Title: Alias Omnibus (i.e. Jessica Jones Volumes 1-4)
Author: Brian Michael Bendis, MIchael Gaydos
Published: Not sure. Early 2000’s
Read in: May 2016

I put this on hold at the library shortly after Netflix released their  “Jessica Jones” series and I’m so glad I did. It took several months for me to finally get it and it was such a fun read. I am by no means a Marvel expert, nor a graphic novel aficionado and I’m guessing this isn’t typical Marvel stuff, with the cursing and the “mature content.” It was still an incredible world to imagine, not unlike Fables, which I read a few years back, where fantasy meets reality in the oddest settings.

The anti-hero/outsider view of Jessica Jones is wonderful and seeing her interact with superheroes is also fun. Also, she dates Ant-Man! Did you know that? Are they going to add that into the Netflix series? Is Paul Rudd avaiable?

Graphic Novel vs Netflix (just imagine Krysten Ritter saying those very words as this guy is hanging over her door)

Rather than go in depth with this graphic novel, I’d like to take a few moments to compare it to the Netflix series, which I enjoyed equally as much. I’d already heard that there were a few setups in the series that mirrored the novel (see above), which I thought was clever. I was very fascinated with Kilgrave because, well, hello, Davd Tennant. In the GN he doesn’t show up until Vol. 4 which was cool to me as he was such a key character is the series. There are other cases to cover but none that are as compelling as Purple Man (Does Kilgrave show up in other Marvel series? There is so much I don’t know).

I am also intrigued with what becomes of Luke Cage. I believe in later issues of the novel (titled The Pulse, yes I’m waiting for it from the library)  Jessica and Luke get married and have a kid, which is so opposite how the Netflix series ended. I actually ache with how Netflix chose to end season one due to the storyline between the two (spoiler, in Netflix, there is conflict as Jessica finally reveals to Luke that while she was under the influence of Kilgrave she killed Luke’s wife. On the other hand, that was the final act that allowed her to fall out of his spell. Wait, does that also happen in  The Pulse and I just haven’t gotten there yet? So much going on!). 

So anyway, I can’t review this very well. Just I liked it. The adult nature of the comic book, the non superhero hero, the cracks a jokes about S.H.I.E.L.D., Avengers and others. I’d like to find more types of graphic novels like this. I’ve already asked the one GN nerd I know to recommend something and he has suggested Queen and Country. Anyone have other suggestions?