Alias: Red Band #2 Review — Jessica Jones and Typhoid Mary Make One Messy, Dangerous Team

The second issue of Alias: Red Band picks up the momentum from last issue and pushes Jessica Jones deeper into the kind of grimy street-level mystery that made Alias such a defining Jessica story in the first place. Written by Sam Humphries with art by Geraldo Borges, the issue centers on Jessica’s reluctant partnership with Typhoid Mary as they investigate a string of grisly Hell’s Kitchen murders.

The biggest transition from issue number one is that Jessica is no longer just being pulled back toward her old life as a private investigator; she is actively stepping into it, even though that creates tension with her current role as Luke Cage’s wife while he serves as mayor of New York. The first Issue established that Jessica had given up her P.I. license and was stuck between public responsibility and private instinct.  This issue smartly leans into that conflict by making the case too disturbing, too personal, and too weird for Jessica to ignore.

The odd-couple pairing with Typhoid Mary is the book’s strongest hook. Jessica is blunt, suspicious, and allergic to theatrics. Mary is volatile, dangerous, and unpredictable. On paper, they should not work together at all, which is exactly why they do. Humphries uses their friction to give the issue energy beyond the murder mystery itself. Jessica wants answers. Mary wants motion. Jessica investigates like someone trying to keep control of a bad situation; Mary moves like someone who might become part of the bad situation at any second.

The issue’s mystery also sharpens nicely. The interrogation of one of the murderers reveals that the killings may not be as straightforward as they first appeared, pointing toward a hidden third culprit manipulating events behind the scenes.  That reveal helps the series avoid feeling like a simple serial-killer chase. There is a possible mind-control or coercion element here, and that gives the book a stronger Marvel-crime flavor: grounded violence with something stranger underneath.

Borges’ art fits the tone well. The linework gives Hell’s Kitchen a bruised, tense atmosphere without losing the clarity of the action. Jessica looks tired, irritated, and physically present in every scene, which is important for a character whose appeal often comes from how visibly unimpressed she is by the madness around her. Typhoid Mary, meanwhile, gets a sharper visual edge. She feels theatrical without becoming cartoonish, which is a difficult balance.

The Red Band label is both a strength and a mild shortfall. The darker tone gives the book permission to feel nastier than a standard superhero mystery, and the violence gives the investigation weight. But the issue still feels more “mature street-level thriller” than truly shocking adult comic. That is not necessarily bad, but readers expecting the boundary-pushing discomfort of the original Alias may find this version slightly safer than the branding suggests.

The character work is the real reason to keep reading. Jessica’s tension with Luke is not just marital drama; it is a question of identity. Can Jessica Jones still be Jessica Jones if she is expected to act like a mayor’s spouse instead of a detective? This issue makes it clear the answer is complicated. Her instincts are not gone. Her anger is not gone. Her need to chase the ugly truth is definitely not gone.

The shortfall is that the larger villain remains more concept than character at this point. The idea of someone pulling strings behind the murders is intriguing, but is still mostly in a setup phase, eagerly awaiting the reveal. The book builds tension well, but it withholds enough that some readers may feel the central threat is still slightly vague. That is common for the second issue of a five-issue mystery, but it does leave the chapter feeling like a bridge rather than a full payoff.

Still, Alias: Red Band number two succeeds because it understands Jessica Jones. She is not here to be polished, noble, or cleanly heroic. She is here to dig through the worst parts of the city because she cannot help herself. Pairing her with Typhoid Mary adds instability, humor, danger, and a welcome sense that the investigation could go off the rails at any moment.

Overall, this is a strong second issue that improves the central mystery while deepening the character conflict introduced last issue. It has sharp dialogue, moody art, a compelling Jessica/Mary dynamic, and enough unanswered questions to make the next issue feel necessary. It may not fully justify the Red Band label yet, but as a Jessica Jones crime comic, it is tense, stylish, and satisfyingly messy.

MSS Rating: 5/5