Hammer writes...

First off, GW, I have to applaud you for such a well crafted series. I can't applaud your team enough for this series. Here's hoping we get favorable news on Season 3 soon!

As for questions:

#1.) We know Wonder Woman and Red Tornado were part of the All Star Squad. Were any other members of today's Justice League in the All Star Squad (such as Captain Atom) ?

#2.) In regards to the countdown:
#2A.) To the best of your knowledge has there ever been any characters you counted on your countdown that didn't show up in the series due to time constraints?
#2B.) Are characters from your countdown counted if they are mentioned or are they required to show up in an episode to be counted? (IE In the episode Terrors, Headmaster is mentioned but doesn't show up. Is he counted?)
#2C.) Are characters counted even if we don't know we've seen them yet or are they only counted once we (generally) know who they are (IE Were both Speedy and Red Arrow counted in episode 1 even though we met "Clone Speedy" in episode 1 and didn't see the real Speedy until episode 26?).
#2D.) In the countdown, are you currently (up until episode 26) counting Guardian and Clone Guardian as two characters or one?

Todd Jensen writes...

The local library finally got a few copies of the Season One Volume Three DVD of "Young Justice", and I watched it last evening. I enjoyed it, too. Here are a few thoughts about the individual episodes.

BEREFT: Psimon was one of the creepiest villains I've yet seen in the series - I especially liked his "Psimon says - forget!" line. I'm curious about this partner of the Light, and look forward to finding out more about him/her/it/they in later episodes.

Makes a change to have Superboy rather than Kid Flash wind up with a souvenir.

TARGETS: Hearing Ra's al-Ghul voiced by somebody other than David Warner takes a bit of getting used to (when I hear Warner speak, I can understand why you brought back the Archmage in Season Two), but another good episode. Lex Luthor was certainly impressive here, and his conversations with Red Arrow were a delight, contrasting Red Arrow's passion and suspicion with Luthor's calm, amused tone. (A bit like the confrontation between Goliath and Xanatos at Castle Wyvern in "The Edge".)

I picked up the "Superfriends" joke with Marvin and Wendy as two of Connor and Megan's classmates - and thought it was hilarious when Connor and Megan thought that "Kent" was a reference to Kent Nelson (clearly Superman hasn't been sharing his alter ego with them - though in light of his troubled relations with Superboy, that's not surprising). I also liked Connor's explanation about Rhelasian history and his bewilderment over humans at war with each other.

TERRORS: I'd seen Professor Strange in a few episodes of "The Batman", where he was a villain (and an especially creepy one, ready to plunge Gotham City into chaos more than once just so that he could study Batman), so I wasn't surprised when he turned out to be another agent for the Light.

Icicle, Sr. made an impressive villain, and I liked the parallel between the two Icicles and Superboy and Superman. Though I kept wondering who the guy with the odd helmet was, who'd recognized Superboy; my memory of some of the earlier episodes must be getting fuzzy.

And now we know why all four of those ice-themed super-villains were on the rampage all at once in the first episode.

HOME FRONT: The two Red Tornado-like intruders were truly creepy, and I look forward to seeing what their connection is with Red Tornado.

Among the highlights: Artemis commenting on how cliched the secret entrances behind the library bookcases were, the "They're all dead!" moment, Kid Flash helping Robin set up the EMP even while a prisoner, and Kid Flash and Superboy bluffing their captors. (Though the book-lover in me felt horrified when the intruders were on the loose in the library - I kept wondering what kind of damage those torrents of water and the toppling bookcases were doing to those books, even if it was less important than whether Robin and Artemis would be able to escape.

I hope that the local library will be able to get the rest of the episodes on DVD soon (I understand that the remainder of Season One comes out on DVD next month).

Cooper writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman I have 2 questions:

1. Does Aquaman's telepathy in the show only affect fish life or can it also affect mammals/humans in some way?

2. If Aquaman can affect humans does Black Manta's helmet protect him from telepathy?

Moe writes...

It has been confirmed for a very long time that next year there will be a new batman series for DC nation. But recent information says there will also be a new Teen Titans go series[which is supposed to be comedy heavy..not sure how I feel about that. And it looks like its animation went very down]

Anyway my point is next year 2013 if those two shows will be on DC nation block what does that mean for Young Justice? Will DC nation be extended to two hours. Or maybe every week they will switch up the shows?

