While trying to figure out who tried to kill her, Jessica Jones has attracted the ire of some even more dangerous people, including Life Model Decoys of Maria Hill, disgraced former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Just another day in the (usually smashed wide open) office for Jessica.
All eyes are on Jessica Jones and her Defender compatriots lately, as Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez’s Defenders comic garners rave reviews and the Netflix series is set to release later this year. This puts somewhat of a renewed focus on Jessica Jones, the rebooted ongoing also written by Bendis. Though it does appear as if the two comics are happening at different points in time, this series is still great supplemental reading if you’re gearing up for The Defenders, and stands on its own as a great mystery series.
The way Bendis writes Jessica’s inner monologue is always a pleasure, mostly because of how scattershot and thus, natural it comes off. We humans don’t usually think in pretty prose or well structured arguments, and Bendis captures that stream of consciousness very well to kick off the issue as Jessica psyches herself out sitting in her office as well as throughout the issue.
Love an intro page that helps you keep the story straight.
Jessica is involved in some true mind-fuckery here, and her signature biting wit is the perfect avenue to relate to the reader as they attempt to figure out what’s going on right as Jessica does. The issue gets downright meta in several ways (who investigates the investigators?), and it’s one that leaves you thinking about what just happened for several minutes afterwards–in other words, it’s a mystery story done right.
This particular issue is admittedly a little light on plot development and action is nearly nonexistent, but the well written dialogue is more than enough to keep your attention throughout. Add in a surprising appearance of a classic Marvel villain–whose theatrics are interesting to watch juxtaposed with Jessica Jones‘ gritty, realistic backdrop–and you have one hell of a fun issue.
Gaydos’ artwork remains a constant in this series, and along with Matt Hollingsworth’s colors, it provides Jones with a noir feel without resorting to sucking out all vibrant colors. When bright colors do appear, they seriously pop, catching your eye and giving nice contrast to the oftentimes drab world around her. As far as the artwork itself, there’s not much more to say about it. I think you’re either gonna love it or hate it, but personally, I think it fits the series to a T (even if sometimes facial expressions are seriously wonky).
Is It Good?
Things are heating up in Jessica’s world, and though she got some answers, she’s once again left with even more questions. A predicament that makes for an intriguing mystery comic indeed.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
