Jupiter's Circle #4

[lordultimus]

Comments

[tinygaylaura]

The foreshadowing/pay off is so hillariously rushed and clumsy here that genuinely I think the only thing it's missing is Fitz showing his girlfriend a picture of the boat he's just bought for them called the Live 4 Ever and explaining how as soon as the team puts a stop to Senator Mendoza they'll settle down and live happily ever after on it

The moral of the story is if you want to use your fame to get some hot barely legal cutie to hook up with you, don't get blown up by a crashing space ship

Because she will dump you right there in the hospital while you are in a body cast in a moment of dramatic irony as a call back to a scene that happened less than thirty pages ago in that very issue

And when I say right there I mean right there in front of you as you lay there in the hospital bed doped up on pain meds with all your costumed friends just kind of hanging around watching the end of this Very Special Episode play out

[lucean]

I could not stop laughing as I kept reading this. It's just so... It takes talent to write like this where everyone comes across horribly, yet it still feels like a genuine, earnest attempt.

[tinygaylaura]

"I'm in this for the long haul

You and I are getting married!"

"You really think this is going to last?"

(Later in that same issue)

THE IRONY

THE CONTRIVED HAM FISTED IRONY

[lucean]

I can't get over the fact that April's instant reaction to seeing a man she does apparently love confined to a hospital bed is to quit on him. There not even a single sign of internal struggle or hesitation, it's her simply going nope, can't do this. And the wife and family comes to take him back.

The female characters in the Jupiter series were something else.

[tinygaylaura]

It feels like it's meant to be serious drama but it comes across like it's an episode of Archer

Like when Not Wonder Woman is talking about how he'll need someone to look after him and then it cuts to April all that's missing is her just going "Noooooooooooooope"

[silicondream]

Most charitable possible interpretation: she's not noping out because of Fitz's injury. She's noping out because a bunch of cultish superpeople, who never accepted her as a heroine, have just declared that she'll be a 24-hour nursemaid for the foreseeable future. This is the moment when she really figures out how little the Union thinks of her.

And if that's contradicted by other parts of the story, good thing I haven't read it and don't plan to!

[tcampbell1000]

I mean, just from what's here, I don't think the Union's low opinion of her was in any way news to her. If she had stepped up to be Fitz's nursemaid, it would probably have raised her in their esteem. No, this was a test of character which she failed spectacularly, and I gotta say, I kind of respect the writing for that.

[zachbeacon]

"The female characters in the Jupiter series were something else."

The token woman in the Union seems to exist just to roll her eyes at the idiots around her.

Which, to be fair, someone needs to.

[lissa_quon]

I was going to swallow the first bit - of her just flat bailing. But the wife just coming back kids in tow - was a bit much.

Though the icing on the wtf cake is the superheroine being all "awaw I know sweetie there there *hug*" when she plays the tears card to bail out. Like...I could see a dude getting all awkward/sympathetic when the waterworks happens but...not a woman.

[strejdaking]

Earlier in the issue, it's shown the wife took it more as an immature fling he would get over and go back to them at any second. Honestly, it's not an uncommon attitude for wives (especially when divorce was a much bigger issue than now) and I've seen it even encouraged by marriage counselors (not saying I ever thought it was a good thing, just that I've seen it as a thing).

I don't want to infantilize her too much, and just speaking as a man... Like, she is an adult and not exactly an innocent bystander in the situation, but she is also a starstruck teenager who got dragged into this by a middle-aged man who really should have known better.

[lissa_quon]

I had been referring to the wife having the kids int he room - not that she came back. People are complicated so I'm willing to side eye but accept her just forgiving him.

But if he's beat up in a body cast - I'd expect her to leave the kids in the hall or something. Assess how he is before bringing the kids in - for both the kids and the dude's benefit. Is he in a mood/position to talk to the kids or is he like raving pain man, or is this going to be a stressor for the young children.

Looking back on hte super woman situation- I concede. I for some reason remembered the heroine having a low opinion of hte girl. But nah this lines up. I sw it initially as a 180 but nah you're right.

[zachbeacon]

I was kinda hoping the team was going to replace him with his kid.

"Well, the boy seems more mature and responsible than his father"

[tinygaylaura]

I was actually assuming the kid would become a supervillain from the red flag the last issue ended on so I guess that's one way Millar subverted my expectations

[miramira]

Oh, so there isn't a reveal that the kid caused the spaceship crash?

[tinygaylaura]

Wait is there?

I'm just going by these scans as I haven't read this book

If that's true then this ending is even funnier

"Remember kids

If your parents get a divorce because your dad cheated on your mom

Just hospitalise your father with mental powers

And he'll get back with your mother when she takes him back out of pity"

[lordultimus]

There isn't. There is a somewhat amusing follow-up, but that's another miniseries away.

[blueprintstyles]

I don't think so, if there is I must have missed it. It always felt like giant plot thread left hanging. That kid should have a lot of resentment for his father but I don't even know if these characters even cameo in future issues.

[zachbeacon]

I just like the idea of setting him up as an obvious villain (because he hates his dad) only to make him a hero (because he hates his dad).

The best revenge is living well.

[super_fly]

The costume design for the guy on the left makes me wonder if someone was browsing The Hawkeye Initiative on tumblr.

[dcbanacek]

Some of these costumes look like they got them from the reject pile that even the Legion of Superheroes wouldn't take.

[donnblake]

Look, there's two types of pants superheroes wear. Short shorts, and jeans with the cuffs rolled. Anything else would be madness. Madness!

[tcampbell1000]

That's not actually Utopian on the last page, it's just a cardboard cut-out that he left, a promotional item to go along with his line of vaguely disappointed get-well cards. "Get up soon, lazybones."