She-Hulk and the fourth wall

[Bullgrit]

Many years ago I heard that She-Hulk realized she was a comic book character. In a one-issue appearance in the Hulk comic (which I was regularly reading at the time), there was a reference to this concept (Bruce didn't understand). But that is all I know about the She-Hulk situation. Someone on the General forum referenced this concept with She-Hulk again.

Can someone tell me more details about this? What happened to reveal the "truth" to Jennifer? How did she deal with it? How long did the "gag" run? When did it run (if I were to look up some old comics)?

I'd like to learn as much as possible about this concept with She-Hulk.

Thanks.

Bullgrit

 

[John Cooper]

The original Savage She-Hulk series (which ran 25 issues, I think) didn't have this concept. It wasn't until several years after that run had finished that John Byrne started up Sensational She-Hulk, where he came up with the shtick that She-Hulk knew she was in a comic book and frequently talked to the readers and to Byrne himself. That was fine, and worked well in that self-contained comic - the problem was, She-Hulk was also a member of the Avengers at the time, and the writer of the Avengers continued the gag over in that title, where it didn't work that well at all (none of the other characters in The Avengers was self-aware, and couldn't understand who She-Hulk was talking to).

Now she's in a new series (also called Sensational She-Hulk, I believe), and all of that nonsense has stopped.

 

[Agamon]

The new series does, however, still use comics (trade paperbacks now, actually) at the superhero law firm Jennifer works at. So some of the old series schtick is still around.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Now she's in a new series (also called Sensational She-Hulk, I believe), and all of that nonsense has stopped.

I kinda liked that gag. Esp since they brought in an old golden age hero working as her legal aid who also used to break the 4th wall. It was fun.

 

[Captain Tagon]

I kinda liked that gag. Esp since they brought in an old golden age hero working as her legal aid who also used to break the 4th wall. It was fun.

She-Hulk might be the best montly title either of the big two is putting out right now.

 

[Bullgrit]

... It wasn't until several years after that run had finished that John Byrne started up Sensational She-Hulk, where he came up with the shtick that She-Hulk knew she was in a comic book and frequently talked to the readers and to Byrne himself. ...

Thanks for the info. How did she come to realize her "situation"?

Bullgrit

 

[jcfiala]

Thanks for the info. How did she come to realize her "situation"?

Bullgrit

There wasn't any particular point where she realized it on camera. Just at the beginning of Byrne's She Hulk she would occasionally make references to the reader (and would sometimes yell at Byrne), and there you go. They collected the first issues of Byrne's run into a TPB, you might be able to look around and find it.

 

[John Cooper]

To clarify, I liked the "talking to the writer and the readers" shtick well enough in her own comic, but it was awkward and clunky over in the pages of The Avengers, when nobody else was in on the joke. The other Avengers treated it like it was some kind of delusion the She-Hulk was under.

 

[Enkhidu]

The original Savage She-Hulk series (which ran 25 issues, I think) didn't have this concept. It wasn't until several years after that run had finished that John Byrne started up Sensational She-Hulk, where he came up with the shtick that She-Hulk knew she was in a comic book and frequently talked to the readers and to Byrne himself. That was fine, and worked well in that self-contained comic - the problem was, She-Hulk was also a member of the Avengers at the time, and the writer of the Avengers continued the gag over in that title, where it didn't work that well at all (none of the other characters in The Avengers was self-aware, and couldn't understand who She-Hulk was talking to).

Now she's in a new series (also called Sensational She-Hulk, I believe), and all of that nonsense has stopped.

I agree with everything in this post excpet for the use of the word "nonsense." Byrne era She-Hulk was quite good, and the schtick made it beter.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

I don't remember seeing Jennifer break the fourth wall in the Avengers, but PAD used it to some funny effect in an issue of the Incredible Hulk (as Bullgrit mentioned), and John Ostrander used it in an offhand way in one issue of Heroes for Hire when She-Hulk fired the unseen narrator of that series (who subsequently disappeared from the pages of the book).

Like others have said, though, there wasn't ever a point of her awareness of her situation or anything, just that John Byrne decided it would be a funny shtick of hers in his own series (which was highly successful, it should be noted), and subsequent writers on that She-Hulk series also, IIRC, kept the shtick going.

Personally, I'd love to see a She-Hulk/Deadpool crossover, as Deadpool has occasionally broken the fourth wall himself. Throw in Howard the Duck, and you'd have comedy gold.