The Superhero Series That Everyone's Binging On Netflix Right Now
If you think Marvel and DC are the only two superhero generators, you would be sorely mistaken. Although the two powerhouses have certainly produced some of the most iconic (and lucrative) do-gooders and opposing villains, there are also tons of fascinating and exciting superhero stories outside of these canons, with many beginning to get more recognition thanks to new adaptations.
One such lesser-known comic is Mark Millar and Frank Quietly's "Jupiter's Legacy," a series from Image Comics that started in 2013 and now has its own Netflix series adaptation. Inspired by classic superheroes under a unique lens of analyzing how multiple generations of "supers" view their roles in the world after the first ones appeared in 1932, Millar and Quietly poke at important issues such as generational conflict and political change. And now, thanks to the recently released Netflix adaptation starring Josh Duhamel ("All My Children," "Las Vegas"), Ben Daniels ("The Crown," "House of Cards"), Leslie Bibb ("Iron Man," "American Housewife"), and Matt Lanter ("The Clone Wars," "Timeless"), an entirely new audience is getting to experience the story of this superhero family.
Jupiter's Legacy follows parallel stories set in the Great Depression and the present day
The series follows the Sampson family over nearly a century, starting in 1929 when Sheldon (Duhamel) and his brother Walter (Daniels) live a superpower-free life as the sons of a successful businessman, before the stock market crashes and their father takes his own life. It takes a few episodes to get to the "origin story" of how they got their powers, with the series being comfortable examining the characters and how their motivations and ideals have changed over time.
When the series jumps forward to the present, we see the full ramifications of a world full of superpowered beings, with one of the greatest controversies being whether or not the "good guys" should be allowed to kill the baddies to save others. It also sees the Sampson children go on their own adventures, which provide some of the biggest action sequences but also don't seem to have intrigued audiences as much as the Depression-era origin story has.
So far, this is one of those shows where the critic consensus is wildly off-base with audience reactions, with the first season currently holding a Rotten Tomatoes 38% critic rating but a 74% audience score. The series is also sitting at the #1 spot for Netflix's top 10 most popular in the U.S., as of May 10.
"Jupiter's Legacy" is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.