Jupiter's Legacy comes as Netflix's latest superhero installment, adding to the ever-growing pantheon of superhero adaptations brought to live action. Stretching back decades, live-action adaptations have followed a strong tradition of throwing out a wink to their source material's creators, and Jupiter's Legacy is no different. Featured prominently in an opening sequence of the series, comic artist Frank Quitely receives the credit he deserves in building the superhero world and its characters.
One of the first scenes of the series shows the hero Paragon jumping into battle against a super villain in the midst of a robbery. Facing down on a city street ready to prove himself, the set features a van in the background with the words "Quitely Express" emblazoned on its side. Though the focus of the scene is on the showdown taking place in the foreground, keen-eyed viewers are sure to catch the reference to Frank Quitely, who co-created Jupiter's Legacy with writer Mark Millar in 2013.
Quitely provided many memorable covers and interior art for the series throughout its run, bringing to bear a pseudo-realistic approach to his character models that made the series' violence and fantastical imagery particularly startling. All the while, Quitely maintained a consistent and unique style that is eye-catching and instantly identifiable to many of his fans, and it's neat to see the artist receive credit in his source material's adaptation.
The reference joins a long line of subtle nods to comic creators throughout superhero media. Writer Stan Lee is well known for his prominent cameos in many Marvel Cinematic Universe properties, and other creators who contributed to a character's canon are frequently referenced in adaptations of their work. 2003's Daredevil, for example, embedded numerous references to creators John Romita Sr. and John Romita Jr., Gene Colan, Frank Millar, David Mack, Brian Michael Bendis, Joe Quesada and Bill Everett.
Though Jupiter's Legacy is an Image Comics property with a much smaller scale and shorter history behind it compared to figures like Daredevil, it is fitting to see the tradition of subtle references to creators kept alive. Indeed, Quitely's work weaves throughout Marvel and DC as well as Image, and his credits include work on X-Men, All-Star Superman and The Authority.
With the show easily set up for additional seasons, the door has been left open for even more references to Jupiter's Legacy's creators. Seeing credit given in such a subtle and intimate way is a rewarding experience for the fans as well as the creators themselves, and this is absolutely a tradition future installments should strive to uphold.
Netflix's Jupiter's Legacy stars Josh Duhamel as The Utopian, Ben Daniels as Brainwave, Leslie Bibb as Lady Liberty, Elena Kampouris as Chloe Sampson, Andrew Horton as Brandon Sampson, Mike Wade as The Flare, Anna Akana as Raikou and Matt Lanter as Skyfox. Season 1 is available on Netflix now.
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