Anonymous writes...

On Earth-16, if you had to make an educated guess, which ocean would Atlantis be located on the world map?

Zodisgod writes...

I was wondering if you could shed some light on the process of breaking a story for young justice. Does the storyline come first with characters who you feel will suit the story being plugged in afterwards, or do you decide on certain characters being spotlighted then working a story around them?

Anonymous writes...

If there were any cartoon series that eventually become spin-offs of Young Justice (though I'm not saying that I'm thinking that it might actually happen), then would the unofficial term for all shows that take place on Earth-16 then be collectively called the "Weismanverse?"

Daniel writes...

3. Has DC approached you guys yet with the possibility of a spin-off series in the Earth 16 continuity (JLA, JLI, Green Lantern Corps, LoSH perhaps)?

Anonymous writes...

Since Klarion was on board the Watchtower in "Auld Acquaintance", does that mean that he was A-05?

Masterdramon writes...

Well, I haven't submitted a post in over a year-and-a-half and certainly none since I became an AskGreg moderator, so while I always feel a little guilty adding to such a lengthy queue I think I've earned a YJ review or two.

Besides, it's a reminder that no matter how much frustration this show's fans cause me sometimes, the series itself is FAR more than worth the price, LOL.

What follows will be a catch-all of reviews I wrote for the benefit of a friend, tracking all of the Season 1 episodes since "Coldhearted." I may do another collection of "Young Justice: Invasion" reviews at a later date, but for now, I figured I might as well share what I have with you as long as they're already written.

Now, without further ado...

COLDHEARTED: I thought this was simply fantastic. The extended plot reference to Greg's "Green Arrow Showcase" was a lot of fun, and it really helped to emphasize just how much of a badass Count Vertigo is in this version (plus, given that he was able to co-opt L-1 himself into his scheme, I think a lot of credence is now lent to my theory that he's part of the Light's inner circle of minions, alongside Sportsmaster and the Riddler).

Speaking of which, we got Vandal Savage's first substantive appearance in the show here, and I was loving every minute of it. The animation and sound-effects teams really knocked it out of the park here in getting across the sheer WEIGHT of his every movement, emphasizing the fact that he is first-and-foremost a hulking neanderthal. And of course, there's no one better to deliver those bonechilling lines than Miguel Ferrer himself.

But of course, the real "heart" (pardon the pun) of this episode was Wally West, and Jason Spisak really rose to the occasion and carried this episode from start-to-finish. Everything was hit perfectly, from his earnestness in celebrating his sweet sixteenth to his reaction to FINALLY being informed of the M'gann/Conner relationship to the heartbreaking guilt in his voice both times he believed Perdita to be dead...to the point where the performance fully convinced me that the girl had really died, BOTH times.

The voice work (Steve Blum doing his Spike voice for Mr. West = WIN) and score were most top-notch, as per usual, but the real accomplishment here production-wise was the animation. Good LORD, was the animation fantastic in this episode - possibly the best this series has seen yet, and that's saying something. The snow effect was perfect, and just look at the close-up of Wolf on the ice fortress...that level of detail is rarely seen on something that moves so fluidly.

All-in-all, one of my favorites of the season.

IMAGE: First of all, can we all give it up for a Beast Boy origin story that actually MAKES SENSE?! I loved Gar to pieces in the comics, but there's no denying his origin makes zero sense...until now. This was some excellent pipe-laying, and the shift of his eyes from blue-to-green post-operation was a brilliant touch.

I've been looking forward to seeing Queen Bee in action since I learned that Marina Sirtis (AKA Demona, the evil sex goddess of my childhood) would be voicing her, and I was NOT disappointed. That last scene had me in chills, with her cold and calculated delivery, rather predatory treatment of the eight-year-old Garfield, and lack of concern for M'gann's physical boundaries very much evoking an image that I can only describe as "female rapist." One thing's for sure: I definitely understand now why Greg and Brandon decided to include her as a member of the Light.

