Image have released a new comic this month entitled Jupiter's Legacy, a superhero story set in an alternate version of our own Universe. Obama is still president, the world economy is still buggered, and society is largely identical, with the only notable difference being the presence of super-powered beings. Our first impression of the issue comes from the front-cover, which depicts a man who looks similar to the God Zeus punching a Darkseid-esque warrior in the face, their size and aggression conjuring up images of great battle in the minds of potential readers. Perhaps these two figures are arch-rivals, generals in a great war? Well, no. The reality is much duller than that. There is a fight, but it only lasts about three frames and the heroes have the upper-hand throughout. The villain involved (the Darkseid lookalike) is set up as some great destroyer of races called Darkstar, with some of the lesser characters standing to the side as theyre too scared to fight him. However, this fear seems a little inane when the group of heroes, led by The Utopian (Zeus), breaks the villains spine and traps him in an illusionary world within seconds of us joining the scene. On the other hand it is suggested the battle has been going on for some time, so perhaps readers are just meant to make up the exciting bits for themselves.
Aside from this rather disappointing confrontation, which occurs near the end of the issue, nothing else of note really happens. The issue opens with one of the most boring superhero origin stories ever written and the rest of its pages are consumed by young superheroes complaining about how their parents are so much cooler than they are, which they do while sitting in the VIP room of a nightclub and, later on, when coming back from a sponsorship deal theyre said to have gotten a lot of money for. This is a world where heroes are superstars and none of them have secret identities, yet theres no real threat to their safety, as according to The Utopians son, All the best villains died ten or twenty years ago. Theres also a section where The Utopian and his brother argue over politics and how they should use their powers, with the brother saying they should, Show Obama what he should be doing, while Utopian suggests they should simply do as theyre told. It isnt very interesting but the conversation likely foreshadows a bigger conflict between the brothers in a future issue, maybe resulting in a Magneto and Professor X style conflict. Some of the annoying young heroes may also turn bad in the future considering their resentment towards their parents, though its equally possible the older heroes will die and theyll have to take over as the worlds saviours. Unfortunately, no matter what happens, none of the characters introduced are compelling enough to make one anxious to pick up the next issue, even with the attempted cliff-hanger at the end of this one. Put simply, its very hard to care about any of the characters in this story, and while Mark Millar seems to desperately want this to be the new Watchmen, its quality is much closer to the Green Hornet than Alan Moores masterpiece. Do you have a different opinion or feel excited to see what happens next in the series? Share your thoughts on Jupiters Legacy in the comments below.