ominously resort to using a wind tunnel fan for a gruesome homicide?
Further, why would this grisly method then be attempted a second time? Then again, why wouldn’t top-tier attorneys like Jen and Mallory have inspected or even visit the crime scene long before the trial is already well under way? Their visit to Briggs’ workplace late in the game to search for clues, as a result, comes off as a convenient plot cliché.
Quite frankly, Slott should have tried a little harder on basic logic to deliver a more satisfying solution. In that sense, the murder mystery fizzles out after an intriguing set-up for Jennifer’s new case. Still, the last few pages play out a poetic sense of ironic justice.
As for the visuals, the terrific cover image clearly surpasses the merely okay interior artwork. Though the art team offers some good-looking panels, the end result, however, just isn’t anything remarkable. She-Hulk # 3 is a relatively solid read, though it could have been one of She-Hulk’s better adventures.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The credits page includes a seven-paragraph summary of Jennifer’s recent travails.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
Note: The blue signature on the comic below is Dan Slott’s autograph from a comic convention.
