Noteworthy Issues: The Variants #2 (July, 2022)

Why is Jessica Jones of all characters experiencing her own personal multiversal variants?  Well, why shouldn’t she?

Gail Simone is penning this, and she generally knows what she’s doing.

Issue:  The Variants #2, July 2022

Writer:  Gail Simone

Artist:  Phil Noto

The Plot:  Sure, Jessica could be freaking out about all these alternate reality versions of herself showing up, but she’s more worried about the Purple Man.

Commentary:  So, here’s the thing about a good Jessica Jones story:  the superhero stuff is always something off to the side even when it does happen.  The spotlight is always firmly on Jessica and her many anxieties and hangups.  Take this issue, for instance, that opens with a flashback to Jessica’s learning from Tigra that her best friend Carol was starting a superhero team (A-Force) that would be all women and Carol didn’t tell Jessica herself.  Not that Jessica would actually join a superhero team.  She hasn’t had good luck with that sort of thing.  No, she’s more just kinda upset that she wasn’t asked.

Then the issue cuts to the main storyline as Jessica has two alternate versions of herself to contend with, one of whom is her universe’s Captain America.  She lucks out because Luke comes home, and well…it is their daughter that seems to be in danger.

Then again, another Jessica is apparently in a relationship with her universe’s Matt Murdock, hence the cover. Daredevil is, let’s say, very surprised when that happens.

However, the biggest concern Jessica has it the Purple Man’s posthypnotic triggers appear to be real.  Oh, and not only is she to murder her loved ones, but she may be forced to commit suicide afterwards.  Jessica isn’t dumb.  She has some plans to protect Luke and their daughter, and her solution to getting someone who can help her not hurt herself is rather ingenious.

That said, no, still no idea why there are multiple versions of Jessica running around right now, but I don’t much care.  This series is just damn clever, witty, and a good character analysis all at once.  Basically, it’s a Gail Simone story.

Grade:  B+