What Only Hardcore Comic Book Fans Noticed About Jupiter's Legacy

Just when you think you've seen every superhero story under the sun, Netflix comes out with its adaptation of Mark Millar's mature comic book series, "Jupiter's Legacy." In addition to showcasing the intergenerational drama that comes with The Utopian (Josh Duhamel) expecting his children to live up to the larger-than-life reputation he's built for himself, the series also provides some much-needed social commentary on economic systems and the need for hope during troubling times. That all comes between epic fight sequences, delivering all of the hyper-violent moments audiences have come to expect in a postmodern superhero world along the likes of "The Boys" and "Invincible."

The show follows closely to the source material, and given the numerous issues out there as well as a host of spin-offs, such as "Jupiter's Circle," this is one show that could stick around for a while. While waiting to see what else Netflix decides to do next in the Millarworld, you can go back and see if there's anything you missed the first time around while watching Season 1 of "Jupiter's Legacy." Superhero adaptations are known for their meticulous attention to detail and copious easter eggs, and if you're familiar with the source material, then you may have spotted a very cool shout-out in the first episode of the new series. It's definitely a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment that only the most hardcore of comic book fans likely recognized. 

As is the case with most superhero shows, "Jupiter's Legacy" kicks off with an awesome action set piece as The Paragon (Andrew Horton) stops a supervillain from committing a heist. There's a lot going on in the foreground as we're introduced to the power levels of this particular hero, so casual viewers may not have noticed the van featured in the background with "Quitely Express" on its side. You may not think much of it, but hardcore comic book fans know that "Quitely" is a reference to the artist for the "Jupiter's Legacy" comic book series — Frank Quitely. 

The artist is a legend in the comic book industry, known prominently for his frequent collaborations with Grant Morrison, including "All-Star Superman," "New X-Men," and "We3." Quitely's won the Eisner Award multiple times over the years for his work. Most recently, he put his skills to good use crafting a variant cover for DC's "The Joker — #1" (via Turbo Comics). 

The van reference on "Jupiter's Legacy" follows in the rich tradition of superhero stories referencing their creators in subtle ways. For example, you may remember 2016's "Deadpool" when Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) walks into a bar, he acknowledges one of the other patrons as "Liefeld," which is a reference to the character's co-creator Rob Liefeld. It's good to see "Jupiter's Legacy" keeping the tradition alive, and hopefully, it encourages viewers to check out Quitely's bibliography, considering he has some of the most distinctive artwork in the comic book industry today.