The long-awaited superhero epic based on the comic series of the same name penned by Mark Millar, Jupiter’s Legacy, has finally dropped on Netflix. You might be familiar with another of Millar’s works: Kick-Ass, which was adapted to film a few years ago. Jupiter’s Legacy is a much more mature and grounded look at the superhero genre than its predecessor, while also managing to be every bit as gripping and entertaining.
If you happen to follow Mark Millar on Instagram, he has been more than happy to post about how amazing everyone in the series looks adapted from page to screen for the last month. He built a lot of hype for me because I really enjoyed the comics, and I didn’t come away disappointed.
The Story:
Jupiter’s Legacy follows the various members of the super-powered Sampson family and their allies in a super group called the Union as they attempt to unravel a plot involving clones of their leader’s strongest enemy, copies of long-dead relatives watches, and old friends, as it intertwines with the elder characters’ backstories.
The show jumps back and forth between the present where the second generation of heroes struggles with the old guard and the Great Depression as we see our super-beings earn their powers. From the very beginning, the show is aware of when it needs to shift gears and get to something else. You never feel like the show is just dragging you along.
The Present:
The main plot of the present deals with an altercation between the Utopian/Sheldon Sampson’s son Paragon/Brandon Sampson and a villain known as Blackstar(Tyler Mane). The event causes other heroes to start questioning their long-held “Code,” leading to dissent among the ranks of the Union. What follows is a crazy mystery full of misdirection and red-herrings right up to the end.
There is a lot of time spent with Utopian and his wife Lady Liberty/Grace Sampson and dealing with how they feel about the world they live in and work to save everyday. The morality of being a superhero and what that does to a person are a big theme for them through the season.
The second half of the present-day story revolves around Utopian’s daughter Chloe and the son of a former hero known as Sky Fox. Chloe is extremely depressed and rebelling against her super family with excessive drugs and alcohol. She wants nothing to do with being super at all, but the world keeps insisting that she be what they want. After being hit by a “van made by a sorcerer” mid-getaway Chloe meets Hutch. Hutch(Ian Quinlan) is a non-powered individual with a small staff that can teleport anywhere. He and his crew use this and their abilities to pull off heists, but it seems he’s looking to get into something bigger.
Chloe’s character is interesting. She feels caged by the expectations of her family, her old friends who are all trying to join the Union, and the public who all want her to shape up and become a hero, but she’s too hurt by all of it.
I hope we get to see her fleshed out a little more in season 2. Hutch and his ominous mystery play out well over the season. His smile belies a dangerous mind that you don’t see coming, and I’m very interested to see where his plan goes.
The Past:
The story of the past revolves around young Sheldon, his brother Walt, their friend George, and a young Grace during the time of the Great Depression. Sheldon and Walt work with their father at a steel manufacturing company with dreams of expanding. Walt objects, but the plan goes ahead anyway, and then… Black Tuesday. From there we follow Sheldon as he gathers a group of people to eventually go on an expedition with him and some crazy stuff happens.
I genuinely can’t be much more specific without giving away the whole plot of the past, but know that it is truly fascinating. I found myself wanting to know more and more about how all of these people came together and what led to them becoming who they are. Seeing all of the elder heroes as young men and women in their primes also added so much more depth to their present day selves as the season went on. I would argue that this is the stronger half of the season overall. Top shelf stuff.
The Characters:
Jupiter’s Legacy is a very character driven story, and everyone involved does a stellar job. Josh Duhamel as Utopian/Sheldon is wonderful. Seeing him as he struggles with all of the people he cares about seemingly doubting his most precious beliefs is really powerful, and that plays so well into every one else’s characters as well. Andrew Horton‘s Paragon/Brandon, while not as visible throughout sets everything in the present in motion. We can see how he doubts himself in the presence of his father, and how that affects him. Elena Kampouris‘ Chloe is tragic. She’s like a less fun version of Klaus from Umbrella Academy, and it really drives the point home how much Utopian affected her.
Kara Royster‘s character Ghostbeam/Janna was one of my least favorites initially, but she really grew on me. She did a fantastic job of representing Utopian’s beliefs, and the metaphor is very powerful with her and Leslie Bibb‘s Lady Liberty/Grace.
Ben Daniels‘ Brainwave/Walter and Matt Lanter‘s George Hutchence are possibly my favorite characters in the show. Their banter back and forth is always entertaining, and the way their characters are developed is perfect. I can’t wait to see more of both of them.
The side characters in this show are great too. Hutch’s crew are all hilarious, all of the younger heroes that we meet in the Union look like they have a lot of room to grow and become very strong characters, and even Nick of Time(Franco Lo Presti) was fun. I always love seeing people from Letterkenny make their way out into the world in awesome things.
The Visuals:
From big to small this show gets all of those little touches just right. Cars all move and dust kicks up when people land on city streets. From the very first time I saw a flying hero land, I knew I was going to enjoy this show. The overall look of everything when powers and super suits are on in-general is spot on.
The design and look of all of the locations is fantastic too. I love the look of Depression Era anywhere in this show. The attention to detail is exemplary. I could gush all day.
The Final Word:
Jupiter’s Legacy proves to be a timely critique on current events and superhero culture as a whole, while still managing to be entertaining and fun the whole way through. The first season’s story is interwoven between past and present with precision and purpose that drives the show forward in a very Watchmen-esque style.
The characters are all masterfully crafted and serve their purpose without feeling like plot devices and leaving a lasting impression.
Visually the show stands out from the crowd with a scientific mix of Watchmen, The Boys, Arrow, and Kick-Ass aesthetics that lend themselves very well to the story they’re set against.
Jupiter’s Legacy earns a solid 4.5 out of 5 from me. Not perfect, but damn close. Can’t wait for season 2!
I’ve worked my whole life to become a comic book illustrator, writer, and stand-up comedian. Batman and Captain Benjamin Sisko helped put a good head on my shoulders. I spent most of my childhood saving Hyrule and the Mushroom Kingdom and seeing the Justice League save all of creation time and time again. I live in Johnson City, TN with my wife Kary and daughter Laila enjoying the beautiful mountain scenery and occasional show. Three puppies round out the family and take up the rest of the time that isn’t spent debating which Wes Anderson or Studio Ghibli movie to watch. I spend an inordinate amount of time binge watching SVU, Futurama, and Letterkenny, and when I’m not watching I’m listening to “My Brother, My Brother, and Me” or playing the occasional game of D&D. If there’s a nerdy endeavor out there, I’ve probably at least tried it.