Oh, and while I'm on the subject of her...allure, may I just say that I loved this pair of lines:

Robin: "Doesn't she have the power to enthrall most men?"
Batman: "And some women."

Thus YJ may well have become the first "kid's cartoon" to admit that homosexuals, y'know. Exist.

But of course, the meat of this story was M'gann, and Danica McKellar's performance was quite frankly breathtaking throughout. She may not have turned out to be the mole, but she's still easily the darkest character on the Team now...and I'm not talking about her monstrous appearance. She basically LOBOTOMIZED Psimon to keep her secret, and continues to keep it - which, given the last scene, I'm guessing is going to have consequences that stretch into Season 2.

And finally, "Hello Megan!" itself...very, very cute. Reminds me of "Blossom" in its delightful cheesiness and grown-up-to-be-a-scientist teenage star, and the theme song is quite catchy. And as for "Greg Vietti and Brandon Weisman"...well, it definitely managed to put a smile on my face.

AGENDAS: Quite possibly my favorite episode of the season, and that's saying something. The highlight was of course Lex Luthor, and as an avid fan of the character in the comics and elsewhere, I can state firmly that this WAS Lex - his absolute best moments from the comics, translated perfectly from page to screen.

But as much as Rolston's Lex completely stole the scene whenever he showed up, this was first and foremost Superboy's story...and fortunately, Superboy is only barely edged out by M'gann as the most-developed character throughout the show's history. He's clearly developed a strong personal philosophy and principles regarding "freedom" since his own liberation at the hands of Kaldur, Dick, and Wally, which makes it all the more tragic when he has to compromise those principles in agreeing that Match is too dangerous to himself and others to be "allowed" freedom. In general, it's a very effective "confronting the demons of his past" story, especially considering that it's been so long since we've even SEEN Cadmus onscreen.

Still, arguably even more engaging was the episode's B-plot revolving around the Justice League. Being a political wonk, getting this behind-the-scenes look at the League's parliamentary procedures fascinated me to no end. The back-and-forth between personalities as strong as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, etc. is something I couldn't get enough of, especially when going back knowing what we know about the results of their decision now. The Green Lanterns' double "NO!" regarding Guy Gardner remains one of the most memorable laugh-out-loud moments in the show, and Batman's answer to Wonder Woman's accusation regarding Robin's age breaks my heart every time. And speaking of Wonder Woman...DAMN does Maggie Q knock that performance out of the park.

INSECURITY: Green Arrow is my favorite comic book superhero of all time and I've really dug the addition of this version of Artemis Crock to his mythos, so along with the fact that the scriptwriter was Peter David, responsible for the tightest script of the series so far ("Secrets"), I was greatly looking forward to this one. And I was not disappointed. Both Sportsmaster and Cheshire were in fine form, and do I even need to mention Brain and Klarion? The two make a fantastic "odd couple" in so many ways, and overall Klarion's pretty much been the breakout villain of the whole show...followed closely by this very Deathstroke-ish Sportsmaster. And to top it all off, Ivo's back for another round of tinkering...and any excuse for more Peter MacNicol is good with me.

I also liked that the Light's plans really came together here. Even before getting to see Starro-Tech in action a couple episodes later, it just felt supremely satisfying to witness the installation of Warden Strange, the echinoderm from Atlantis, the Fog with data stolen from STAR Labs, Kobra-Venom, and Klarion's Chaos magic all combine into a product that justified a full season of subterfuge. The banter and cooperation between the bad guys is one of the things that really makes this show stand out for me, and this episode delivered that in spades ("Morrow's in a coma? Did I already know that?")

But yeah...back to the heroes. Specifically, Artemis and Red Arrow. Both perform as spectacular foils to each other, and while it's easy to get really peeved at Roy for his treatment of her (particularly in hindsight), I can also greatly sympathize with his viewpoint. He's a professional - it's quite literally the only life he's ever known - and even without the mole suspicion on her head Artemis has got to seem somewhat superfluous to him, a back-up archer who should be stepping aside when the moment really counts, as it so often does on missions involving the Shadows.

