Comic Review: Jessica Jones: Purple Daughter (2019-) #1 & 2

Jessica Jones: Purple Daughter (2019-) #1 & #2

Marvel Comics

Writer: Kelly Thompson

Artist: Mattia de Iulis

It’s been a bit since the last issue of Jessica Jones released; all the way back in September! It left on such a big cliffhanger, too. But now the next part is out, and we can dive deeper into the mystery of Jessica Jones and her purple daughter.

As the title alludes, Danielle, daughter of superhero/former Avengers Luke Cage and Jessica Jones is purple. The implications of this aren’t lost on either parent. Luke Cage reacts negatively and a bit cold toward his wife. Jessica Jones starts drinking before investigating into why this is happening, and if the Purple Man is involved.

If you’re thinking to yourself “Didn’t the Purple Man die?” you’re correct. They do mention this, and it’s kind of the driving force behind what’s happening in the first issue. Both Jessica Jones and Luke Cage are being affected by the possibility of his actions. Carol Danvers even gets in on the doubts and questioning if she did or didn’t throw him into the sun. The second issue is where the more detective side of things kick in a bit. While searching, Jessica sees news reports that have a trace of the Purple Man behind mysterious suicides. There are strong hints about the Purple Man being alive, so my train of thought is that he isn’t, but the mystery of the story so far is strong.

The way Jessica Jones and Luke Cage react to the whole situation feels real to me. Jessica is facing her worst fears (again) but in the form of her daughter this time. Luke Cage I’m sure will come around but now has to wonder if his kid is his kid. I don’t have kids, I’ve also never had to deal with evil people with superpowers, but I imagine if only for a second, I’d react the same way. And then despite that, they both do what they can to protect their daughter. It really humanizes them more in my mind.

The art by Mattia de Iulis is fantastic. It leans more towards realistic than a cartoon/flat kind of style, and I like it. The backgrounds in most panels are blurry/out of focus without a lot of detail, but this puts emphasis on the characters, and let me tell you, the characters look good. Add to that the lighting and shading going on, and it’s a really good looking comic.

Jessica Jones: Purple Daughter has a lot going for it. The story is good and has an actual air of mystery to it. The art is fantastic and pleasing to look at. This is a good comic book, and everyone should be reading it.