Jessica Jones #1 Review by Eblison Grun

Jessica Jones #1 (Marvel NOW!)

(w) Brian Michael Bendis

(a) Michael Gaydos; (c) David Mack

“Jessica Jones, a former costumed super hero, is now the owner and sole employee of Alias Investigations-- a small private investigative firm. But dark secrets from her super hero past haunt her, affecting her relationships and happiness.”

One of the new titles to ring in the Marvel NOW! Imprint, is none other than everyone's favorite ex-costumed hero turned PI. Jessica Jones returns in a new regular series by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos. This new self titled book gives us all the kick, all the punch, and all the misanthropic attitude of her debut series, the Marvel MAX title, ALIAS. They say you should never judge a book by it's cover, but here are four things on the cover of Jessica Jones #1 that tell fans of the original book that they won't be disappointed.

One: the name Jessica Jones. She's as hot as can be right now. Netflix has elevated her and some of the supporting cast (Luke Cage) to new heights, so there's practically nobody who hasn't heard of her. I shudder at the thought that ALIAS might have been forgotten, but with as much buzz as Jessica is getting these days, that's never going to happen. She's featured in, not one, but two TV programs and now has another comic book series all to herself.

Two: The names Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos. These guys created Jessica Jones. They showed us how low a super hero could get, after falling from such heights. Jessica's past was created for the title but readers could see how she fit in to the whole Marvel mythos. She had a tragic origin, connections to mainstream heroes, and a seriously intense event that flung her to the pits of despair. That's classic Bendis if not classic Marvel. As far as Gaydos' work, his simple style is rough and gritty in a way that sets a rough and gritty mood for the whole series. Seeing these guys back in action is a huge thrill.

Three: David Mack's cover art. David Mack is almost as much a creator on the book as the writer and artist. The mood of the book begins with the cover itself, and David Mack immediately brings life and beauty to the characters we grow to love and empathize with. We are betting that Mack is riding this series all the way, and Outside the Cube couldn't be happier. If a picture is worth a thousand words, his pictures are worth a thousand pictures each.

Four: The fourth thing on the cover of issue #1 is also going to be on every cover after this. The “Parental Advisory” warning isn't really a warning for true fans. It's a guarantee that Jessica Jones ain't holdin' back. ALIAS was an adult title. It fell under Marvel's MAX imprint, and was allowed to depict nudity, sex, foul language, violence, and the use of drugs. Those things weren't necessarily in ALIAS, but readers knew they could be. The MAX universe gave a reality to comics that never existed at Marvel before. We could actually believe that super powered people were real, and had sex, and smoked cigarettes, and cheated on their partners, and did all the things that real people do. That advisory isn't about “dirty stories.” It's about not softening the blows and telling a story that is going to knock readers on their asses. Jessica Jones fans know that.

The Story Now (just going to warn you a little, this contains some spoilers):

Jessica Jones doesn't have to pick up where any other series left off. In fact, it begins with the big question, “What the hell has she been up to?” With the Secret War rewriting the Marvel continuity, and Civil War II splitting loyalties, who knows what Jessica was doing. At one point, she was begrudgingly running a team of Avengers with her husband Luke Cage, but her priorities as a mother seemed to halt all of that.

Issue #1 begins with Gaydos' dark artistic style throwing the reader into a sense that something “not right” is going on or at least that something “not right” has already happened. And that's it. Jessica is being released from a high-security super prison called the cell. It's a floating jail high above the city. Questions? How about, what was she doing there in the first place? Or, who bailed her out? Since the person who got her released isn't there to pick her up when she's let out, Jessica jump off the platform, only to plummet into the cold waters below.

Jessica makes her way back to Alias Investigations where she avoids the message on her answering machine. She flips through her mail a little and finally decides to listen to the recording. As it turns out, it's from a potential client. Jessica Jones is back on the case. On top of all that, her ex Luke Cage, is sending the entire super hero community to pressure Jessica into telling him where their daughter is. That's right, the two had a baby together.

Pretty intriguing for a first issue. We get to see her world and how much it sucks. We get to see how badly she needs to find something like a new case to help her escape from her real life. And we get to see that she still has secrets, even from her former comrades. This is Brian Michael Bendis' world. He's the writer, the creator, the all powerful god of this little universe. And he's using his power to royally screw up Jessica's life.

How Is It?:

Jessica Jones is an amazing book. Right away, we feel Bendis doing his thing, weaving his writer's mojo. Readers familiar with the character will be comfortable and at home with this new title. They'll notice that the MAX appeal is still there and that Jessica Jones hasn't really changed much from who she was 15 years ago. And that goes for the character, the writing, and the art of the book.

If you like modern noir, with a splash of super hero comic, check out Jessica Jones #1. You can get it now on comic shop shelves everywhere. And tell them Outside the Cube sent you. It might not get you a discount, but it'll help get our name out there.