Finister2 writes...

Big fan of your work Mr. Weisman. My plan C in life is to just like you. I'm also autitic, so you may have to accuse some of my more unusuel questions and any spelling mistakes.

1) Are you a fan of Doctor Who?
2) Why did Hagen reveal his plans to use the Lazarus Pit to Talia BEFORE he ectualy used it?
3) What is the "Half-life" Atomic Skull mentions?
4) How old is Zatan...Clayface? (haha, gotcha)
5) Is Superman's reaction to Superboy in anyway inspired by Goliath's reaction to Thailog?
6) Has Hook killed a man named Boston Brand?
7) Does Cadmus know that Superman is Clark Kent?
8) Who is Talia's mother and what happened to her?
9) How did Clayface know of the relationships within the Team to decieve them?
10) Who did the vocal effects for Clayface, Captain Cold, Mammoth, Blockbuster, Devastation, Shimmer and Tuppence Terror?

Kevin writes...

1.How many members did the Justice Society/All Star Squadron have and who were they?
2.Who is stronger Blockbuster or Mammoth?
3.What are the main differences between the Blockbuster formula and Kobra Venom?
4.Do red or white martians have any abilities that green martians do not have?
5.Are the three martian races a nod to Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom Series or is it just a coincidence?
6.What is the ratio of red, white and green martians on Mars?
7.Did Batman, Superman, or any other member of the Justice league have different costumes then the ones they ues now?
8.Who is stronger Aquaman or Martian Manhunter?
9.Who came up with the idea to have the designations of the founding members of the league based on the order they appeared? Not to sound like a sycophant but that idea is just brilliant.
10.12. Not really a question I just wanted to say that Mark Rolston as Lex Luthor and Miguel Ferrer as Vandal Savage are some of the best interpretations of the characters I have ever seen. Not to disrespect the other talented actors but Mark Rolston could convince me to give him my life savings and Miguel Ferrer makes me afraid of the dark as strange as that sounds.

Chris Spider writes...

Hello again, this time I wanted to ask a few voice acting questions:

-Is there a story behind your "Father, the rockets aren't working!" bit in the Panda-La episode of Talespin (i.e. how you were tasked with doing it)?

-Do you and your co-producers like Frank, Victor, or Brandon select casting and voice directors, or are there "casting calls" for positions like that? I ask because you've made quite a good partnership with Jamie Thomason on Gargoyles, Spider-Man, and Young Justice.

-How do auditions work for main, supporting, and guest characters respectively? I ask because it seems like you hand-pick past favorites for guest stars like Ed Asner, Brent Spiner, Lacey Chabert, Bill Fagerbakke, etc., and I was curious as to how that differs from the main and supporting audition process.

Thanks again,
Chris Spider

Mohammed Yahya writes...

Dear Greg, Why is Black Canary voiced by Vanessa Marshal instead of a younger actress like Grey Delisle? And Why is Joker voiced by Brent Spiner? The reason for Mark Hamill retiring as the Joker is because he's getting to old for it, So why pick a man 62 years of age instead of someone younger like John Dimaggio, KMR, or James Patrick Stewart?

Blair writes...

Hi Greg. I just want to start this off by saying that I appreciate all the time and effort you put into answering these questions.

Although I enjoy nearly every aspect of the show, I've noticed that a particular strength of Young Justice is the incredible voice acting. Do you know if footage will ever be released of the actors recording some of their lines? I think it would be incredibly fun to watch their expressions, movements, et cetera while they voice their different characters. It would be especially amusing to see the expressions on both Jason Spisak and Stephanie Lemelin's faces while recording their individual parts for an argument between Wally and Artemis.

Once again, thank you so much, and amazing job on the show so far!

Algernon writes...

Hey Greg,

Just wanted to stop by and say how much I LOVED "Secrets". It's easily my new favourite episode of the show. Ben Diskin's portrayal has got to be one of the creepiest things I've ever seen in western animation.

Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg (is it okay to call you by first name?),

I'm puzzled as to why some of the superheroes of the Justice League do not have any voice actors yet? Is it really hard to find the right kind of people to do voice acting for certain characters?

Thanks for reading my question.

Jason R. Carter writes...

1. What is Earth-16 Clark Kent like to the outside world? Judging by how relatively disheveled he looked in "Schooled", he seems the clumsy nerd from the Donner movies.

2. Besides you voicing Snapper Carr and Nicole Dubuc voicing Iris West-Allen, will any of the other writers be voicing characters on Young Justice?

3. If Earth-16 Ma and Pa Kent were really Jor-El and Lara, what stopped them from using their powers like Superman does?

Jeremy writes...

I'm a big fan of your cartoon shows(Gargoyles,Spectacular Spiderman,and Young Justice)
My question is who voiced Wotan in Revelation

Corrigan writes...

