Written by Mark Millar
Drawn by Frank Quitely
Only two issues in and this already feels like it could be Mark Millar’s greatest creator owned work to date. This issue is like a soap opera on superhero steroids and the result is the best comic book I read this week.
Carrying on from last issue, this issue focuses on the lackluster lives of two super-powered children of the world’s greatest hero, the Uptopian. While issue one introduced us to the world and the characters, this issue allowed us to get to know them a little better.
Brandon, son of the Utopian, decides he’s tired of being the disappointment of the heroic family and sets out to help society starting with getting a freighter to its destination quicker through use of his telekinesis. Things go array as Brandon and his drunken friends nearly cause a disaster with their powers. With the timely intervention of his father disaster is averted and an argument arises. It’s a great character moment to see this father and son air out their grievances floating high above the ground as we get a glimpse of the troubled relationship between the two.
We also drop in on Brandon’s sister Chloe who is just as pathetic as her brother. Last issue’s cliffhanger saw her starting to OD on drugs and we open with her in the hospital recovering. We learn that she is currently pregnant and that things are complicated with the father. It’s from here that we are introduced to said father and his powers. Set upon by some unsavory characters in a bar he is able to transport them away by just speaking it, very powerful. He meets with Chloe and we get a sense of their relationship and learn that he is actually the son of what was once the world’s greatest super-villain. Complicated indeed!
I won’t spoil the ending of the book but its safe to say that there are major fractures appearing in this superhero family and the kids, the legacy in question and in particular Brandon are going to play a major and bloody part in it. It really has a grand Shakespearean tragedy feel to it and it’s going to be great reading.
Millar’s writing like in the first issue feels very restrained. I was surprised at how the major reveals in this issue such as Chloe’s pregnancy, her boyfriend being the son of the Earth’s greatest super-villain etcetera were dropped so subtly. I’m waiting for one of the upcoming issues to have Millar let loose with the action. I applaud this new direction at the moment though as the book is anything but predictable.
Again, Frank Quitely on art duties turns in another fantastic issue. Most of this issue is just characters talking and yet no panel or page feels odd or stiff. He has a natural fluidity to his art and here he showed that he can draw everything from freighters floating in the air to quiet hospital scenes. This book is one of the most gorgeous on the stands because of Quitely.
Jupiter’s Legacy is stellar! It is as triple A as a comic can get and you are truly missing out if you aren’t reading it. Issue one was great but this is the start of the ride. The story is starting to unfold nicely and I’m eagerly awaiting each new issue now. BUY IT!
5 out of 5 nerds
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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