Jessica Jones' Comic, "Alias," is Coming Back! Oh, But Not How I'd Like

"Alias," was a comic by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos that was superb. The first Marvel Max comic, it showed a side of the Marvel Universe that was adult but not just swearing and sex--although it had that too! The series focused on Jessica Jones and what it was like being a C-list hero who quit the biz to be a private detective. She has super strength, but can get hurt with skin as easy to cut as anyone else's. She can fly, but sucks at landing. So yeah, she quit being a hero some time ago yet finds herself ending up doing hero-stuff often. The series ended with her pregnant by Luke Cage and a follow-up series, "The Pulse," was decent and featured the birth of their kiddo, Danielle. Then she was in, "New Avengers," where she and Cage got married in a fun special, but Jessica Jones definitely fell to the wayside some after that and was more of a supporting character outside of some decent mini-series. But wait, "Alias," is back...although not really?

"Alias: Red Band," is a five-issue series that will be a part of Marvel's new-ish Red Band line, where the comics can be full of violence, and they come in a polybag...but swearing is still a no-go or any nudity. We can have Tombstone skinning people alive as he hunts down the Punisher, but someone saying, "Fuck," somehow is worse, I suppose. That's okay, though, it isn't like the original, "Alias," series was only good due to swearing, I'm sure getting Bendis and Gaydos back will...wait, they aren't even doing the series? For real? I ask because anyone writing Jessica Jones besides Bendis usually falls flat.

Yes, the creative team for, "Alias: Red Band," is Sam Humphries and Geraldo Borges. They are both great, with Humphries especially having written some stellar comics, and Borges is a superb artist as well. That said, it feels weird to have an, "Alias," comic with no Bendis involvement, especially as he is even back doing some new work with Marvel! Still, this could be fun, as the series follows Jones teaming up with Typhoid Mary to investigate some strange murders. I'm bummed we have no involvement from Bendis or Gaydos, but at least David Mack is back providing covers, as he did for the OG series. That's snazzy, and I'm hoping the, "Alias: Red Band," issues are great even with a new team involved. We will see in March 2026.

"Dick Tracy," #1 is a Fun Return to a Classic Character

I wrote about when it was announced Mad Cave would be publishing a new, "Dick Tracy," comic. I was intrigued as Tracy has been around for decades--longer than many other pop-culture characters--and I was wondering how a new take would go. Having read the first issue, I really enjoyed it!

This new, "Dick Tracy," comic is still set in the past, during the 1940s. It doesn't update the character into the modern day but also is by no means a hokey throwback or anything. It keeps Tracy as a skilled member of the police force who has been climbing the ranks due to his keen eye and deductive skills. We immediately are thrown into a mystery involving corruption and certain vintage elements are present such as Tracy wearing his signature yellow getup and villains having nicknames, but this book isn't stuck in a nostalgic rut--it expertly uses the past to tell the timeless story of crime and Tracy trying to fight it.

Credited writers Alex Segura, Michael Moreci, and Chantelle Aimée Osman are great and Geraldo Borges' art is stellar. You feel like you've dipped back into a bygone era and I was especially pleased by how Borges draws the villains in a manner that isn't cartoony but makes it clear who they are (Flattop has the hairstyle you'd expect from his name but it isn't exaggerated by any means, for example). Everyone does stellar work in this first issue.

Whether you're a longtime fan of Dick Tracy and his crime-fighting adventures published years ago or a newer fan who got into Tracy through seeing later takes on the character or even someone who liked the...interesting movie Warren Beatty made in 1990, you'll appreciate this new, "Dick Tracy," comic and its debut. Give it a read!

5 out of 5 stars.

Mad Cave Comics to Publish New, "Dick Tracy," Comics

One of the older comic characters around would be Dick Tracy. He's been around 90 or so years and now, Mad Cave Studios has cut a deal with the brand's owner, Tribune Content Agency, to publish new comics featuring the detective. Alex Segura and Michael Moeci will be writing new tales and Geraldo Borges shall be on art duties with creative consultation being supplied by Chantelle Aimée Osman. The first issue is due around March of 2024 and I'm happy for Mad Cave Studios as they've continuously put out some cool stuff over the years as a smaller-but-great publisher. I wish everyone involved success with this latest take on the famous investigator.