David Mack kills, as usual, with his cover art for Jessica Jones #5 which sets a great tone and gets you into the mood for the story that Brian Michael Bendis is going to weave for us about the currently on the outs Jessica Jones. The set up is the kind of film noiresque opening that you’d want for a murder mystery with superhuman undertones. It starts in a police station with Jessica’s client’s husband in custody for killing his wife and drinking her blood and refusing to talk to anyone but, Jessica. As gruesome as the first page’s story set up sounds it draws a hard line when it comes to the tone and gets you ready to read more. Her client’s husband not only confesses to the crime but, tells Jessica that he’s from an alternate reality, which is totally plausible for all of us comic book readers. Bendis tells this story with a bit of skepticism that calls into question what we know can happen. I liked that I couldn’t tell if he was being genuine or if it was a red herring and something else was going on.

Meanwhile, Luke Cage is on a mission of his own, still unaware of the truth behind Jessica’s mission and worries about his friends and his daughter. The panels involving Cage left me uneasy because nothing every goes right in comic book land and him thinking that he and Jessica would be over for good if he doesn’t see his daughter means that Jessica isn’t going to make it back with his daughter. Back at the station, Jessica is still trying to figure out what’s going on with her client’s husband as he weaves a tale of “Cosmic Calamity” and paints the superheroes of her world as villains who killed every other reality to save their own. Their conversation plays over and over in her head, filling her with dread and flashbacks of it keep her up at night which adds to the tension of the story. This issue comes to an end with a secret meeting between Jessica and Ms. Marvel in the sketchiest car ride shakedown ever and Jessica still unsure of what her next move should be since the lingo on her face says she just wants her family back.

Michael Gaydos serves up some wicked good artwork for a tense and dark story. There is a sense of dread beyond the words and his lines made it possible. Each panel has so much detail embedded in at that it takes a moment to snap out of it after the last page because you’re so immersed in the story.

Overall this issue was pure fire. It evoked actual emotion and managed to create tension, dread, and mystery. It was a full color, well drawn, well written, film noir mystery in comic book form and I was here for it. As a whole, I was still on edge when I finished reading and it took a moment for me to calm down enough to write my review. The issue felt real and there’s something marvelous about picking up an issue of a comic book and having fit take hold of you by pulling you into the story.

Story: Brian Michael Bendis Art: Michael Gaydos
Story: 9.9 Art: 9.8 Overall: 9.8 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review