Alias (comics)
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Alias is a comic book created by Brian Michael Bendis and published by Marvel Comics under their MAX imprint.
Alias was written by Bendis and illustrated for most of its run by Michael Gaydos, with covers by David Mack. It ran for 28 issues between the years 2002 and 2004, and was collected in four paperback collections ("graphic novels"). Characters from the series moved to Brian Michael Bendis' new comic book, The Pulse, which was promoted and widely seen as a continuation of Alias under a new name.
The main character of Alias is Jessica Jones, the former costumed superhero Jewel, now private investigator. This juxtaposition sets the tone for the series, which aims to present the dark underbelly of the Marvel Universe. However, the running thread from the first to the last issue is Jessica's character development, as the layers of her past and personality are revealed to the reader while, at the same time, she herself is trying to come to terms with them.
Alias was one of the titles that launched Marvel's MAX imprint, and was reported to have been one of the reasons why MAX 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 "f---") and exclaimed "Why couldn't we publish this?" So Marvel set up the MAX line to carry such "R-Rated" material.
However, being under the MAX imprint imposed certain other limitations on what Bendis could do in the series. Specifically, he was not allowed to use many of Marvel's most famous characters, such as Spider-Man (with the exception of one minor cameo). Bendis gave this as one reason for ending the series and moving the characters to The Pulse.
Collections
- Alias (#1-9)
- Come Home (#11-15)
- The Underneath (#10, 16-21)
- The Secret Origins of Jessica Jones (#22-28)