Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority

Not quite the breezy fun of the Ellis/Hitch Authority issues, these are still a good look at the members of that run of Authority. We don't get much background in those stories, so this is the best chance we have to really get to know these characters.

Jenny Sparks: The Secret history of the Authority
Author: Millar, McCrea, Hodgkins, Hannin
Publisher: Wildstorm Productions
Published In: La Jolla, CA, USA
Date: 2001
Pgs: 128

REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Summary:
Jenny Sparks is the spirit of the century. This is her hundred years.

Genre:
Adventure
Comics and graphic novels
Fantasy
Fiction
Science fiction
Superheroes

Why this book:
I love The Authority, Stormwatch, et al. While Sparks was never my favorite character, she travels in company with many who are favs.

This Stories are About:
courage, doing the right thing, friends, history, duty, honor

Story title is short story collection:
Favorite Character:
Midniter. He’s just such a unrepentant head breaker, knee capper, good guy in bad guys clothes.

Least show more Favorite Character:
The Doctor. No...not that The Doctor, he’s a different doctor. These Doctors are a line of people extending back to the dawn of humanity who have been chosen as the Earth’s shaman, granted mystic abilites based on the Earth and biosphere. He’s so “Wah, I’ve got superpowers. Woe is me” that he grates on the nerves every time he appears on the page.

Character I Most Identified With:
Jenny on her sweep through history.

The Feel:
Jenny angst and malaise as she faces the 20th century.

Favorite Scene:
The time-traveling Engineer gossiped to Jack Hawksmoor about their future relationship blowing his mind.

When young Jack Hawksmoor, the King of Cities, leads an anthropomorphic Tokyo against a genocidal Kansas City from 50 centuries in the future bent on the destruction of mankind.

Pacing:
The story is paced well.

Plot Holes/Out of Character:

Hmm Moments:
Jenny laying in bed in her Union Jack panties surrounded by litter, with ashtrays full of cigarettes, and a fat guy in his underwear sleeping next to her. I half expected heroin needles and condoms to be amongst the stuff. She’s a rough character, gruff in the extreme.

Jenny planting the idea in the head of one of her friends that maybe his artwork isn’t his future, because it isn’t very good. Maybe he needs to look at using his other skills, maybe look at getting into local government. HIs name...Adolf Hitler.

Why isn’t there a screenplay?
Probably not a popular opinion, but I’d love to see the people who did The Watchmen movie bring The Authority to the big screen. The Watchmen was a better movie than NerdHate and NerdRage gave it credit for being.

Casting call:
Not sure about her acting ability, but Chelsea Handler could be the gruff Spirit of the Twentieth Century, without a doubt.

Last Page Sound:
Sadness

Author Assessment:
Millar has always been hit or miss with me. This was a hit.

Editorial Assessment:
The edit could have been a bit tighter. But, overall, it was well done.

Knee Jerk Reaction:
instant classic

Disposition of Book:
Irving Public Library, Irving, TX

Would recommend to:
genre fans show less

This one seemed a bit rushed to me with many small plots connected by an overall plot that had to do with time travel (which I can't stand). Guest appearances from the Authority (both old and new) were nice but overall Jenny's not a very lovable character and since this is a prequel you kind of know the the end result so there were no big surprises. Midnighter showing fear was kind of jarring too - just seemed out of character for him.