Jinx

by Brian Michael Bendis

Well, I guess this is what happens sometimes when you buy off of Ebay. The book I bought has the cover to the right (signed by Bendis, actually), but it isn't the definitive edition, and only contains the first four issues of the Jinx series, which, from what I can tell, was seven issues long. So in other words, I got just enough to get me totally into the story, and no ending for it. Oh well, at least I liked what I got.

Bendis gets a lot of criticism for his writing - but I think his command of dialogue is amazing. Granted, I think his gifts are better suited for a story like this than they are perhaps for a Skrull invasion. In Jinx, he re-visits his character Goldfish, and this time around, has him fall for the perfect woman, who just happens to be a bounty hunter. Also, Fish is having some trouble maintaining control of his friend Columbia (who is Bendis's alter ego). That's about the set-up - I don't have the climax.....

Bendis's art is always a surprise to me. I'm so used to him being 'just' a writer, but his art is very nice. It's static - something he discusses himself in the back matter, as part of a longer piece on constructing comics and using photo references - but I find it helps move the plot along nicely, and it adds a lot of atmosphere to his story.

The character of Jinx is familiar ground I think. She could be the early-Alias Jessica Jones, but she is the type of character that Bendis writes very well.