When DC launched it’s New 52 line of titles, it gave readers DC heroes in 52 varieties… but as any serious comics fan will tell you, there’s a lot more left in their cupboards. While Wildstorm refugees hav been showing up in drips and drabs in Stormwatch, Grifter, Voodoo and in smaller roles with Superboy and others, DC has under their nose what could be one of the most riveting characters of all of Wildstorm’s properties.
Jenny Sparks.
Created in the pages of Stormwatch back in 1997 by Warren Ellis and Tom Raney, Sparks survived that team’s implosion and from the wreckage pieced together one of the most popular new team books in the past twenty years, The Authority. With Sparks in the lead, The Authority book carried her sensibilities and directness to take on threats big, small and super-sized with equal parts humor and stiff upper lip. She died early on in The Authority series due to her status as a century baby — a group of humans born at the beginning of each century and fated to die as the century folded. With her passing, a new incarnation called Jenny Quantum was born and raised by Midnighter and Apollo but she was never quite able to fill the shoes of her first-named foremother.
But with DC now turning back the clock and giving old characters new life, now’s the time for the return of Jenny Sparks.
The Concept:
Jenny Sparks was one of the 20th century babies so having her around in 2012 would go against her central character Ellis built — unless the mystery of why she comes back in 2012 is the impetus for a new series set in the New 52. What if Jenny Sparks pops up in the DCU fully aware of her past in the Wildstorm U (not unlike Booster Gold and the Flash in Flashpoint), trying to figure out what changed and why none of the people she knew from 1900-1999 remember her. On top of that, she could also take on the role of the godmother to the 21st century babies out there amongst the DCU. Although not brought up yet, the concept of century babies would be an interesting addition and, looking at the date, seeing Jenny trying to control an army of 12 year olds about to hit puberty would be fun in itself.
Who would she be up against? Well… everyone. She’d be the ultimate outsider; the only one with the intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the DCU, and the only one knowing the century babies’ destiny to protect the entire timeline. In a way, the 21st century babies failed to project their Wildstorm timeline resulting in it being subsumed by the DCU in 2011, and maybe another 20th century baby like Jenny is the one responsible.
The Creators:
Writer – China Miéville: This epic “weird fiction” novelist has been chomping at the bit to get into comics. After a failed attempt at taking on Swamp Thing a few years back, he’s getting his chance later this year with DC’s rebooted Dial H series. With such an impressive oeuvre in prose fiction, he’d be an idea outside voice giving an outside impression the way Jenny would to the goings-on of the New 52 DCU.
Artist – Niko Henrichon: Henrichon is best known for his graphic novel Pride of Baghdad with Brian K. Vaughan, but he’s had dalliances with super-heroes before with work on New X-Men, Spider-Man and covers for Marvel’s kids line. On the surface he may seem like a manga-inspired artist akin to Takashi Miyazawa, but Henrichon carries with him an immense diversity that’s just waiting to be tapped for one book instead of split over several.
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I never like Jenny Sparks. I thought the Authority was much better after she died. I liked Jenny Quantum as a baby and disliked when they aged her.
You’re understandbly conflating two things: her existence as a century baby and her specific and recurring role as the spirit of the century. It’s the latter that led to her death and rebirth. Elijah Snow and others lived into the 21st century.
Jenny Sparks is dead.. and there is a new century chick (little girl).. so this is a moot point right? Besides Jenny had her time in the sun.. time to move the story along.