Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority [Paperback]

Mark Millar (Author), John Layman (Editor), John McCrea (Illustrator), James Hodgkins (Illustrator), Warren Ellis (Introduction), Ian Hannin (Colorist)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2001

Was the spirit of the 20th century really anarchist? In Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority it seems not only plausible but inevitable. The book spans our heroine's 100-year life, focusing on key elements in the development of the Authority metahuman team, and pointing out the mischief that she made along the way. True to the series' larger-than-life aesthetic, Sparks finds herself befriending a young Hitler, arranging for the destruction of a sentient Kansas City, and sticking it to the man every chance she gets. While not all of the details contained in the book will be clear to readers unfamiliar with the Authority or Stormwatch, it's still great fun and should inspire a few return trips to the 20th century. --Rob Lightner

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Was the spirit of the 20th century really anarchist? In Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority it seems not only plausible but inevitable. The book spans our heroine's 100-year life, focusing on key elements in the development of the Authority metahuman team, and pointing out the mischief that she made along the way. True to the series' larger-than-life aesthetic, Sparks finds herself befriending a young Hitler, arranging for the destruction of a sentient Kansas City, and sticking it to the man every chance she gets. While not all of the details contained in the book will be clear to readers unfamiliar with the Authority or Stormwatch, it's still great fun and should inspire a few return trips to the 20th century. --Rob Lightner

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Wildstorm (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563897695
• ISBN-13: 978-1563897696
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #811,329 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Along with Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Millar has been one of the key writers for Marvel Comics in the 21st century. After proving himself in the '90s as a talent to watch while writing for DC Comics and the UK comic 2000AD, his arrival to Marvel came at a time when Ultimate Spider-Man had just shot up the sales charts. It was in this environment that Millar made his first major contribution to Marvel with Ultimate X-Men, as Millar integrated forty years' worth of X-Men history, characters and lore into a solid two-year run, making the companion title to Ultimate Spider-Man every bit the creative and commercial success. Next up was The Ultimates, a new rendering of the Avengers that was to continue building on the success of the Ultimate line. He and artist Bryan Hitch pulled it all off in spades: The Ultimates and its sequel, Ultimates 2, were ensconced at the top of the sales charts every month; what's more, they were critical successes, as well. Meanwhile, Millar was invited to enter the regular Marvel Universe to take a stab at two of its most iconic characters: Spider-Man and Wolverine. Paired with industry heavyweights to draw his stories -- Terry Dodson on Marvel Knights Spider-Man and John Romita Jr. on Wolverine -- Millar brought the same fast-paced and cleverly constructed plots with which his Ultimate fans were already familiar. Amid building a small library of Millarworld indie comic books -- including the titles Chosen and Wanted, the latter of which was turned into a Hollywood blockbuster starring Angelina Jolie -- he managed to write Civil War, the epic seven-issue miniseries that definitively reshaped the landscape of Marvel's heroes. Kick-A**, a Marvel Icon project done in tandem with John Romita Jr., made an impressive impact on the sales chart before also being adapted for a major motion picture. In addition, Millar has reunited with Civil War artist Steve McNiven in both the pages of Wolverine and their creator-owned book Nemesis.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Background Material for "The Authority", July 26, 2001

By 

Rodney Meek (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority (Paperback)

This volume is a collection of issues from a comic book miniseries that details some of the background of Jenny Sparks, founder of the superhero group The Authority, and how she recruited its original members. It is not necessary to have read any of the issues from the core series itself (or from its predecessor, Stormwatch), but it is certainly helpful. The first few issues of The Authority are collected in the volumes "Under New Management" and "Relentless".

In any case, the individual tales show Jenny Sparks, who wields the power of electricity, encountering certain critical superheroes (Apollo, the Midnighter, the Engineer, and so forth) and convincing them in her unique way to join her group. Because the ageless Ms. Sparks is the literal Spirit of the 20th Century, she was born on January 1 of 1900 and knows she will die at the approach of the new millenium. Her long lifespan and her key role in world history means that she has been present at practically every critical event over the past few decades and that she wields enormous power in the secret government of the world. (She arranges the election defeat of Gerald Ford because she's angered at the Nixon pardon and makes sure that Reagan "will be taken care of".)

There's a whole hidden history of which we, the plebeian masses, remain unaware, complete with thwarted alien invasions, secret bases, and contacts with parallel worlds, such as Sliding Albion. Thankfully, swashbuckling heroes such as Hemingway and Einstein are around to pitch in to help the lusty Ms. Sparks.

This is a glorious full-color world that's chock full of gadgets, byzantine plots, improbable encounters, thoroughly evil villains, buckets of blood, cigarettes, whisky, and sex. The tales span several decades, and include an encounter with the occult-obsessed Nazis (and a shoutout to a certain Indiana Jones) and a time-travelling sentient city from the future that's come back to our era to destroy humanity for religious reasons.

The irreverent and sloppily-dressed Ms. Sparks hates practically all governments, and since the secret cabals that rule the world are in some cases shown to engage in human sacrifice, it's easy to see why. Primarily, she's out to have a good time, and to kick a lot of butt.

Good stories and great fun, and excellent artwork. A must-have for those who enjoy The Authority or Planetary!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice, January 28, 2004

By 

mori (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority (Paperback)

A self-contained jaunt into the details of the history of Jenny Sparks. While it racks up an amazing number of improbable scenes, this is merely the clever exploitation of her characterization as the "Spirit of the 20th Century."

Fun, but not crucial to understanding The Authority.

5.0 out of 5 stars Graphic SF Reader, September 2, 2007

By 

Blue Tyson "- Research Finished" (Legion clubhouse) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority (Paperback)

A very interesting look at the history of the Spirit of the 20th century, a very complex heroine. Jenny Sparks is writing in her diary, knowing that her story is about to come to a close, with Swift keeping her company. We learn that Angie, the Engineer, goes back in time to tell her to start it in the first place. Very sneaky.