When a comic book company advertises one of their new publications as the comic book event of the year, you’ve got to assume that it’s just hyperbole. Heck, it happens all the time. The big spring, summer and fall franchise crossover stories get all of the headlines. Many comic book fans are embroiled in one or two of those titles right now.
But when you put a genre-smashing and well-regarded (if polarizing) writer together with a fan favourite artist, and have their work published by a company that is known to let their creators create, you get the possibility of something special.
That’s what we get today. The fist issue of the long-awaited series, Jupiter’s Legacy is finally released. And it might very well live up to the hyperbole!
Jupiter’s Legacy #1
Written by: Mark Millar
Illustrated by: Frank Quitely
Published by: Image Comics
Written by Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, Wanted, The Ultimates and The Authority) and illustrated by Frank Quitely (New X-Men, We3, All-Star Superman, The Authority), Jupiter’s Legacy is a creator-owned series – meaning that you can expect Millar to have it lined up as a film already. Look at his resume. He’s good at that kind of stuff.
All joking aside, Jupiter’s Legacy, as a creator-owned book, means little to no editorial interference on the title. Really, these two creators should command that kind of respect by name alone. But in an era where some publishing companies hold a greater, more intense microscope on the works of their writers and artists than others do, it’s good to know that Image Comics is behind the book. They have a history of publishing great, off-the-beaten-track material that befits the tastes of a 21st century sequential art aficionado. Cough. Cough.
Jupiter’s Legacy tells the story of two generations of superheroes: the 20th century originals, and their 21st century offspring. Oh, you can imagine the high-action, high drama, high intrigue, highly sexualized editorializing already, can’t you? Hell, solicits for issue two state that you should read this comic to celebrate Superman’s 75th Anniversary! How’s that for hyperbole?
But Millar and Quitely back it up. Jupiter’s Legacy is Bret Easton Ellis’ Less Than Zero meets Gardner Fox’s Justice Society of America. Crazy, but true. How do the kids of the world’s greatest heroes live up to their super-powered parents? It’s not going to be pretty. In fact, it’s a story that could only be borne of this century. By Millar and Quitely.
Make the run to you local comic book shop today and find out why Jupiter’s Legacy #1 is “the superhero epic that all future comics will be measured by.”
It might just make the sensationalized overstatements true.
Every Wednesday, JP makes the after-work run to his local downtown comic book shop. Comics arrive on Wednesdays you see and JP, fearful that the latest issue will sell out, rushes out to purchase his copy. This regular, weekly column will highlight a particularly interesting release, written in short order, of course, because JP has to get his – before someone else does!
Hope you get there in time:)