Two New Mark Millar Comics: SUPERCROOKS & JUPITERS CHILDREN
As well as the already announced The Secret Service, a rumoured sequel to Nemesis and a Kick-Ass spin-off centered around Hit Girl.
Mark Millar promised recently that 2012 would be a big year for him and his creator owned Millarworld line of comics. Going by what has being shown as part of the Comic Book Resources 'Millarworld preview week' feature, he wasn't lying. As well as the already announced 'The Secret Service' (and a rumored sequel to 'Nemesis', and soon to be announced spin-off series for 'Kick Ass' character Hit Girl), the highly creative writer has two other series in the pipeline for this year. Coming in March is 'Supercrooks', a heist comic with art by Leinil Francis Yu (Superior, Superman: Birthright). Focusing on a group of super villains who leave America for the hero free shores of Spain to pull of a major heist, it promises to be something very unique. Just setting this book somewhere else makes the background different, Millar says, During the day, when they're planning the robbery, these guys are hanging around Spanish markets and Spanish bars. It's also got a European comics feel to it. Leinil has drawn it in a slightly more European style. It looks more like a French or Spanish album than it does like an American comic, and I like the fact it feels distinct. It makes it something I've never seen before. I love it when I pick up a comic and see something new. It feels fresh. With American villains in an alien environment, the story almost writes itself. 
Like many of his previous projects, 'Supercrooks' is already on its way to the big screen, coming from the newly set up Millarworld Productions. Spanish director Nacho Vigalondo (Timecrimes) is on board, after failing to get an adaption of Millar's 'American Jesus' off the ground. We talked about doing something completely original. Superheroes in Spain is a perfect fit for a Spanish director who loves Marvel comics, Millar says, so I sent him the plots and he and I collaborated, working up a really good screenplay, and now we're going to make it into a movie. A preview for the prologue of the book can be seen here. Launching in September is, in Millar's own words, a vast superhero epic with art by Frank Quietly (All Star Superman, The Authority). 'Jupiter's Children' is a twelve issue series that is Millar's attempt to build a creator owned universe with it's own far reaching mythology and hundreds strong cast of character, similar to the Marvel and DC universes. Getting his point across, Millar said, Lord of the Rings' or 'Star Wars' are these stories with thousand-year mythologies and hundreds of characters, yet they manage to be self-contained over the course of three movies or novel. In fact, in some ways it's actually better to do an event from scratch because nobody needs to read 500 issues of 'The Flash' or whatever to understand what's going on. The biggest complaint I hear with company crossovers is inaccessibility, but if everybody is starting with page one it eliminates that beautifully and you can bring the same excited, commercial head to the book as you would if you were doing this for one of the Big Two." Not many details were given in terms of story, save the catalyst for everything is a mysterious expedition made in the 1920's by a group of super heroes, but he did let us know a bit about the world he is building. Th book is primarily set in the present day, the world is in financial upheaval with many countries on the verge of collapse. China is in the middle of a social breakdown brought on by too many males being born in the last generation, and the Arab world and the European union in the grip of chaos. They turn to the world's superheroes for help but they can't. Half of them can barely read a book. Adamantium claws doesn't mean you know the specific pros and cons of quantative easing. When asked the inevitable question, of whether or not 'Jupiter's Children' will be adapted into a movie, Millar said, Even though this is the most commercial of all my properties, this is maybe my once in a life-time thing here because I've created a very different world and something that could be mined in a million different ways, I've turned down all offers. Frank is with me on this, but we just want to get on with the books for now.