John Byrne’s rejuvenation of #SheHulk in “Sensational She-Hulk” (1989-1994) indelibly changed the character and was, for many years, Marvel’s longest-running title starring a female hero. Yet the series’ sexualization of its title character is controversial—and complicated. 1/14
Sensational She-Hulk is a confident, sexually liberated career woman not in spite of being big & green but because of it. Transforming into She-Hulk helps Jennifer Walters reject patriarchal expectations designed to control women. She also self-reflexively critiques them. 2/14
But She-Hulk is not a real person. As such, her access to “agency” depends on the desires of the people creating and consuming her stories. From 1989-1994, she was written & drawn by men and her stories were largely read by, and marketed to, men and boys. 3/14
Lillian Robinson observes that while She-Hulk’s “exuberant sexual subjectivity may be read as a declaration of women’s right to the assertion of desire… it is rather disquieting that that assertion coincides so seamlessly with mainstream representations of male sexuality.” 4/14
In other words, while She-Hulk’s assertion of sexual agency was revolutionary within a genre that typically sidelines female desire, it is convenient that her expressions of sexuality prioritize a male gaze. In this context we can ask: whose fantasies does She-Hulk embody? 5/14
This question is complicated by the fact that She-Hulk’s discovery of liberation through self-objectification was a popular idea within the mainstream feminism of the 1990s, particularly within the cultural trend scholars commonly refer to as “postfeminism.” 6/14
Postfeminism critiques the shortcoming of second-wave feminism but also, according to scholars Yvonne Tasker & Diane Negra, “involves an evident erasure of feminist politics from the popular, even as aspects of feminism seem to be incorporated within that culture.” 7/14
An influential strain of postfeminism proposes that feminism succeeded & is no longer necessary. Therefore, women are no longer objectified by patriarchal culture. Instead, to paraphrase scholar Angela McRobbie, they are objectified as a choice for their own enjoyment. 8/14
To sell this message, postfeminism frequently operates, in the words of scholar Stephanie Harzewski, “through ‘stylistic alibi’ or irony.” Essentially, postfeminist media makes objectification palatable by winking at the audience, promising it’s in on the “joke.” 9/14
Winking objectification is a hallmark of Sensational She-Hulk. This is perhaps most overt in an infamous sequence from issue #40. In this issue, She-Hulk performs a supposed publicity stunt where she seems to jump rope in the nude for five consecutive pages. 10/14
Throughout, She-Hulk “breaks the fourth wall” to speak directly to the reader while explicitly addressing the sexist humiliation of the stunt: “all the dignity and respect I’ve worked so hard to gain… wiped away in the name of cheap thrills and—maybe—higher sales!” 11/14
The sequence concludes with series editor Renée Witterstaetter revealing She-Hulk was “actually” wearing a tiny bikini, and that EiC Tom DeFalco would never “actually” allow her to appear naked. This satirizes the previous titillation—but does it subvert it? 12/14
The cover also tells a different story. Here, She-Hulk doesn’t choose the stunt, but is forced by a seemingly male hand. Perhaps the issue subverts this. Or perhaps it admits a dark truth: this comic does sell the fantasy of controlling and/or humiliating a powerful woman. 13/14
Objectification is exceedingly complicated, as are its manifestations & effects. And there is certainly empowerment to be found in Sensational She-Hulk. Yet there is also room to question who or what is the subject of each “joke”—and who or what is the object. 14/14
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John Byrne’s rejuvenation of #SheHulk in “Sensational She-Hulk” (1989-1994) indelibly changed the character and was, for many years, Marvel’s longest-running title starring a female hero. Yet the series’ sexualization of its title character is controversial—and complicated. 1/14
Sensational She-Hulk is a confident, sexually liberated career woman not in spite of being big & green but because of it. Transforming into She-Hulk helps Jennifer Walters reject patriarchal expectations designed to control women. She also self-reflexively critiques them 2/14
