Customer Reviews

Alias Vol. 1

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Alias follows the life of Jessica Jones, private investigator. Jessica Jones is a mutant, and is considered in some circles to be a super-hero, although that description doesn't fit her very well. This part of Alias doesn't clearly say what Jessica's powers are, in the beginning we learn that she has a mean left hook and later on she breaks a shotglass in her hand with no cuts after.
As the story progresses more of her history and her powers are revealed, and there are a lot of cameos from more famous Marvel heroes. The appearances of other heroes is pretty neat for readers who are familiar with the Marvel universe, but it doesn't prohibit people who haven't read from starting.
There's a little of everything in Alias, Jessica takes a normal case which leads her to a large governmental conspiracy which provides action and also shows Jessica at work as a detective. The major story arc aside, I found that the heart of Alias is Jessica's endearing personality, I think that people will see their own traits in her life. It's somewhat pricey compared to other graphic novels, but it's also pretty long by graphic novel standards, and I think that it's a smart buy.
Alias has the "MAX" rating which is comparable to a R rated movie. I didn't find it to be offensive, there's a lot of profanity though.
Not related to the television show "Alias".

***not related to the Jennifer Garner TV show***

This book is for a VERY specific demographic: people who grew up reading Marvel comics who are now adults rediscovering the world of comics. This is the Marvel Universe from an adult point of view. You've still got Captain America, the Avengers, Daredevil, your old Marvel favorites here, but they're filtered through an adult's eyes. The first word of the book is "F---!"

The protagonist, private investigator Jessica Jones, is complex, not totally likeable, like a real person. She has super powers but chooses not to use them (more is revealed about her background in the later books).

I'm not a "Bendis can do no wrong" kind of guy. A lot of his stuff is fluff written to please young fans and sell books. Not this time. This is a character piece, a huge risk in the comic biz. This might explain it's short run.

The artwork is dark and moody, a refreshing change from the typically glammed out super-hero books. The art fits the character perfectly.

All four Alias books are totally engaging from start to finish. If you only buy one graphic novel, GET THIS!

There are rumors that this series will come back. I hope so!

Jessica Jones is currently in "The Pulse," a comic where she works for the Daily Bugle. It's an "ensemble cast" kind of book so she's not really in it that much. If you really want more of her story, Pulse is worth picking up. But get the other three Alias books first!

The great Brian Michael Bendis has done it again. With Marvel's first title to warrant the "MAX" title (intense violence and language), Alias shows Bendis at his best. His penchant for dialog and unconventional storytelling is so proudly displayed in this first collection of the series that it is easy to see why he is one of the most revered writers in comics. Alias tells the story of former Avenger Jessica Jones, who has since quit being a superhero and has opened her own private detective agency called Alias Investigations. Even though she still has superpowers and Alias takes place in the underbelly of the Marvel Universe, Bendis manages to make Jessica seem like a real life everyday person. She is obsessive, self destructive, and usually looking to do the right thing. In this first collected volume, she has a one night stand with Luke Cage, becomes entangled in a conspiracy involving Captain America's secret identity, and meets Matt Murdock. Michael Gaydos' art is a gritty almost Frank Miller-esque style that suits Alias well, even though it may take some getting used to. All in all, this is superb comics storytelling that one could only expect from Bendis.

Some of you old-schoolers might recall a superheroine named Jewel from back in the day, who had several adventures alongside the Avengers among others. And you WOULD BE WRONG. Jewel is an original creation for Bendis' now-defunct series "Alias" (not in any way affiliated with the acclaimed Jennifer Garner spy series on TV). She was retconned into the Marvel Universe and so she's "always been there", but as an exceptionally minor metahuman with relatively unremarkable powers, of course she never stood out.

In his ongoing "Powers" title elsewhere, Bendis has been telling the story of superhero cops. Now he brings us the superhero private detective. Jessican Jones, the former Jewel, is a one-woman agency, taking on cases ranging from the pedestrian (tailing people at the behest of suspicious spouses, searching for missing persons) to the extraordinary (touching upon the private lives of fellow superbeings and high-level government machinations). She's no World's Finest Detective or even an Oracle; she gets things done the old-fashioned way (mainly through Internet searches). She rarely has to call upon her greater-than-normal abilities, but they can come in handy.

Since this is a so-called "mature" title, there's a lot of swearing going on (partially just for the shock value to show that "Ooh, Marvel Comics is all growed up now!"). And Jessica Jones is no perfect angel. She smokes, she drinks heavily, she has one-night stands, she quarrels with her friends, she messes up. Her superheroine heritage is a mixed blessing, because it just draws the ire and scorn of the cops, while she was such a small fry in the metahuman community that she has few reliable contacts who will so much as give her the time of day.

This means that this is more than just a series of mystery yarns...it's also a bit of a study of what happens when you think you've reached the heights of glory, sailing through the skies alongside Thor and Iron Man, only to realize that you're really just not good enough and that your compatriots really don't think much of you.

Since the end of "Alias", the Jessica Jones character has been appearing as part of the cast of "The Pulse" and evidently has just started showing up in the new title "Young Avengers" as a mentor to the second-generation of Avengers. And with her nemesis the Purple Man on the loose again, we might see her in the rebooted "Avengers" title itself (especially since she's the pregnant lover of Luke Cage, a member of that reformed group).

