Alias

Alias
By Brian Michael Bendis
Illustrated by Michael Gaydos
Marvel Worldwide, 2014. 720 pages. Graphic Novel/Comics

Unable to become anything more than a second-rate superhero, Jessica Jones now makes a living working as a tough-as-nails private investigator. The girl's got a mean inferiority complex, a slight (okay, major) addiction to alcohol, and enough wit and grit to survive daily life in one of the toughest neighborhoods in New York City.

But when someone sets Jessica up to discover a secret about a fellow superhero--one that could bring both him and the country to their knees--Jessica's got to call in a few favors with old friends . . . maybe only sometimes using those old superpowers of hers to save the day.

I picked up Alias because I'd started watching Netflix's series Jessica Jones, but felt something vital missing from the television show. Namely, the overwhelming presence of the Marvel universe. While both projects are gritty and engrossing, their plots are vastly different in nature; while I personally prefer the grittier, less Marvel-saturated story of Jessica Jones, Alias definitely captured and held my attention. The artwork hasn't aged as well as the story and dialogue have; but overall, Alias is an exception comic book series that I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys the form.

CA