Comics

Review: ‘Jupiter’s Legacy’ #1

Published

11 years ago

April 26, 2013

So Mark Millar and Frank Quitely decided to get together and make some comics and to the surprise of absolutely no one with a pulse, it turns out that they can do this rather well. Jupiter’s Legacy incorporates political commentary on the generation gap, idealism and disillusionment, capitalism, and authority into an extraordinarily fascinating take on superheroes. It’s not flawless, but it definitely lives up to the hype behind it.

WRITTEN BY: Mark Millar
ART BY: Frank Quitely
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: April 24th, 2013

“Jupiter’s Legacy” has depth and then some. It’s a thought experiment concerning the generational gap between the idealistic, overtly heroic “greatest generation” and today’s hyper-commercialized, disaffected youth who exist in a culture which lacks the same certainty of purpose. These two sides are embodied in the world’s original superheroes and their offspring. The former received their powers on a mysterious island in 1929 and proceeded to defeat villains who would challenge them, while the latter use their powers to secure endorsement deals or to score drugs and groupies. While that may seem like too cliché a dichotomy, the younger characters are actually the more interesting; they have similar needs and doubts, lacking their parents’ iron-clad certainty on what is the right course for them to take.

In fact, the largest weakness of “Jupiter’s Legacy” is that the older heroes can sometimes come off as just functioning as vessels of disparate philosophical argument, rather than characters in and of themselves. Still, the political clash between Sheldon and Walter Sampson is one of the book’s high points. But perhaps nothing quite touches Frank Quitely’s artwork. Quitely is simply a master of his craft, and this issue is just another in a long line of reasons why. He’s impeccable when it comes to telling a story and making look absolutely gorgeous and powerful at the same time.

Millar and Quitely have touched on the nature of authority in superheroes when they worked on (the appropriately titled) “The Authority” a decade ago. With less creative restrictions this time around, things are looking up for “Jupiter’s Legacy.”

4.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – GeorgeShunick

Lonnie Nadler

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

7 days ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.