I think the world of Kelly Thompson as a writer of comic books, but I was having trouble getting started reading her new Jessica Jones book, Purple Daughter. Over the years, I’ve come to expect Jessica Jones to be written a very specific way. That would be the Uber-deconstructed Bendis way. That’s not Thompson.
This isn’t to say I think Bendis is the high priest of comic book writing. (Tthis might be contradicted by my constant singing of his praises since his jump to DC.) He developed a very specific rhythm his last few years at Marvel, and I found it annoying. It always worked with Jessica Jones though. Always.
So, I finally dived in to the first two chapters of Purple Daughter, and I’m so glad I did. Thompson’s writing is nothing like Bendis, but she knows the characters as well as anyone. The emotional beats are all just perfect. There’s a conversation at the end of the first chapter, between Jones and Luke Cage, that’s just shattering.
The Cage/Jones family unit, with their daughter Dani, is one of the most special things in Marvel comics. This story is a direct threat to that unit, and that’s powerful. This was an excellent comic. Highly recommended.
Oh, there’s one more thing. Thompson did hit a few Bendis-esque notes with the humor in the book. Such as the panel below. Great stuff.
