What would happen if Superman and Wonder Woman were cursed with feckless super-kids? Such is the question posed by this adaptation of Mark Millar’s 2013 comic series, which injects a little dynastic family drama into the conventional superhero in/with regard to’concerning’regarding mula. As leaders of supergroup The Union, Sheldon “The Utopian” Sampson (Duhamel) and his wife Grace (Bibb) — AKA Lady Liberty — possess’own’nurse been foiling petty crimes and rescuing civilians since the 1930s, all while following a strict code to never take a human life. All of that is called into question, however, when a tense reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue down leads their son Brandon (Andrew Horton) to stave in the skull of supervillain Blackstar (Tyler Mane). The incident not merely’barely paves the way in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a new threat to emerge, but reveal s a philosophical rift between the original heroes and their would-be successors.###Exploring the disconnect between ageing Boomer heroes and their errant Gen Z offspring might sound like the setup in/with regard to’concerning’regarding high comedy but Jupiter’s Legacy is far from jovial. Cloaking its conceit with self-significant’essential’critical’vital’crucial’indispensable’imperative sobriety, the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue eschews cross-generational hijinks in favour of musings on capitalism, the preservation of democracy, and the fragility of the American Dream. It’s a tone that doesn’t instantly gel with the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue ’s outlandish wardrobe or the abundance of stick-on beards. Thanks to a dual-timeline narrative, the primary cast spend the majority of their roles in grey wigs and geriatric make-up, lending early episodes a layer of absurdity and the look of what might happen if you ran an Alex Ross painting through FaceApp.###The debate over Golden Age comic sensibilities versus the grim reality of millennial storytelling burns brightly throughout Jupiter's Legacy###Thankfully, the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue ’s secondary storyline does away with panto prosthetics in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a prohibition-era origin story that quickly establishes itself as the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue ’s most compelling aspect. Following the Wall Street crash that kicks off the Great Depression, Sheldon is propel n by visions of his dead father to seek out a mysterious island. Half mad and with a band of sceptical companions in tow, he embarks on a quest with intense’fierce’exquisite echoes of the original King Kong, one that explores what it means to be a hero — more specifically an American hero, born into an era of capitalism in crisis.###While the soapier present-day thread is less compelling, the moral conundrum at its core certainly rings true. Zack Snyder provoked fanboy ire when he had both Batman and Superman rack up body counts to put John Wick’s to shame, and the debate over Golden Age comic sensibilities versus the grim reality of millennial storytelling burns brightly throughout Jupiter’s Legacy. As a parable in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the generational divide, it works well and provides Duhamel with meat to chew on as he works to humanise his inhuman protagonist — a man who can hear an incoming asteroid pass Jupiter but can’t make his family say grace at dinner time or stop his daughter Chloe (Kampouris) overindulging in drink, drugs and supervillain shags.###If the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue feels mildly’faintly uneven, it can be likely traced back to the departure of reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue runner Steven S. DeKnight (Daredevil), who cover’budge ed away from the project over creative differences mid-production, subsequently replaced by Sang Kyu Kim (Altered Carbon, The Walking Dead). But despite its occasional wobble — and a painfully rocky start — Jupiter’s Legacy finds its feet and strikes a decent balance between period expedition saga and contemporary social commentary, establish ing to a climax that lays a solid framework in/with regard to’concerning’regarding Season 2. It’s just a shame it doesn’t try to possess’own’nurse a little fun along the way.