Besides Kim Possible have you worked with Christy Carlson Romano in any other cartoons? She's a great voice actress but very very underused. I hope you'll be able to work with her again.

Greg Bishansky writes...

I've been up since early in the morning, I'm still recovering from the flu, I spent all day running around New York Comic Con, and I will be doing the same tomorrow. I need a lot of sleep. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to miss out on watching and reviewing "Young Justice."

This was, to use a term coined by J. Michael Straczynski, a wham episode. So much happened, and fast. A lot of action, a lot of suspense and, yes, a big revelation. Although one that, I think, was guessed by many people before the episode aired. I will elaborate on that momentarily.

Giant plant creatures are terrorizing the world, and are being organized, seemingly, by the Injustice League. Count Vertigo, Wotan, Poison Ivy, Black Adam, Ultra Humanite, and the Joker. The Justice League faces the plant creatures while The Team are sent in to take down the villains' means to control the plants, ergo facing the villains.

The biggest surprise of this episode was Aqualad using the helmet of Dr. Fate to defeat the Injustice League, particularly Wotan. The battle was very suspenseful, and I was actually glad that in addition to Dr. Fate, The Team was bailed out by the Justice League. I think it would have strained credibility if The Team was able to defeat the Injustice League on their own.

The episode ends with both the League and The Team thinking they've defeated the secret society of villains that have been conspiring against them before we finally cut to Vandal Savage, and the revelation of the identities of The Light. The only real surprise in this line-up was Klarion, as action figure photos from ToyFair and those playing cards that were given away at San Diego Comic Con pretty much gave away everybody else, except for Ra's al Ghul and Lex Luthor who were revealed as members back in "Targets."

I like this line-up. A lot. I am especially excited that Vandal Savage is clearly the head honcho in this organization instead of Lex Luthor. I remember being rather disappointed when "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited" were airing and after introducing Vandal Savage, who had all the makings of a great Big Bad that would have helped the series better achieve their own identity, they defaulted (constantly) to Lex Luthor which helped make these series look more like direct sequels to "Superman the Animated Series."

I'm also very interested to learn more about what drives him. The way he uses the word "light" makes me think that, to him, this is more than just a cool name for his little secret society. This is a word that sums up something he deeply believes in. I also like his design, he looks like a savage and a neanderthal. I am curious to learn where those three scars across his face came from. Hmm... did he have a run in with a certain demon in Scotland back in the Dark Ages?

The voice cast in this episode was quite interesting. First, I rather enjoyed Brent Spiner as the Joker. His performance has been getting some mixed reviews across the internet. I personally thought it was terrific, but there were times when it felt wrong to me too. And I know exactly why it did, because we've imbibed Mark Hamill as the Joker for nineteen years now. Hamill owns that role, at least as far as voice work goes. That's a lot to live up to, but I think Spiner will rise to the challenge and while he will never own the Joker the way Hamill does, he is already a worthy one.

Alyssa Milano sounded great as Poison Ivy, but I can tell she's new at voice acting. This is not a knock, with more time to play this character, and especially with a genius like Jamie Thomason directing her, I'm sure she will grow into it. I am reminded of Emma Samms in "City of Stone Part One," and how she grew as a voice actor by the time part four aired.

And I loved hearing Steve Blum again. He's been a favorite of mine for a long time.

The only things that felt a little bit odd to me was Wotan being a part of a group that was trying to ransom $10 billion. I'll admit, before tonight, I had never heard of Wotan. After the episode aired, I looked him up on wikipedia, and based on what I read, a ransom scheme doesn't seem like his style. He seems like someone who plays at higher stakes. Likewise, Klarion, seems too petty and impatient to be a part of an organization like The Light. But time, and more episodes will tell. This production team chose these characters for these positions for a reason, and Greg Weisman has not erred on his previous shows.

The other thing, I felt Aqualad was able to remove the helmet a little too easily. Yeah, he mentioned that Kent Nelson helped, but I hope the next time someone puts that helmet on, taking it off does not come so easily.

This episode was a real game changer, and it leaves me pumped to see what comes next. So far, this show has taken time to grow on me. I liked it, a lot. It's an A+ show, easily. But "Gargoyles" and "Spectacular Spider-Man" were A+ shows with a lot of extra credit. But now, for the first time, I am pumped on this show. I think the extra credit is about to be turned in.

Oh, and if you didn't love Artemis's line about feeling naked and not in the fun way, you have no soul.

A. writes...

Who Voices Billy Batson?

When are you going to put The End Credits on the website?

Is James Remar vocing Hawkman?

Hayden writes...

