Young Justice

There has been no lack of series about the young, troubled, and super-powered set. Arguably, the very concept of the super-hero genre has been called a teen power fantasy. The hero IS the teenager, striking out at the world, righting wrongs in a way a kid never could.

And I can see that. I can also see the implications of that notion. Because teens are sometimes scared of themselves. Scared of the new thoughts and feelings they have, the older they get. Scared of the changes in how they perceive themselves and how they see the world.

Why, even Robin has days when Batman seems like a weird control freak rather than the beloved mentor who keeps Gotham City safe! There comes a time when a young super-hero wants to venture out with his peers.

This is the core premise behind Young Justice, the latest series based on DC Comics' vast and rich mythos of super-heroes. Heading the series is Greg Weisman, perhaps best known for his work on the cult classic Disney series "Gargoyles" and the highly popular "Spectacular Spider-Man" animated series.

His strengths are character development, intelligent and complex villains, and world-building. We get quite a lot of each in the first episode.

The partners (do NOT call them "sidekicks") of the sixteen-member strong Justice League are getting ready to take their first step into, well, the Big League. Access to the Hall of Justice. Participation in the missions that save the World, the Universe, All of Reality, etc.

But when the League does get an alert, they're left to pose for tourists and stay put. How infuriating.

Why, it's almost enough to make them want to sneak out and investigate a mysterious fire at a top secret genetic research facility! Which they do…only to find that someone's after-school science project involves cloning the most powerful hero on Earth, and transforming him into a loyal, brainwashed slave. My, my, my… The banter is crisp and funny, ranging from Robin's pondering on why people are always being over or underwhelmed, yet one never hears about someone just being "whelmed", to the classic bit about confusing codenames: Bystander #1: "Hey, look. It's Speedy!" Bystander #2: "Oh. Is he the Flash's sidekick?" Bystander #1: "No, he's Green Arrow's." Bystander #2: "…*…well, that makes NO sense at ALL." Most of the episode sets up the cast dynamic. Speedy is the hot-headed rebel. So rebellious, in fact, that he storms off in a rage a mere eight minutes into the episode. Robin is the tech geek. Kid Flash is the plucky comedy relief ™. Aqualad is the calm, natural leader who always finds his center, despite increasing misgivings about the world and his place in it. And Superboy is the freshly-minted son Superman never knew he had…much to each other's mutual confusion and anger.

I loved the usage of obscure characters from the DC mythos, such as Blockbuster, the Golden Guardian and Dubbilex the DNAlien. I loved the twist about the true goals of the eerie creatures being created by the Big Bads.

The Big Bads themselves, an ominous unseen council of ominous known as "The Light" managed to seem creepy and smart rather than cliché and trite. Always a plus.

If I have a complaint about the pilot, it's that the female members of them team were either absent entirely (Artemis won't join until episode six) or only made a cameo in the coda (Miss Martian, the sweet-natured niece of J'Onn J'Onzz, Manhunter From Mars). Hopefully they'll be given a prominent role in the actual series.

All in all an exciting, witty, satisfying pilot. The scope of the series looks ambitious, the animation budget seems to be sky high, and the young heroes are now basically the Black Ops branch of the Justice League! That's a notion as disturbing as it is awesome. I'm sure the moral ambiguity will be addressed.

Count me in for the regular series, coming out January of next year.

(Originally appeared at http://fourthdayuniverse.com/reports/ )

Everything fits perfectly in this magical series. These days, if a series shows quality, it is because it was taken seriously by high- ranked people. I love the tone, the characters, the plot-line, the themes, the secrets, the chemistry between many characters, the relationship between Justice League (mentors) and Young Justice (sidekicks), the way they make superheroes used to be forgettable now memorable, etc. I absolutely didn't care about Superboy, Speedy, Blue Beetle, etc., but now I really am interested and I think that is the strength of this show.

The only tiny, small and little complaint I have concerns the music. Actually, I love how it is played throughout each episode, but to make it truly epic, it needs a better introduction or a standout song just like ''The Batman'' (90s, ''Superman'' (90s) and both ''Justice League'' and ''Justice League Unlimited'' : Tananan! Tananan! Tananananan! ... Of course, it is only a personal opinion and it certainly does not diminish the quality of this show.

I have watched the entire ''Young Justice'' season 1 and everything that has aired of season 2 in the last four days and whaouh! I want more and more and more. Whe I started watching season 2, I was utterly surprised to see a 5 years jump from where season 1 left and CHUCK NORRIS or GOD was I pleased! It truly is an intelligent move because it allows to bring new young superheroes like Blue Beetle or Impulse, etc. I am 20 years old and this show certainly is for young teenagers and young adults and even adults. Many theme are for mature people, with life and death decisions.

I can't believe how great the animation is, almost as great as every single DC animated movie they release each year, last one being ''The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1''. I truly hope they'll continue this series for many years to come because it is AMAZINGLY AWESOME! This series take risks and it works just fine in my book. That is what keeps it fresh. However, I hope they stay focus on the main characters they developed in the first season, not making the same mistake of some episodes of ''Justice League Unlimited''.

I can only give it a minimum of 9.5/10, but IMDb approximates, so to me, it is a 10/10! If any of the designers see this review, I encourage your awesome work and make you know that you have my total admiration. I was searching for a good show and I found yours by total luck. I am not very lucky in my life, but I think, that day, I totally was!

THANK YOU ;)

DC Universe finally got it right with this series; this is one animated series that I look forward to seeing the next episode. This is a more advanced and updated version of the comic book which I like a lot, and allowing the youngsters to go on covert missions learning how to be a team as they stumble through how to be heroes is a real watchable and enjoyable delight. Hopefully they won't stray too far from the storyline that they've set and allow us to see the progression of the cloned Super-Man Connor as well as Speedy or the Red Arrow, which will make this one of the best superhero action series since Super-Man and Batman. I think this will give other animators something to think about and will definitely put DC in the upper echelon rivaling the new Marvel series (TAWMH), keep up the good work.

I've seen a couple of reviews that say the jump between the second season and the first is a huge mistake, and initially I would agree with those reviews. The team from the first season was the one I knew and loved, and for the first couple episodes, the decision seems to be a mistake. However, as they have fleshed out this seasons story line and developed these new characters, I have liked the series more and more. Impulse and Blue Beetle have turned into some of my favorite characters, and the plot twists throughout this season have been absolutely incredible. I know it might be hard to jump into the first few episodes of the second season, but if you give it a chance, you will enjoy it just as much of the first.

Young Justice, it could have been a pathetic attempt at a kids show with superheroes, but it became an icon for everyone from 10 to mid 30s.

The show tackles difficult boundaries not just young love, but identity, morality & many more.

Young Justice follows the story of the sidekicks of the Justice League, Robin, Superboy, Kid Flash, Speedy, Miss Martian, Artemis & a whole lot more.

The show doesn't just deal with fighting the bad guys & saving the day, there's also their "normal" lives they have to traverse through.

With 2 spectacular & heartbreaking seasons, fans are still waiting & petitioning for a 3rd & rightly so. Young Justice did something, no other show, superhero or not, at such a short amount of time, they made you care for the characters, both hero, villain & anti hero.

If you're a fan of good storytelling, great characters & don't mind getting a little misty eyed, you'll love Young Justice.