Typhoid Fever takes the B tier, street hero comic in a fresh new direction. Its focus on mental illness and putting the Villain, Typhoid Mary, in the center stage was refreshing and led to one of my favorite stories in the Marvel Universe. Yes, there is an argument that can be made that this is just a piece of promotion for Netflix's Iron Fist, but either way, it's an excellent comic that deserves your attention.
This take on Mary Walker is a little different than the Iron fist TV show. Yes, she still suffers from multiple personality disorder, but in addition to that, she is a resident in a mental health facility has telekinetic abilities. Here, Mary spends her time fantasizing about the past while slowly slipping away from reality every second. When a fellow patient gives her the ability to enhance her telekinetic power, all hell breaks loose in Hell's Kitchen. As her powers grow Spiderman, the X Men and Iron fist get caught up in the mayhem in hopes to stop her from hurting any more people.
This is a Story about Mary Walker through and through, and I absolutely loved how even though these high profile heroes get mixed in, the focus of the books never moves away from Mary. We get a great look at her past and present and get a great understand of how she may have come to suffer from this mental illness creating a really sympathetic villain.
At the end of the day, though, Typhoid Mary is still a villain and an extremely powerful one at that. Watching how her power grows and wreak unimaginable havoc across Hell's Kitchen throughout the three books was really exciting, specifically how she manipulates the heroes that try to stop her. The series is action-packed and extremely well visualized. There is so much going on on each page that at first could seem a little confusing, especially when dealing with stories that jump in and out of reality. But the excellent pacing, beautiful, and clear artwork made sure to keep the reader on track and never confused.
If anyone who saw the second season of Iron Fist and was remotely interested in learning more about the character or is just in the mood for something a little less mainstream definitely pick up Typhoid Fever. It's action-packed and does a great job putting a spotlight on lesser-known characters within the Marvel universe. With only three books in its arc, the story wraps up neatly, and you don't have to worry about an overarching, and bigger narrative to get lost in.