WHAT IF…? JESSICA JONES #1 – Into the Spider’s Web

Creative Team – Justina Ireland, David Messina, Brian Reber, Joe Sabino, Lucas Werneck

Published by Marvel Comics

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The Story

This comic review is brought to you by the dynamic duo of Megan and Shawn

Shawn – I really enjoyed how Justina Ireland handled this story, on top of how she created the narrative for the story. It would be easy to rehash the hero origin story, showing how different things would have been if Jessica Jones had fully taken the Peter Parker route. Instead, Ireland treats us to a delightful alternative history where parts of Jessica Jones story stay pretty much the same, even if her powers are different because of absorbing the radioactive spider bite rather than Peter Parker.

That said, Ireland treats us to little snippets throughout the narrative of how Jones arrived at this point, where, like her regular Jessica Jones counterpart, she learns to live with her powers, even if she sometimes resents them. I loved seeing Ireland shine a bit of the spotlight on Misty Knight as well, who feels like such an underused character in the Marvel Universe. It truly feels like Ireland understood the parts of what makes Jessica Jones such a compelling character and where she should take the “What If?” idea and really run with it.

Megan – Now this is how a What If..? story is done! Justina Ireland dives into the universe where Jessica Jones was the one bitten by a radioactive spider and not Peter Parker. In this story, we see where it started, and then we’re put in the present day where Jessica has moved passed her Spider-Girl persona and has decided being a superhero wasn’t for her. However, when the superhero life calls, you have to answer it.

In What If…? Jessica Jones, we’re met with the classic Jessica that we all know and love, who has her own trauma, her own story, and prefers to be left alone. As Spider-Girl, she has the usual Spider-Man villain, but one in particular that sets out to ruin her life. What I love that Justina Ireland did was make this Spider-Story so tailored to Jessica. Instead of relying on the usual Spider-Man tropes, this was based on Jessica Jones first and foremost. Justina knocked this story out of the park! I’m not even a huge fan of the What If…? comics, but I loved this story from top to bottom.

The Art

Shawn – David Messina, Brian Reber, and Joe Sabino deserve a round of applause. Not only did they provide killer art for this issue, but they did so with variety and style. Messina’s lines capture both the newer style of comics as well as the old school pencil and ink vibe of the throwback sections of the story that provide context for how Jessica got to where she is today. Whether it’s the modern style or the old newsprint style, Messina nails both.
Brian Reber does a beautiful job capturing the feel of this being a modern story with vibrant modern colors as well as the more subdued tones from the newsprint era. While the writing and lines are perfect, it is perhaps Reber that deserves the most credit on this issue for his ability to perfectly ensure that you move easily between the modern setting and art style and the older newsprint style through beautiful color choices. Joe Sabino makes the story easy to follow and understand despite the time jumps.

Megan – David Messina, Brian Reber, and Joe Sabino gave so much to the story and in so many different ways. David Messina gives fantastic artwork, excellent detailing work, and multiple styles in the comic. The flashback scenes with Jessica have to be my favorite, as they capture the old school feelings of comics in a beautiful way. Brian Reber brings a gorgeous vibrancy to the pages, that makes each page absolutely stunning. Joe Sabino expertly uses well-timed sound effects that make the experience of reading the story feel even more powerful. Together, the artists made this a stellar comic!

Final Thoughts

Shawn – 10/10. This is the What If comic I was perhaps most looking forward to when they were announced, and it did not disappoint. The story was fun, relevant, and true to the characters while changing around just the right things to make it unique and interesting, including the twists. The art was stunning and truly felt like stepping back in time through a modern lens. This issue will be tough to beat with more What If? still to come.

Megan – 10/10. This is my favorite What If…? story I’ve read all thanks to the creative team. This story had a lot of fun, a lot of emotion, and Jessica Jones was at the heart of it. The creative team was firing on all cylinders when making What If…? Jessica Jones!

Overall Grade – 10/10

Let us know in the comments what you thought of What If…? Jessica Jones #1!