- Alias (comics)
Comicsbooktitlebox
title=Alias
caption=Promotional art for cover of "Alias" #28
Art byDavid Mack andMark Bagley
comic_color=background:#ff8080
publisher=MAX
creators=Brian Michael Bendis Michael Gaydos
format=
ongoing=y
date=November 2001 – January 2004
schedule=monthly
past_current_color=background:#ff9275
main_char_team=Jessica Jones
subcat=Marvel Comics
sort=PAGENAME"Alias" is a
comic book series created by writerBrian Michael Bendis and artistMichael Gaydos . It was published byMarvel Comics under Marvel's MAXimprint for a total of 28 issues from 2001 to 2004.Overview
"Alias" was written by Bendis and illustrated for most of its run by
Michael Gaydos , with covers byDavid Mack . Characters from the series moved to Brian Michael Bendis' subsequent series "The Pulse".The protagonist of "Alias" is
Jessica Jones , a former costumedsuperhero named Jewel who left thatavocation to become aprivate investigator . The running thread is Jessica's character development, as the layers of her past and personality are revealed to the reader while, simultaneously, she tries to come to terms with them herself."Alias" was one of the titles that launched Marvel's "R-Rated" MAX imprint, and was reportedFact|date=February 2007 to have been one of the reasons the imprint was created. Marvel Publishing President
Bill Jemas read a draft of the script for the first issue of "Alias" (which, characteristically, starts with the word "fuck") and exclaimed "Why couldn't we publish this?"Fact|date=February 2007Being under the MAX imprint imposed certain other limitations on what the creators could do in the series. They were not allowed, for example, to use many of Marvel's most famous characters, such as
Spider-Man (with the exception of one cameo). Bendis gave this as one reason in afterword to Alias #28 for ending the series and moving the characters to "The Pulse".The series won the "
Comics Buyer's Guide " Award for Favorite Comic Series in 2003, and theHarvey Award for Best New Series in 2002.Collections and story arcs
Alias (#1-9)
Asked to look for a missing woman, Jessica finds herself caught in a conspiracy involving
Captain America and thepresident of the United States . Later, her friendCarol Danvers hooks her up withScott Lang , a.k.a. Ant-Man. Subsequently she is hired to find the recently missing Rick Jones.Other characters appearing in the arc include Daredevil (as Jessica's attorney Matt Murdock),
Captain America , and second-tier villainMan Mountain Marko .Come Home (#11-15)
Jessica Jones is assigned to look for a missing girl rumoured to be a mutant in a small, prejudiced town.
The Underneath (#10, 16-21)
J. Jonah Jameson asks Jessica to uncover Spider-Man's identity. Later,Mattie Franklin , the latestSpider-Woman , goes missing and Jessica is asked to find her. When she does, she discovers a criminal underworld that sells the drug known as theMutant Growth Hormone . Along the way, Jones meets an unexpected ally in Jessica Drew, the original Spider-Woman, who is also investigating Franklin's disappearance.The Secret Origins of Jessica Jones (#22-28)
Jessica's origins, including her source of powers, how she became a superhero, and why she quit are revealed. Her past with the
Purple Man is also revealed, and she must confront him when he escapes from prison.Collections
The series was collected into a number of trade paperbacks:
*"Alias Vol. 1" ISBN 0-7851-1141-7
*"Alias Vol. 2: Come Home" ISBN 0-7851-1123-9
*"Alias Vol. 3: The Underneath" ISBN 0-7851-1165-4
*"Alias Vol. 4: The Secret Origins of Jessica Jones" ISBN 0-7851-1167-0
*"Alias Omnibus (Collects Alias #1-28 and What If? Jessica Jones had Joined the Avengers)" ISBN 0-7851-2121-8References
*comicbookdb|type=title|id=229|title="Alias"
* [http://www.popimage.com/industrial/090501michaelgaydos.html Michael Gaydos Interview @ PopImage, Sept.01]
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