Alias: Red Band may be the sleeper superhero hit of the year. Jessica Jones certainly deserves attention and has a fanbase, but with a few Red Band books out already of varying quality, the gimmick, paired with a murder mystery, wasn’t necessarily a recipe for an excellent comic. But it is, and Alias: Red Band #3 continues that trend.
Picking up where we left off, Jessica’s partner in her latest case, Typhoid Mary, is being mind-controlled to kill her. The first page, a full-page splash, has Jessica tossing Typhoid Mary across a room. It’s an intense moment frozen in time, and on the very next page, we get a good sense of the lay of the land as the culprit behind said mind control gasps in fear. Red-eyed with rage, Typhoid Mary was already dangerous, but clearly even more unhinged in this state.
This opening scene offers a good shot of action, but writer Sam Humphries does even more by plucking at Typhoid Mary’s multiple personalities and Jessica’s limitations. Even she has to admit she could lose this fight. Further details concerning the case are plucked from the mind controller, and the story moves on, giving the plot direction. Smartly, Humphries also uses the action scene to put both Jessica and Typhoid Mary in a sullen mood. Everything in this series matters and builds on what came before.
Nice throw!
Credit: Marvel
Artist Geraldo Borges continues to use repeating panels expertly, like when Typhoid Mary sulks, attempting to hide the very disturbing thing of losing control of herself. She may be a bit loopy and a villain in her own right, but she’s also a human being. It’s a quiet moment, along with a return to the courtroom drama set in the present, that acts as a nice palette cleanser before the issue launches into its final scene.
Closing out the issue is a loose thread to find out more info at a butchery. Again, Borges uses tight panel work to draw your eye to the various questions from Jessica and the ornery butcher’s response. This leads to a tense sequence of events with some detective sleuthing, horrific finds, gory action, and a hell of a cliffhanger. Anyone who argues this series is too street-level should pick up this issue.
The continuing strong relationship between Typhoid Mary and Jessica remains a strong element. One can see them bonding over this mystery that needs solving, adding character growth to the series. It’s also interesting that the barbarism of Typhoid Mary balances with Jessica’s own viciousness in the opening scene. We see a few sides of Jessica here, further making her a complex person.
I’ve said it in previous reviews, but the Red Band label continues to feel totally unnecessary. There’s swearing, a rarity in superhero comics, I’ll admit, but there’s no gore here that you can’t see in a non-Red Band comic.
Alias: Red Band #3 continues to impress with sharp character work, strong pacing, and a mystery that keeps tightening its grip. Sam Humphries uses every scene with purpose, blending action, emotion, and detective work into a cohesive whole. With Geraldo Borges elevating the tension through smart paneling and expressive storytelling, this issue proves the series has real staying power. Brutal, smart, and deeply human, this is Jessica Jones at her best.
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