The two work very well in concert, but it's hard for him to see that when she's objectively just not in his league and for her to see that when she's quite justifiably concerned about exactly that same "superfluousness." It gets to the point where, even after all we know about her from the rest of the season (especially "Homefront"), the tag can really play with our expectations. Lawrence is damn good at manipulating his "baby girl," and she knows it.

Oh, and I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention Joshua Keaton's cameo as the Spectacular Black Spider(-Man). Pure, unadulterated WIN right there.

PERFORMANCE: Now this was a gem, though perhaps not quite to the SAME level as the phenomenal episodes both preceding and following it; still, even when YJ is merely "really good" as opposed to "bloody fantastic" it still beats the snot out of pretty much every other show airing right now, "Legend of Korra" excluded.

Dick Grayson's been overdue for his own showcase, and this episode definitely delivered on that score. It's a really difficult task to take a story most everyone already knows and make the tragedy ring in full once again, so this show made a FANTASTIC choice in going with a "less is more" approach regarding Dick's remembrances of his family. The music, Wally's vague hints, and that distant cry of "Ladies and gentlemen, the Flyyyyyying Graaaaaaysons!"...gah, it gives me chills every single time I hear it. That scene alone is worth the price of admission.

As for the main plot, while Parasite is far from my favorite villain of the season, he plays his part quite well. This is a guy who should be terrifying - after all, he merely has to go around and tap some shoulders at a Justice League press conference and suddenly he's the most powerful entity on Earth - and this series did a MUCH better job at conveying that than the DCAU version ever did. His constant (but never over-the-top) food metaphors, his voice as supplied by the great Adam Baldwin, and the fact that he spends the entirety of his first major scene in a creepy-as-Hell clown suit all add up to a suitably unnerving villain.

The rest of the episode isn't the absolute best - but that may just be my personal preference, since I don't tend to like "circus episodes" very much - but it's filled with some fantastic moments. Superboy's B-plot is hard to watch but also highly sympathetic, as most addiction metaphors are (after all, if you could make yourself fly and shoot laser beams from your eyes with the ease of basically pushing a button, wouldn't YOU find it hard to stop?) and Nolan North pulls out some of his best acting chops in tracking the devolution of his higher mind as the Shields exert greater and greater influence. The mole plotline also continues, and we get some great lines from both Roy and Artemis out of it. And circus episode or no circus episode, that final scene with Jack Haley and Dick is utterly heartwarming.

USUAL SUSPECTS: Now, here's where things get a little tricky. Unfortunately, thanks to my position as an AskGreg moderator and some supremely idiotic and/or trollish posters who saw the Brazilian episodes weeks ahead of time, I was forced to be spoiled on several significant plot points for both this episode and "Auld Acquaintance" (including that Red Arrow was the mole, that he was a clone, that the Light has the original Roy and he's missing an arm, that Vandal would end up on the Watchtower, that Cheshire would save Artemis' life, etc.). Fortunately they were both of such ridiculously high quality that it didn't matter all that much in the long-run, but I can't pretend it didn't color my impressions watching them for the first time.

Anyway, with that out of the way...where do I start? SO DAMN MUCH happened in this one that it's almost mind-boggling. Rocket/Raquel Ervin joined the Team and four new members (five if you count the re-branded Doctor Fate) joined the League, and while we still haven't yet gotten heavy-heavy on characterizing any of them apart from Red Arrow, it really helped to further improve the "realism" of this League. The induction of new members is cause for a press conference held by Superman and broadcast live; reporters immediately take advantage of the almost unique gathering of League members to ask questions like, "Will Atlantis be joining the UN?"; they even hand out membership cards! It's the little details like that which truly impress me on this show.

Both the Team and the Light were at the top of their game here, and it was magnificent. Riddler gets some great lines and, assuming the idea of passing the Starro-Tech along through a loss to the Team was intended, some great strategems as well. Plus Bee, Luthor, and Sportsmaster remain at their high points as established by the previous string of episodes; "Young man, if you wish to detain me, contact my attorney" is easily one of the best lines out of anything ever.

