Jessica Jones #8 Review

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis / Artist: Michael Gaydos / Marvel Comics As this second arc of Jessica Jones finds its footing, it shows promise for being better than the first. A low bar, to be fair, as issues #1-7 failed to capture readers, but nonetheless a commitment to this series rewards with quippy dialogue, great artwork, and, yet again, a promise to take this story in an interesting direction. This time, the opportunity lies in Jessica Jones’ trust – or distrust, rather – in Maria Hill, the former S.H.I.E.L.D spy who shows up shot and bloodied on Jessica’s bathroom floor. Hill is known to be one of the best and most manipulative spies on the planet, which begs the question from both Jessica and readers: do you trust her? Jessica’s internal dialogue raises every red flag possible to explain to herself, and you, why Maria Hill is never to be trusted. Maria, high on pain killers, is still intuitive enough to acknowledge that it’s hard to trust her, and that Jessica is not likely to do so, but asks for her help regardless. She also explains that mistrust in S.H.I.E.L.D – and her, by association – has been programmed into everyone’s subconscious through algorithm-based media programming by the government to give citizens an outlet for their conspiracies, hatred, and fear. Every word from Maria Hill’s mouth begs the question of whether to believe her or not, which makes for a fun read as you look for clues in either direction, weighing your skepticism with any compassion you …