Alias Part 1

[cyberghostface]

I was asked when I did my Bendis' Daredevil posts if I could do a series on Alias. I had it on my to-do list but I put it off. For those who don't know, this title introduced the world to Jessica Jones, a superhero-turned-private investigator working in the seedy underbelly of the Marvel Universe. After the title was cancelled, she migrated into the more mainstream area of comicdom and has since been appearing in various Avengers title and etceteras, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss this era of her career.

Finally, this was part of Marvel's MAX imprint (their answer to Vertigo). For what it's worth, while the title earns its "Mature Readers" label, it's not as nearly as bad as most "mature" comics and is pretty tame compared to the stuff that you see on premium television. I'd say at its worst we're probably talking Sopranos-level content.

That being said, let me put out a disclaimer: There's a LOT of swearing here, and one sex scene that while nothing is actually shown its pretty obvious who's doing what to who and where they're doing it. So if that stuff bothers you, now you know.

#1...

The issue opens with Jessica Jones telling one of her latest clients that his wife is a mutant. He doesn't take it too well, and the situation escalates with him attacking her. He ends up being thrown through her door.














Later, Jessica meets a new client, a woman who claims to be a government employee. She claims her sister is in trouble and wants Jessica to find her. With a little detective work, Jessica manages to track where she is.






(BTW, this occurred before Captain America publicly outed himself)


#2...

Jessica is understandably paranoid, realizing that she holds a very important tape that she could be killed over. Her first thought is that she should destroy it.




She wonders if she's being paranoid, and decides to pay another visit to the woman, only to discover that she's dead.









She drops by the Avengers Mansion looking to speak to Captain America but the Avengers are away on a mission.

Later, some detectives meet with her.








#3...

The interrogation opens with some standard questions about Jessica's life as a superhero.





Jessica admits to lying about not knowing about the murder because she was freaked out. She thinks she's being set up and got paranoid. The detective thinks she's full of it, and the situation escalates.





Matt Murdock explains to her that he's a friend of Luke Cage, and that Luke sent him to help her. He asks her flat-out if she killed the woman, and she tells him she didn't, which satisfies him.

Jessica pays a visit to Carol Danvers, who was friends with Jessica during her superhero days. She's sick and in a bit of a mood, but Jessica asks her for help. Carol tells her she can't break protocol.









#4...





Since I deleted her earlier scene: this was the woman who initially hired Jessica.

The woman faints, and Jessica takes her phone. She was trying to call "Lawson, Daviano and Silver", a law firm. Jessica tracks down Lawson and accuses him of hiring her through a third party.

He says he doesn't know anything, and threatens to call the police on her. Jessica calls his bluff, saying that he has stuff he doesn't want them to know, and leaves. Jessica plans on tailing him later when she gets a phone call from Matt Murdock.







#5...

The man is none other than Man Mountain Marko, but he proves to be no match for Jessica, who makes quick work of her assailant. She proceeds to beat him up until he gives her a name. He eventually gives in and she's lead to a man named Mr. Zoumas. He tells her to sell the tape, and that he expected that she would to clear her name.



He explains that the president has debts from people like him and his associates, people who helped him get where he is, and that they have not been paid for their services. The tape will implicate Captain America in an affair and a murder, thus causing a chain reaction that will end with his candidate being elected.
 

Jessica receives a message from SHIELD agent Clay Quartermain right then, who admits that they've bugged her ever since the murder. They've recorded the entire conversation.




Later, Keaton announces that he is dropping his bid for the presidency.




Turns out they met before, but Steve forgot who she was on account of him meeting so many people.

Comments

[biod]

I didn't even know there WAS a time when it wasn't public knowledge that Steve Rodgers was Captain America.

[cyberghostface]

Happened just after 9/11 apparently.

[hivemindcomics]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE ALIAS!

[rainspirit]

Alias really was special for its time.

I love the way the superhero civilian dialogue just worked. As in, maybe hearing Steve talk like this elsewhere would be too awkward, but in the context of the "world" Alias was set in, it was pitch perfect.

I may have to go reread it.

[red_menace]

I miss all the swearing. It's immature, but I do.

[protogarrett]

Thank you for posting this. This is awesome. Looking for it on Amazon right now.

[shanejayell]

Good series. Bit uneven at times, but eh...

[lakrids404]

I can recommend this Youtube vid. Where two actors are acting the interrogation scene.

[goattoucher]

Good Lord n' butter, this art is -terrible-!

