On one hand, you’ve got a writer who lives in the realm of widescreen action and excitement, in the form of Mark Millar. On hand two, you’ve got one of the finest artists of this generation, with intricate and subtle designs in his art, in the shape of Frank Quietly. Put the two of them together, and you’ve got one intriguing idea for a new comic book series that explores two generations of heroes at massive odds with one another, called The Jupiter Children.
Millar and Quitely have released the following concepts and notes about some of the characters in their planned epic trilogy, as the duo aims for a series that they hope will rival Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings.
Announced way back in January, the story takes a look at the children of superheroes, a group of vain kids with a wasted legacy inherited from their super-powered parents, who are more interested in self-promotion than saving the day.
“We have the last remains of these old-school heroes and their mainly vacuous children living in L.A., a massive disappointment to the first generation of super-people and just lost, no real direction in their lives beyond advertising gigs and opening night-clubs,” Millar said to THR. “This is literally where we find everyone and then we go into the future, taking these guys on a journey like we’ve never seen in comics before.”
Here’s what else Millar has to say about the kids from Jupiter, from the Quitely designs.
The Oldest Living Superhero
"He’s had his powers since he discovered a mysterious island back in the Great Depression, but he’s a curiosity now," describes Millar. "His altruistic ideals, like his costume, are just out of synch with all the young heroes."
Eagle-crested super-heroine
“The lady who looks like she stepped out of a Legion of Super-Heroes story is "the old hero’s wife and they’ve had this perfect marriage for almost 80 years," says Millar. "They’re the last two superheroes with secret identities. They’re old school and we love them for it, but they don’t understand their children.”
The Hero’s Brother
"He isn’t as strong or as handsome as his famous sibling and lacks charisma, but he’s thoughtful and very aware of his legacy as he hits old age," says Millar. "He’s looking around at the financial crash and wondering if he can help in ways other than rescuing kittens from trees and all those nice things superheroes do."
The Cool Guy
Says Millar: "This guy is our Han Solo. He’s the son of the biggest super-villain in the world and running drugs in from off-world. Incredibly funny, cool and likeable and, to make things quite complicated, in a secret relationship with the daughter of the world’s greatest hero."
The Duo
Says Millar: "These guys are the kids of the old couple. They’re both in their twenties and completely live in the shadows of their perfect parents. I like the idea of exploring what it would be like to grow up as the kids of the two most famous and beloved people on the planet. This side of things has a very Postcards From The Edge feel and there’s enormous tension between them all"
The Man in the Parka
This is the brother of the lady in the red chaps. The two are B-list wannabees who didn’t make the A-list. "They’ll do anything to get on the cover of the magazines and only too happy to spread rumours and cause trouble as rumblings in the community start to spread," says Millar.
The lady in red
The lady in red, along with the guy in the parka, are a sister-brother duo of B-list wannabees who didn’t make the A-list. "They’ll do anything to get on the cover of the magazines and are only too happy to spread rumors and cause trouble as rumblings in the community start to spread," says Millar.
While it was meant to arrive back in September already, The Jupiter Children will debut next year in the American Spring instead.
Last Updated: November 15, 2012
