Alias Ultimate Collection #1

From Marvel's MAX imprint comes this hefty collected edition of Alias, featuring a cover by David Mack that sets the mood immediately — a brooding, painterly close-up of a face partially obscured in shadow and deep reds, layered over a collage of aged postage stamps that give the whole thing a tactile, almost noir-scrapbook feel. Mack's mixed-media approach is a perfect fit for Jessica Jones's world, where gritty detective work sits at the intersection of the superhuman and the deeply personal. At $34.99, this 2009 collection is a substantial way to experience Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos's mature-readers Marvel series in one sitting.