But She-Hulk is not a real person. As such, her access to “agency” depends on the desires of the people creating and consuming her stories. From 1989-1994, she was written & drawn by men and her stories were largely read by, and marketed to, men and boys. 3/14
She-Hulk’s debut in “Savage She-Hulk” (1980-82) is not as fondly remembered as other iterations. But the series is worth re-examining in its historical context and because it can help us understand fundamental conflicts that continue to influence the character. 1/10 #SheHulk
She-Hulk was created, in part, to maintain rights to the name. But she was also part of a small wave of new female superheroes at Marvel in the late-1970s, all of whom self-consciously referenced the rise of “women’s lib,” including Ms. Marvel (1977) & Spider-Woman (1978). 2/10
She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters & Ms. Marvel/Carol Danvers are both career women fighting for space in male-dominated professions. Their stories also emphasize the importance of sisterly bonds. Some of Jen’s early rage is inspired by her best friend Jill being killed by gangsters. 3/10
In “The Supergirls,” Mike Madrid writes of #DoomPatrol’s Elasti-Girl, “She is an emancipated superheroine, with strength and power to put her on part with her male counterparts.” In the 1960s, Elasti-Girl was almost unique in this regard, pushing boundaries & making space. 1/11
Where most female superheroes of the 60s are either inspired by (and subordinate to) male heroes or “transformed into a heroine as a result of the work & machinations of the older men in their lives” (Madrid), Elasti-Girl/Rita Farr’s story & powers are (largely) her own. 2/11
Created by Arnold Drake & Bruno Premiani in “My Greatest Adventure” #80 (1963), Rita is an Olympic swimmer turned Hollywood actress granted shape-changing powers via unusual volcanic gas. Her initial inability to control her powers ruins her career & she becomes a recluse. 3/11
Comics are a static medium of fragmented images; space, time & meaning depend on the art of juxtaposition. A sequence from Paper Girls #4, in which Tiffany’s life flashes before her eyes, showcases this art—and the symbolic value of fragments. 1/7 #PaperGirls #comicsstudies
The sequence is propelled by a piece of future technology. When its tendril eyes lock around Tiffany’s neck, she’s thrown back into a dominant memory. The grid breaks to signal Tiffany’s break from the present, and the zoom in on a single eye signals isolated interiority. 2/7
Tiffany’s dominant memories involve playing a generic, simplistic video game. Her reality mimics the game: gridded and simply but evocatively colored. And the combination of symmetry and juxtaposition evokes both rapid movement and stasis. 3/7
Themes of passing & prejudice and the pursuit of truth & justice should make superhero comics well-suited to discussing racial politics. However, the frequent use of racial metaphor can be a slippery slope. King & Walta’s “The Vision” miniseries shows why. #TheVision 1/14
First, some history. Because so many iconic superheroes were created by Jewish immigrants during an era of intense antisemitism, many commentators have argued that themes of racial & ethnic prejudice fundamentally inform the genre. According to famed writer Danny Fingeroth: 2/14
“Comics, with its ability to merge the visual & verbal and make the unbelievable credible, was necessary as a spawning ground for the superhero, but it alone was not sufficient. The Jews & their history were the missing ingredients in creating this unique heroic archetype.” 3/14
Superheroes are sentinels of the city. Indeed, Scott Bukatman argues #GoldenAge superheroes “encapsulated & embodied the same utopian aspirations of modernity as the cities themselves.” They are also designed to survive the real & symbolic dangers of modern urban existence. 1/12
Some scholars argue comics themselves are decidedly urban. For instance, Jens Blazer argues the “mingling of images & words reflects a semiotic shift occurring in the urban living space at the turn of the century,” replacing contemplation with constantly shifting landscapes. 2/12
The venerable David Kunzle similarly argues, “The comic strip... sets the pulse of city life and seems to encapsulate a whole development of urban, industrial perception: the multiplication of visual impulses, the intensification of nervous stimulation.” 3/12