fumanstan

Because of the Netflix show I started reading the Alias comics to read more about Jessica. I just finished the small arc regarding her origin, but overall I'm somewhat disappointed so far with most of the stories. Maybe it was a bigger deal when it was released because of it's place compared to the other Marvel comics going on and the adult theme?



Overall, i'm impressed with how much better the show was. Especially the development and relationship with Trish and Luke Cage.

What do people think of The Pulse? Is that worth reading and continuing if i've been less then thrilled with Alias?

fujishig

I think in general the Pulse is weaker than Alias, so YMMV, though IIRC it's more super-heroey.

Alias introduced some newer concepts to the superhero world so it may seem a bit dated. I've been going through it again as well. I didn't mind the Captain America/political story, or how it played out; I kinda liked the setup where not every superhero in the world knew and trusted every other superhero, and how she actually feared for her life and doubted a lot of her actions.

Bendis eventually changed Luke Cage to someone almost completely different from this portrayal (in New Avengers) so it's kinda jarring seeing him like this. Both he and Jessica Jones also become pretty much fully integrated into the Avengers as well, which is completely different from what's portrayed here.

Trevor

I remember none of the details now, but remember being blown away by the first few issues of Alias back in the day. I vaguely recall it being the first Marvel comic I enjoyed that added a sort of realism to superheroes. But yeah, I imagine a lot of that technique is old hat now.

ultimaton

Probably one of my favorite series of all-time, though I haven't revisited it in years and I'm not surprised some of the material does feel kind of dated now (the Captain America arc probably reads a lot different now than it did only a few short months after 9/11 for instance). But, at the time, with the creative revolution that Marvel was undergoing, this was a pretty big deal. I actually have the original art for a few pages framed in my living room (including that great one where she's slugging Spider-Woman in the face), and for our 1st anniversary my wife got me an awesome commission from Michael Gaydos that we have up in our bedroom.

Anyway, as for The Pulse, I enjoyed it but it's not as strong as Alias and much more superhero-y. My memory is that it sort of got caught up in too much crossover stuff (Secret War and House of M) for it's own good and those probably don't read very well years later and in isolation from the actual event they were tie-ins for. The last arc is the most Alias like and is pretty important if you're a fan of the character, but otherwise I don't think it's anything essential.

fumanstan

I do like Jessica's character in general, particularly the way she acts insecure and irrational at the times, compared to typical Superhero comics. Especially in contrast to Peter Parker in that little origin bit with her in that same world and a big difference in tone. I think I just expected the cases she works on themselves to have a little more weight to them.

kodave

The Pulse has some good stories in it. The Ben Urich/D-Man story is fantastic. I think overall the book has some good beats about what it's like to be pregnant as a superpowered individual. But both the Green Goblin and Avengers stories that run through it are just maybe "okay." The Secret War tie in issues were pretty bad, especially if you're not reading Secret War concurrently with The Pulse.

Overall I agree with the people who thought the stories in Alias weren't that great, or seem dated now. Despite that, I'd still say it is worth it to read The Pulse after Alias. I think the Complete Collection can be found for cheap or I'm sure it's on Marvel Unlimited.

davidh777

I blindbought the Alias Omnibus a few years back and had trouble getting into it after a few issues. I keep meaning to give it another try.

Haven't watched the Netflix series yet.

fujishig

On a side note, I still can't figure out a way to enable Alias, the series, to be downloaded on the Marvel branded Comixology app. I guess it's too "adult" for the app or something? It works fine on the normal Comixology app.

Trevor

Pretty sure it's part of the Marvel Max line, so not allowed on their family friendly Marvel app.

DWilson

I stopped buying "Alias" after the first issue because I belonged to a service and you were always ordering two-three months ahead and it seemed like a bad bet. After Bendis went more mainstream I decided to give the book another shot and bought the omnibus when I could get a huge discount. I never opened it and its still under some papers on my kitchen table. However, my local library had a copy of the first trade and I gave it a read. I couldn't make it through it, primarily because of the art. I just found the characters ugly and stiff and it really didn't seem like a good match for all that dialogue.

Enjoyed the series, though.

Trevor

I just started watching the show, only 5 episodes in but think I like it better than Daredevil, which I loved.

I might pull out that Omnibus and read it after I finish the series.