If you've ever wondered what happens to a superhero when their adventures come to an end and they have to get a real job and they turn out to be a bit of an all-too-human foul-up, this is the title for you. The art is a bit sketchy, but it's rather suited to the seedy and desperate world the former Jewel now inhabits. This first collection, at least, is worth a look (the second volume is rather less impressive).

Jessica Jones, a has-been superhero, is now the sole operator of Alias Private Eye; but when she happens upon an explosive secret, she is faced with a difficult dilemma while, at the same time, a series of unfortunate events make her become aware that she is being set up. Then, later, several of Jessica's smaller cases help us learn more about her character.

Brian Michael Bendis has created another winner here. His (yet again) fantastic dialogue and unconventional storytelling make for another fantastic read. His superb mix of charaterization, dialogue, action, suspense, and humor make this book a must read. Michael Gaydos' artwork really adds to the street level grittiness of the story, and the muted colors also intensify the dark tone of the stories.

"Alias" comes highly recommended for fans of Bendis' early comic noir books, "Powers" readers, and "Daredevil" readers looking for an even more gritty and adult take on superheros.

NOTE: "Alias" is a Marvel MAX book and is suggested for older readers due to strong language and violence (a comic book equivalent to an R-rated movie).

I just finished reading Alias a couple of hours ago, more than years after being originally released. I already knew that Bendis was the best writer in modern comics, since I have his whole Daredevil run and his Ultimate Spider-Man.

I decided to buy all the Bendis stuff I could find and afford, and a week ago I finally got Alias Vol.1 and aboy was it worth it!!!! While I was reading Alaias I was thinking "it would be so much more interesting if the Marvel Universe was like the Max-comics line". And am not refering about the profanity nor the cursing, but more about the real-life element in the book, or as real-life as a super-powered community could get. I mean, in this book you can really see the Marvel universe as OUR OWN universe but with super-powered beings, as opposed to what Marvel has been: another universe, similar to this one, but with super-powered beings. And the credit for that belongs to Bendis.

You can check out his Daredevil run and you'll see that the Marvel Universe accodring to Bendis feels really familiar, only that we have no-one wearing costumes out here. Of course, Bendis is not limited to gritty comics books only, but since this is about Alias, and Alias is gritty, I'll stick to that subject.

In a few short words, Alias is as down to earth as possible, as long as "fantastic" books are concerned, and those looking for a more realistic look at super heroes should definately get this one.

i'd be the first person to say that bendis' run on daredevil was the best thing to happen to marvel, and that his book "goldfish" was the best crime-noir comic i've read, but for me, ALIAS is bendis' most amazing work. every scene and every conversation flows so naturally. the borderline gritty realism makes you forget that you live in the real world, not some completely unbelievable universe known as marvel.

this and love & rockets are the only two comic books that breathe real-life humanity into the characters.
get this if you're a fan of bendis, daredevil, marvel comics in general, or scorsese.

A tale of a retconned in the cracks very brief stay Avengers member, and her inability to cope with sex, alcohol, and the city. If you can get past the big implausibility that there was an Avenger that nobody ever mentioned in the past 40 years, that was not The Sentry, then you can enjoy this tale of a former pink clad loser. This is definitely a Max title, and it opens with her shagging and swearing. Do not confuse this with the tv show please.

I have never read any Marvel comics, but I got straight into 'Alias' by Brian Michael Bendis. It should appeal to fans of alternative comics and comics of the thoughtful European kind.

The book matches the realistic characterization of Daniel ('Ghost World') Clowes or Adrian ('Optic Nerve') Tomine. The main character Jessica Jones is screwed up and her own worst enemy (despite some fierce competition), but she's depicted with so much sympathy and compassion that one can't help but love her.

I don't even know what to compare the dialog to. Simultaneously stylized and naturalistic, witty and poignant, it's so far ahead of any other title that comparisons would be meaningless.

The genre is a sort of Chandleresque private eye thing (the closest parallel might be Sarah Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski), but the mystery is strictly secondary here. The story is about the people, not the plot.

The art is great. It might not be to everyone's taste, with muted colors and large black fields, but it's perfectly suited to the writing.

Buy this book. The only problem is that once you have read 'Alias' you'll be desperately looking for other current comics this good, and there just aren't any.

Oh, and despite the name and a similar logo, it has nothing to do with the TV show starring Jennifer Garner.

Bendis' Powers originally introduced me to the world of comics and graphic novels. But his Alias, starting with this book, truly showed me what the genre could be.

For a newcomer, there's no twisted mythology necessary. Even without any basic knowledge of the Marvel universe or superhero comics in general, Alias is a great read. Most of a classic detective story than a superhero story, at least in the early arcs, the dialogue and situations ring true.

And for those with extensive knowledge of Marvel, Jessica (the protagonist), is a former member of the Avengers and has semi-regular run-ins with those inhabiting her world. While you can understand the stories on their own, a friend of mine who loves comics was constantly point out who people were or what a certain situation was a parady of, which only added to my enjoyment of the graphic novel.

The comic itself is coming to an end, though Jessica will be continuing in a new comic. But if you enjoy this, definately continue on with the following graphic novels as it only gets better and better.