What could four strangers have to do with the fate of the world? Find out as Captain Atom goes rogue, threatening to destroy the planet he once swore to protect. Can any hero stop him? Well, it may take the most unconventional of them all…Jenny Sparks, the one woman tasked with keeping ALL the heroes in line, no matter the cost. With a snap of her fingers, she’s entered the fray and won’t quit until the job is done! Jenny Sparks #1 delivers an opening chapter that’s forgettable but also a bit too familiar.

Written by Tom King, Jenny Sparks #1 kicks off a DC Black Label series that dances around the character’s past with winks and nods for longtime fans. But, new readers won’t need to know any of that as the comic lays out multiple times Jenny’s role in this take on the character. With gods among men, Jenny is the one who keeps the gods in line. She takes down the heroes when they go too far. And so, she’s called into duty when Captain Atom loses control, rambling and wandering and killing civilians.

King is a writer that for me is hot or cold. There’s little in-between and a writer who has a bit too many tics in his style. Much of that is on display where as King goes to his usual nine-page layout of different individual characters talking to someone, a hero who steps over the line, and dialogue that winks and nods to readers but really comes off as a character saying the title of the series/film.

Captain Atom losing control or his mind isn’t unusual but it’s something that feels like it happens far too often as the go to driver of a DC plot. Here, Captain Atom roles between states of being while rambling on, accidentally killing an individual and then taking a bar hostage. It’s a plot that revolves around mental health, and feels a bit too caustic regarding it. We saw a similar tone with Heroes in Crisis, also written by King, that had its good and its bad but overall didn’t do its concept justice.

Jenny Sparks #1 further falls apart in that Jenny doesn’t stand out as a character. Her demeanor and the various situations she’s put in makes her come off as a non-magical John Constantine. Jenny rants about killing god and has a negative view towards superheroes, smokes, and generally is gruff. She comes off as Constantine with a gender switch making the overall experience feel even more of a read that never establishes its own personality.

The art by Jeff Spokes is decent. Captain Atom’s cycling through his looks is an interesting concept and there’s a sadness that comes off of the character. Jenny stands out some as well in design and look and other characters have a design that lets readers get a better sense of who they are. But, overall, much like the story, the visuals don’t jump out and excite.

Jenny Sparks #1 is an interesting debut as there’s a concept underneath that feels like it could be intriguing. But, the comic is dragged down by a main character who doesn’t stand out as unique yet and the story itself falls into King’s patterns. It’s one piece of the puzzle and King’s miniseries tend to read better as a whole than individual parts but this is one that has a long road ahead to achieve that.

Story: Tom King Art: Jeff Spokes Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.0 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Pass

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle