Young Justice Retrospective

Young Justice Retrospective

So the animated Young Justice is gone. Fans still whisper about rumors; hoping that it will return, but the reality is that this gem is probably lost. That being said, I would like to state a few thoughts on its merits and why it was excellent superhero entertainment. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Young Justice (not to be confused with the DC comics series sharing the same name) recounts the adventures of some of DC comic’s greatest superhero sidekicks as they come into their own careers and destinies. So let us discuss what made this show great:

Young Justice has a well constructed, interwoven plot

It occurs to me that several of my points will be self evident. Do a search for Young Justice and you will see people who rave about how well drafted the plot of the show is, but it bears repeating here. Each episode builds upon itself, slowly revealing a master plot by the show’s villains to control the fate of the world. This interconnection certainly is a treat  for fans of DC comics, but is not entirely necessary to enjoy the series. In one episode, the team tracks how one villain’s MO, a super enhanced steroid called “Venom,” is being combined with other chemicals to create an even more potent drug. This “Kobra Venom” plot is built on in subsequent episodes, as is the finding of an alien starfish. Piece builds upon piece, encouraging viewers to watch every episode to appreciate the full story. In many ways, Young Justice approaches the kind of idea loyalty that many comic book enthusiasts get from reading many years of a comic, but without getting too convoluted. Although the show is intricate, each episode is self contained enough that one can simply enjoy the action and adventure occurring on screen.

It has the bankable recognizable aspects of core intellectual properties while possessing a unique take on the DC comics universe.

At first, a show based upon sidekicks of famous superheroes seemed like a lame idea, and I was skeptical.  Characters like Robin and Superboy can come off as silly and derivative, literally living the shadows of their mentors. However, Young Justice takes this idea and uses it as its premise. The beginning of the series sees the sidekicks tired of constantly being relegated to the sidelines of major events and banding together to prove themselves as capable. What this concept allows for is to have a show that is recognizable in the fact that Robin Superboy, and company are able to be familiar enough to viewers to not feel completely new, and yet the series is able to have more creative liberty with them due to them not being as well known.

Let’s face it, as entertaining as core DC comics characters can be, they are so indelibly etched upon our consciousness that taking them into uncharted territory can alienate fans. Doing something as slight as making a slight costume change can be met with enormous amounts of ire, but how many people will complain if they revise the origins of characters like Aqualad or Artemis? Young Justice is able to do a great deal of revising and inventing with their cast origins, powers, and personalities and it doesn’t feel like a great wrong being perpetrated against beloved characters. Big names like Batman still show up, and act as mentors, making the backdrop of the show, allowing for the Young Justice cast to act as special operatives, doing covert operations that are critical to the success of the heroes. This also gives the show a great deal of focus, not just a grab bag of random adventures with superpowered individuals. They have a goal and a purpose.

The show takes its weaknesses and makes them strengths

As good as it is, the show isn’t perfect, and has a few elements, especially in the first season, that are rather irritating. At least two characters, Miss Martian and Kid Flash had incredibly annoying habits that they engaged in nearly every episode. Miss Martian would say “Hello Megan” in an eyeball rending fashion, and Kid Flash would always pick up a “souvenir.” These irritating catchphrases felt out of place in a well constructed, well written plot driven narrative for more mature audiences. This show isn’t Teen Ttians Go, viewers don’t need their own version of Cyborg’s “Boo-yah!” (I would submit that all shows should not possess irritating catchphrases, but I digress).

However, Young Justice is able to take this irritating concept and make it a strong point for the show. In one episode, for example, the audience finds out why Miss Martian has her irritating catchphrase: she’s grown up watching a sitcom, and she has integrated it into her personality as a result.  Shortly after, by season two, she no longer uses it. Likewise, Kid Flash also drops his souvenir grabbing ways, though this may be attributed in part to the fact he plays a much reduced, background role in season 2. The point is that each of these characters grows out of their irritating habits as they mature and age over the course of the show, making their childish ways just an evidence of their eventual growth towards adulthood. Not bad for a cartoon about kids in tights.

Diverse cast

The cast of Young Justice is diverse in every sense of the word. There is a good representation from the DC universe in terms of familiar and unfamiliar characters, women and minorities. The minority characters are not treated with tokenism, season 2 integrates several Milestone characters into integral parts of the series. In addition, the show never feels like it is always following a “core” set of characters, but feels comfortable jumping from one group of heroes to the next, as they are all connected to the overall plot.  Because the plot is the most important “character” in the series, the creators of the series are able to use a wide cast in unique and interesting ways.

Characters are multidimensional, including the villains.

The characters in Young Justice are round and dynamic, having multiple sides to their characters and evolving over time. The shy and insecure Miss Martian, for example, evolves into quite an emotionally charged and violent person in season two, while Superboy, a character charged with rage since the inception of the series, slowly grows calm and reflective. In addition, the villains for the series do not simply have Saturday morning level goals. They are philosophical in their approach. Clearly still the bad guys, they are given enough depth to have an interesting reason for the things that they do. The villainous organization “The Light” doesn’t simply seek to take over the world, they seek to undo the damage they think has been done by superheroic interference in human evolution. They seek to make humanity great and powerful so that it can take its rightful place in the universe.

Season two does not simply repeat the formula

Season two of Young Justice does not simply recycle the formula of its predecessor. After revealing some of The Light’s plot, the now young adult heroes work in a much more active way to resist the villain’s plans for Earth. The first season was based around the concept of uncovering a mystery, while the second takes the form of acting as a resistance force against an occupying alien empire. This subject shift for the show makes it feel different, and as such, the cast membership also undergoes a great deal of change. Characters that made up the core team, like Kid Flash and Aqualad, are split up into different groups or fade into the background completely, while newcomers are given their fair share of the spotlight. Overall, Season two of Young Justice demonstrates that the show’s creators are not content to simply ride one horse ad nauseum, but are willing to take risks and try new things with their formula.  

Vandal Savage

Before seeing Young Justice, I didn’t know much or care about Vandal Savage. Now I love this guy who has few actual superpowers yet feels confident enough as he walks to confront the likes of Shazam and Black Canary and not even break his stride…and still wins the fight. His overall age and experience give him a sense of patience that I find very entertaining. He is immortal and knows he’s going to win, so he doesn’t really sweat it when he is given a setback. Also, his voice actor, paired with the top-notch animation and design team behind the show impart him with a sense of power and menace.

Overall, I love this show and I think that it was crazy to cancel it.