DC’s New “Head Hero” Just Slapped Down Batman with 6 Simple Words

Warning: contains spoilers for Jenny Sparks #1!

Jenny Sparks, DC’s new “head hero,” just smacked down Batman with six simple words. The former leader of the Authority, Jenny Sparks, has arrived in the DC Universe ahead of the team’s leap to the big screen. In a preview for Jenny Sparks #1, from DC Black Label, a major threat to Earth has reared its head, forcing Jenny to leap into action, but not before putting Batman in his place.

DC shared a preview for Jenny Sparks #1 with AIPT. It will be written by Tom King and Jeff Spokes. Captain Atom has seemingly gone rogue, and DC’s Trinity: Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are on high alert. Batman goes to Jenny Sparks, seeking her help. Jenny lights a cigarette and tells Batman she will help, but that he, Superman and Wonder Woman need not worry. She tells Batman to return to Gotham and fight his villains.

Jenny then cuts Batman down with six words: “the grown-ups have work to do.”

Jenny Sparks’ Comic Book Origin, Explained

Jenny Sparks Has Been Missing From Comics For Over 20 Years

Jenny Sparks, or the “Spirit of the 20th Century,” was the leader of the first incarnation of the Authority. Debuting at the end of the 1990s, the Authority was perhaps the ultimate expression of the decade’s “extreme” aesthetic. The action was wide-screen and over the top. With Jenny at the helm, the Authority took on threats as diverse as supervillains bent on world domination or a creature claiming to be “God.” As a “Century Baby,” Jenny “died’ on January 1, 2000, giving way to “Jenny Quantum.”

Shortly after the Authority’s debut, Wildstorm founder Jim Lee sold the imprint to DC Comics, and over time the team and other characters from the stable found themselves becoming a part of the DC Universe. Unfortunately, Jenny Sparks did not carry over, nor was she even mentioned. This is likely due to her disappearance before the start of the New 52, which completed the integration of the Wildstorm characters into the DC Universe. Even though Jenny was absent in body, her spirit carried on in Midnighter, Apollo and the Engineer. Now, Jenny is ready for her DC Universe debut.

The Authority’s Spirit Lives On in Jenny Sparks

Jenny’s speech to Batman is in line with her character. While the Authority pushed superhero comics to a new extreme, it also served as a critique of superheroes. Jenny created the Authority to handle not only traditional threats like supervillains, but also more “real-world” bad guys, such as dictators. Heroes like Batman shied away from these types of actions by and large, but Jenny would not hesitate to smash the head of a genocidal warlord. Jenny Sparks dreamed of a better world, and feels heroes like Batman fail in this regard, explaining why she put him in his place.

Source: AIPT

Jenny Sparks #1 is on sale August 21 from DC Comics!