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ALIAS #4
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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Marvel Comics/MAX Comics imprint
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Michael Gaydos
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Stuart Moore
Price: $2.99 US/$4.50 CAN |
I continue to be pleased and entertained by Alias, although I have
to admit that a certain sense of familiarity is creeping in as the story moves
along. This issue finds Jessica Jones suffering with her low self-esteem and
paranoia, but also using her considerable investigative skills, and taking the
reader with her on a journey towards the answers that will end the arc. I'm
especially enjoying how Bendis blends the more realistic world of private
investigators and lawyers with outlandish super-heroes, and I think the artwork
of Gaydos, a gritty and somewhat abstract style, contributes greatly to that
realistic feeling.
I've noticed that Alias takes place in a fair number of seedy or rundown
locations, such as cheap apartments or offices, and this issue we get another
one, starting off in a bar. This definitely helps to establish that Jessica
feels at home in these places, and further reinforces the character's low
self-esteem. It's interesting, however, that this issue takes her into
high-priced lawyer's offices and campaign headquarters, and when she's there,
she starts to seem more competent and confident. Her environment has shaped her,
and she seems to be wallowing in that type of environment rather than becoming a
professional or a hero once again.
There's an undercurrent of
admiration, perhaps tinged with jealousy, in Jones's view of other heroes. Her
speech to the bar owner indicates a measure of respect for her former comrades,
and she certainly doesn't seem adverse to using her own powers, as she does when
she's tracking down the woman who hired her. I'm enjoying that Jones seems like
a normal woman most of the time, but there are always hints at her powers or her
colorful past.
Gaydos and Hollingsworth do a
lot of the work in establishing the mood of the book. The transition from
dimly-lit bar to bright outdoors is fantastic, and I enjoyed the sunset feeling
of the lawyer's office. The artwork sets the tone and the timetable, and though
I could wish for a bit more clarity in storytelling at time (the action sequence
at the end has some problems), I'm generally as happy with the art as I am the
writing.
This book could probably get
along purely on the trademark Bendis dialogue, which is sharp and often funny
(and occasionally misspelled. Fortunately, with an intriguing plot and lead
character and some very nice artwork, it doesn't have to.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board. |