[amancalledblaze]

I dislike the art.
But I have all the trades, I heard way to many good things about the book not to look into it. The story is interesting, thought provoking and a very different sort of story that was worked into the "regular" universe.
But the art..I just do not like.

[dr_archeville]

I thought it was always public (if not downright common) knowledge, too.

[randyripoff]

I believe he's unmasked then found a way to cover up again several times over the years.

[runespoor]

MOTTO

[runespoor]

Thank you for this amazin post!

I looooooooooooooooooooove Jessica Jones sooooooooooooo much.

[icon_uk]

I was more or less with this right up until the final confrontation with the bad guy, whose plan to get his guy get elected is so labyrinthine that it's past insane and into "just dumb".

And then to monologue his entire plot out loud without checking for any sort of surveillance? That's... just very weak indeed.

Oh, and...

"I've met a million people, and I honestly can't think of three who would have done this for me."

Steve "Captain America" Rogers said that? Sorry, but I call bullshit on that.

[lakrids404]

"I've met a million people, and I honestly can't think of three who would have done this for me."
I read it, like that Rogers was perhaps laying it overly positive. Because he knew from Carol, that Jessica could really, use some positive encouragement, not lying as such but not the absolute truth either.

[ficticons]

Oh, thank you for this!

I've never had the chance to read any Alias, but I've been interested in the concept since hearing about it and seeing the odd scan or two around, so this post was an eye-opener and a great introduction.

Looking forward to the rest. :)

[filthysize]

Both the "million" and the "three" are just exaggerations. It's very Bendis speak. He writes even an old fart like Steve Rogers like a valley girl.

[stubbleupdate]

Is Captain America meant to look like a chubby Brad Pitt?

[thespis]

Love Jess. Love Bendis' Aaron Sorkin-esque dialogue. Love this series. <3

[bruinsfan]

Much as I dislike Bendis' current work, I relly enjoyed this back in the day.

[espanolbot]

The tv show of this, titled AKA Jessica Jones due to the previous tv show called Alias, might possibly be good. The woman who is making the show said that it's going to be based in the Marvel Movie Universe and that Luke Cage was going to remain in it.

The Purple Man might not actually be purple though, as she said that that wouldn't really fit the tone of the series.

Link!
http://io9.com/5860693/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-big-bad-in-the-dark-superhero-show-aka-jessica-jones

[mola_ram]

Read about this.
I'm REALLY looking forward to see where this is going, but at the same time her stories and past blends with so many heroes (like going to the same school and having a secret crush on Peter Parker) that I sadly doubt we'll get even a tenth of the references and the charm that's in the comics.

Sure, Luke Cage and Ms. Marvel won't be characters we'll see anytime soon on the big screen, but even the above scanned story is going to have its dificulties working around the likes of Daredevil and Cap without having a ton of paperwork regarding copyright issues tagged to it.

[espanolbot]

Since it's apparently being made by the same company that made the Avengers-related movies, I don't think that getting the rights to Cap and Co. will be that difficult, they even mentioned that they were going to work references into Stark into the first episode (getting the actors might be a little trickier though).

The things they're going to have problems with though, are the properties owned by other studios. For example, the Fantastic Four and X-Men are owned by Fox, while Spider-Man's owned by Sony.

So they can effectively get anyone in the tv show that's appeared already in the movies (Agent Coulson for example, and... um... Ghost Rider), but they'd have to forgo mentioning Peter specifically as being Spider-Man or have someone other an Jean Grey getting involved in regards to mentally fixing Jessica.

[benicio127]

THIS ^^

Jessica Jones is my favourite Marvel character. Love her, love her and Luke, love her in this and love her as a mom. She's one of the few female characters who is fully formed and independent before becoming a part of a power couple, and has a star male as her love interest.

[benicio127]

God, I cannot WAIT for AKA Jessica Jones. EEEEE

[mastiff]

I was thinking Val Kilmer actually.

[hivemindcomics]

So very agree with all of this.

I sometimes wish she'd got a bit more attention throughout Danielle's early years, but other than that her entire back catalogue is awesome. Her Young Avenger issue is a standout non-Alias moment.

I currently have a massive signed print of this http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gjmQmqvVKng/SHJi0EUSzgI/AAAAAAAAETA/Z5M6mC4KVyE/s400/IMG_2596.jpg over my desk.

[benicio127]

Oh God that is GORGEOUS.

I cannot even wait for AKA Jessica Jones. I've actually told friends who aren't even into comics and lent both of my Alias' books to a friend who was interested in her after I told her about the TV show. I have told so many people about this show and everyone is like oh hey, that sounds awesome! And I'm like YUP IT IS!