Is This Gratuitous? She Hulk 2 #23

She Hulk 2 #23
Originally uploaded by Heidi Meeley

In this week's candidate for "gratuitous" glory, I went outside the box a bit. Normally I have stayed away from Mike Deodato pencilled art because of his sexy portrayal of women making art a bit naughtier then the average bear. Like my buddy Frank Cho, Deodato has a stylized method that makes his female characters have incredibly long legs, tiny waists, and perky, large breasts. I liken his women to barbies, so I have tried to stay away from him in this feature as it may seem like an easy target.

Then I saw the cover for She-Hulk Volume #2 Number #23. What made me wonder about this was the dichotomy of the portrayal of She-Hulk. On one hand, she has a fierce facial expression that gives the impression that she would like nothing better then to kick your ass. On the other hand, she is soaking wet on her hands and knees.

Hmmm...

I have got to tell you- I am really torn about this cover. I love how strong Jennifer's arms look. The muscle definitio is killer. Also, she looks pissed to be sure. My confusion is in if it is sexy anger or pure rage. Also, I am wondering why she is crawling and wet? The title being made of water droplets does score points with me in originality.

I am confused here. Part of me loves this cover and the other part of me is a bit taken aback.

I need your help here. Is this gratuitous?