cyberghostface: (Ellen)
cyberghostface ([personal profile] cyberghostface) wrote in [community profile] scans_daily2011-11-18 17:33

Alias Part 1



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.






biod: Cute Galactus (Default)

[personal profile] biod 2011-11-18 23:01 (UTC)(link)
I didn't even know there WAS a time when it wasn't public knowledge that Steve Rodgers was Captain America.
hivemindcomics: (Default)

[personal profile] hivemindcomics 2011-11-18 23:22 (UTC)(link)
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE ALIAS!
rainspirit: (Default)

[personal profile] rainspirit 2011-11-18 23:37 (UTC)(link)
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: BFF? (Default)

[personal profile] red_menace 2011-11-19 00:04 (UTC)(link)
I miss all the swearing. It's immature, but I do.
protogarrett: (Default)

[personal profile] protogarrett 2011-11-19 00:17 (UTC)(link)
Thank you for posting this. This is awesome. Looking for it on Amazon right now.
shanejayell: (Default)

[personal profile] shanejayell 2011-11-19 00:57 (UTC)(link)
Good series. Bit uneven at times, but eh...
lakrids404: (Default)

[personal profile] lakrids404 2011-11-19 01:02 (UTC)(link)
I can recommend this Youtube vid. Where two actors are acting the interrogation scene.
goattoucher: (Outrage)

[personal profile] goattoucher 2011-11-19 01:38 (UTC)(link)
Good Lord n' butter, this art is -terrible-!
amancalledblaze: (Default)

[personal profile] amancalledblaze 2011-11-19 02:16 (UTC)(link)
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.

[personal profile] runespoor 2011-11-19 10:12 (UTC)(link)
Thank you for this amazin post!

I looooooooooooooooooooove Jessica Jones sooooooooooooo much.
icon_uk: (Default)

[personal profile] icon_uk 2011-11-19 13:36 (UTC)(link)
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.
ficticons: Venus, from the Marvel Comic Agents of Atlas, jumping for joy. (venus yay)

[personal profile] ficticons 2011-11-19 14:51 (UTC)(link)
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. :)
stubbleupdate: (Default)

[personal profile] stubbleupdate 2011-11-19 22:30 (UTC)(link)
Is Captain America meant to look like a chubby Brad Pitt?
thespis: (Default)

[personal profile] thespis 2011-11-19 23:53 (UTC)(link)
Love Jess. Love Bendis' Aaron Sorkin-esque dialogue. Love this series. <3
bruinsfan: (Default)

[personal profile] bruinsfan 2011-11-20 03:26 (UTC)(link)
Much as I dislike Bendis' current work, I relly enjoyed this back in the day.
espanolbot: (Default)

[personal profile] espanolbot 2011-11-20 08:46 (UTC)(link)
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
benicio127: (Default)

[personal profile] benicio127 2011-11-21 02:42 (UTC)(link)
God, I cannot WAIT for AKA Jessica Jones. EEEEE