Comic Review: Jessica Jones #1 & 2

Jessica Jones #1 & 2

Marvel Comics

Writer: Kelly Thompson

Artist: Mattia De Iulis

After Brian Michael Bendis left Marvel, I was one of many that assumed the series and character would be in limbo for a while. The “last” issue, which came out in March of this year said there would be a new creative team, but that’s the last we ever heard about it. Now, four months later, we have this surprise release upon us, and the question is, is it any good? Yes, it’s pretty good.

The first issue starts off pretty simply, Jessica Jones is in the park with her family. They’re enjoying the day before she has to go to work. That’s where the story really kicks off, as once Jessica gets to her office, she finds a dead body inside and the police are not far behind. The rest of the issue is what you’d expect, with Jessica dealing with the police and the mystery of how and why someone is trying to frame her.

The second issue continues the investigation with Jessica doing more investigative work into the mystery. Of course being a former Avenger and superhero means she has more tools at her disposal than a regular P.I.

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Kelly Thompson. If her name is on a book there’s a good chance that I’ll be reading it. She’s a great writer, and it’s on display here. The dialogue is strong, with nothing feeling clunky or forced in. Jessica Jones feels like Jessica Jones, not a pastiche of the Netflix show/character. The story itself is interesting. It’s not the most original story ever told, but there are some really strong twists that keep the interest very high.

The art by Mattia De Iulis is maybe the weak point of these first two issues. It’s good, don’t get me wrong. The people and places have a lot of good details. There’s this realism to it that looks really good, and it’s pretty dynamic. But there are some panels where it drops off and the characters look clunky or simple. It mostly happens to Luke Cage, but there are other characters that look awkward as well.

Overall though, I think this is a really well done first couple of issues. There’s a lot of familiar faces that pop up for one or two pages, but as it should be, the focus is on Jessica Jones and her detective work. Brian Michael Bendis leaves some big shoes to fill, but Kelly Thompson and Mattia De Iulis are looking like a very promising team to fill that spot. I think this series is in good hands with the new creative team and I’m looking forward to seeing where they take us.