John Byrne’s The Sensational She-Hulk collects Sensational She-Hulk nos. 1-8 and Marvel Comics Presents no. 18, written and penciled by Byrne with inks by Bob Wiacek and Al Gordon, colors by Glynis Oliver and George Roussos, and letters by Jim Novak, John Workman, and Michael Heisler. Unlike the original Savage She-Hulk series that ran for 25 issues between 1980-1982, these issues began a 60-issue run lasting from 1989-1994 and depicted She-Hulk breaking the fourth wall at least two years before Deadpool, though after Howard the Duck paved the way for satirical stories within the Marvel continuity during the 1970s. In these first eight issues, She-Hulk fights various B-list villains and struggles to find her way after being an Avenger and member of the Fantastic Four.

Byrne satirizes the comic book industry at points, including a joke about the Comics Code and its ban on nudity (pg. 10). He also references Marvel’s Epic magazine line with its more adult content and permissiveness (pg. 34) and, in issue four She-Hulk’s chemise withstands a great deal of damage during a fight without a rip as it’s “protected by the Comics Code Authority” (pg. 104). The series includes a couple digs at the New Universe imprint that Jim Shooter, Archie Goodwin, Mark Gruenwald, and Tom DeFalco launched and oversaw for Marvel from 1986-1989. For example, She-Hulk quips about the now-defunct New Universe’s internal timeline and how it differed from the standard Marvel Universe (pg. 73). She also tears through a price-guide ad that features a joke about the prestige Marvel gave to the New Universe experiment and its writers (pg. 126).

In another neat Easter egg, the series reintroduces the Golden Age heroine, The Blonde Phantom, who now goes by her civilian identity of Louise Grant Mason (pgs. 92-93). Byrne may have been referencing Louise “Weezie” Simonson when he used the “Weezie” nickname for the Phantom (pg. 49). Byrne, who worked on DC’s The Man of Steel between his run on Fantastic Four and Sensational She-Hulk, includes a cameo of sorts for Lex Luthor (pgs. 106 & 187). Additionally, Byrne’s art in issue no. 3 appears to foreshadow Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti’s depiction of Harley Quinn’s facial expressions when telling a gag (pg. 66), thereby setting the model for later fourth-wall-breaking heroines. The overall effect is a fun book with great character moments that will appeal to both casual fans and those who want something more metatextual in their humor. ( )

It's beautifully illustrated, it boldly represents a solo female superhero, and, most importantly, it's not afraid to have fun with the comics medium within the dominant superhero genre; if Byrne's She-Hulk doesn't tickle your funny bone, nothing can. ( )