In general both of the major fight scenes feature some of the best action in this series yet, and THAT is saying something. Everyone, including Rocket, got something to do and a chance to shine, and setting the big showdown on Santa Prisca - where the Team first truly came together and succeeded at their first official mission - was a brilliant way to show how much these young heroes have grown. As for the canyon fight, Superboy's final Shield-induced rampage looked like it was ripped straight from Guts in "Berserk," and the fanboy in me was sallivating at the utter AWESOMENESS of his rapid-fire pummeling of Mammoth. And speaking of which, it was a great touch to give us more than just generic mooks to take out by bringing back Mammoth, Shimmer, Blockbuster, and Bane. Again, it shows just how far the Team has come...especially Kaldur, whose tactical skills (especially in the appropriation of the mooks' Apokoliptan tech to neutralize Sportsmaster and Blockbuster) now rival even Batman's.

The real meat of this episode, though, wasn't the eye-gasmic action...but the confession scenes intercut throughout it. Magnificent bastards as they are, the one thing the Light continually underestimates is the familial bond that links this Team together. This is in contrast to the League, which as "Agendas" displayed quite thoroughly is a mixture of friends, colleagues, and begrudging allies. So getting to see Conner, Artemis, and M'gann choose - CHOOSE - to detach themselves from the narrative theme of "secrets and lies" showed a level of heroism that is beyond incredible. And kudos again to Kaldur for his completely nonchalant response to Miss Martian's true form. The man runs a tight ship, and this was the episode that truly showed it.

And finally...that last scene. Fortunately, the fact that the ENTIRE League was going to get Starro-Tech'ed was NOT spoiled for me, so while I was expecting Red Arrow's unconscious betrayal I certainly wasn't expecting to see every member of the Justice League bow down to Vandal Savage. It was ridiculously chilling imagery, and got me pumped as Hell for the grand finale.

AULD ACQUAINTANCE: This. Was. AMAZING.

As I said in my previous review, the Team has truly proven themselves as a tight-knit family and a well-oiled machine under Aqualad's expert leadership...and this episode provided the ultimate test for said proof. One moment of pure awesomeness from Red Tornado is enough to give them the opening necessary to take on the entire Justice League one-by-one, and WIN. A full season of gathering resources and allies, of training in stealth attacks and subterfuge, and it all pays off here.

It helps that they made it extremely clear that this was not opposition the Team could beat head-on; in a straight fist-fight Superman would pulverize Superboy, and in a straight race the Flash would leave Kid Flash in the dust. Instead the Team takes down the League through intelligent application of teamwork, the element of surprise, and no small amount of "dirty" tactics...allowing Crowning Moment of Awesome after Crowning Moment of Awesome without making the League seem to weak by comparison. This was especially true of the "World's Finest" duel that closed out the final fight scene, with an epic Fastball Special and a suitably dramatic first unveiling of Kryptonite on Earth-16.

The character that most shines here, however, is Vandal Savage himself. After "Coldhearted" showed us just how much of a beast the man is in terms of physical attributes, more "force of nature" than mere supervillain, this episode did the same for him on the mental and strategical side. The speech he gives to Dinah, Red Tornado, and Roy aboard the Watchtower underscores him as a very different type of Big Bad than most superhero shows, displaying a worldview and aspirations befitting a man who's been seeing the bigger picture for longer than recorded history.

He's a monster with a point, which is certainly the worst kind...but he's a monster nonetheless. And while what he's selling - an intergalactic empire with a utopian Earth at the center of it - can sound incredibly appealing, to the point where individuals as diverse as a leading captain of industry to a genius scientist to the personification of Chaos could buy into it completely, the price he demands is far too great. The world he represents is one where the individual has no protection from the supercriminal...and when that world includes powers, magic, and tech capable of killing hundreds, Vandal's vision is horrifically unacceptable.

There's so much I haven't yet mentioned about this incredible episode; Greg Weisman is without a doubt television's greatest expert at fitting the most action possible into 22 minutes, without making it seem cramped or forced. Red Arrow quickly becomes probably the show's most tragic character (and THAT is saying something) in a revelation that makes one revisit the entire season in a new light; the romance and sexual tension reach their peak in one glorious New Year's moment (followed by Red Tornado delivering one of the funniest lines of the season); Clark and Conner finally find their accord and my heart explodes with rainbows; and a mystery reaches through into the next season that leaves the viewer in chills.

This episode was the perfect season finale. I have no complaints.