Hey. I love Young Justice so much! My friends consider me a tomboy since I love that much.
1. Do Green Lanterns have powers in YJ, or does the ring provide all their powers?
2. Kid Flash mentioned that Green Lantern helped hollow out the Cave. Was he talikng about Hal or John?
3. Who are planning to voice the two Lanterns?

Anthrokid writes...

IF Harley Quinn appears will we see her teamed up as a duo with Poison Ivy, on Young Justice?
And if so, who are doing their voices?

Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg! First of just wanted to say that I'm absolutely loving the Young Justice series, it's fantastic (particularly Home Front!) I just have a few questions about the process of voice recording for Young Justice.
1) Do the voice actors record in the same studio and interact with each other during the recording? Or do you often have to record separately due to conflicting schedules?
2) How long does it typically take to record each episode?
3) Who generally directs the voice actors during recordings?
4) Do the actors input their own suggestions for how the characters may react in a certain situation?
5) Does the script go through 'last minute' revisions during the recording?

Thank you so much for taking the time for looking at all the fan's questions and I look forward to seeing the rest of season 1 and 2!

hallofjustice writes...

Me again Greg just a quick question,

If Lucas "Snapper" Carr appears in another DC cartoon, would you want to voice him again?

hallofjustice writes...

YJ feedback and things I would like to say about Barbara Gordon:

Greg, I would like to say I am very very happy that you've casted Jesse McCartney and Alyson Stoner as Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon and that they are now some of my favourite YJ characters. If Dick and Barbara weren't voiced by any "good talented" Disney stars, they would have been boring characters.

I don't know about you Greg. But since she's voiced by a "good talented" Disney star I really felt Barbara's personality is leaning towards "Christy Carlson Romano" territory after watching her appearance and attitude on your show. It's a good thing BTW. Oh and I would love to see more appearances of Barbara.

Greg Bishansky writes...

Thank you for your informative reply on my Betty Brant post. Now, and this is a question I've been pondering for a while, how did you go about your approach to Aunt May?

I love Stan Lee's run on Spidey, but this is one of the few cases where I have to admit that I greatly preferred other writers' takes on the character. Stan's Aunt May was constantly in and out of the hospital... and constantly, dimwitted. I preferred Roger Stern, Tom DeFalco, J.M. DeMatteis, and J. Michael Straczynski's takes on the character.

I can forgive and understand her being overprotective. It's been mentioned later that she had lost a child, and Ben's death was just as traumatic for her as it was for Peter. But what always seemed unreasonable for me was how she thought Dr. Octopus was a good and nice man. She didn't realize that she was being held hostage, that he was a dangerous supervillain, or even that he had these giant metal arms attached to him. And then there was the story where she took him on as a border. I'm not even going to get into that weird story where she almost married him... but that wasn't Stan, that was Gerry Conway.

Your Aunt May, while being protective of Peter, wasn't overprotective to the point of absurdity. And one of my favorite Aunt May scenes was in "Group Therapy" where she stood up to the entire Sinister Six to prevent them from attacking Spidey. And Ock's almost gentlemanly approach insisting that she step aside was, I think, a nice nod to Ock liking her in the comics. I also loved that she never referred to Spidey as "that awful Spider-Man!"

So, what did you think was the core truth of Aunt May? How did you go about interpreting her in your show?

Greg Bishansky writes...

Terrors
And "Young Justice" returns in a big way with what has become a staple of Greg Weisman shows, the prison episode. Okay, I know a lot of shows utilize this, but Weisman really, really loves this trope. "Leader of the Pack" and "Turf." "J Is For Jewel." "Group Therapy" and "Opening Night." All good stuff. Great stuff

Batman sends Superboy and Miss Martian undercover as the Terror Twins inside Belle Reve Penitentiary to find out why all the ice villains from the pilot are there. Well, Icicle Jr and Mr. Freeze both demanded their lawyers transfer them there from, well, easier places to be incarcerated. As the episode ends, Superboy and Megan finally kiss (AND IT DIDN'T TAKE THEM THIRTEEN OR SIXTY-FIVE EPISODES!) as we discover the whole escape attempt was a ruse to have Amanda Waller removed as warden, and for the Light's own agent, Dr. Hugo Strange to take her place.

I enjoyed this episode quite a bit. I still don't know jack about DC Comics, but I enjoyed both Icicles. I kept on wondering who Icicle Sr was voiced by, it kept nagging at me... and, OF COURSE! James Remar! I could have sworn Icicle Jr was voiced by James Arnold Taylor, maybe because I was getting a Harry Osborn vibe from him at times... son trying, in vain, to please his sociopathic father. Guess Junior there doesn't take the Code of Icicle seriously. *ducks as tomatoes are thrown* I could not resist.

I do admit, I am curious as to why Superboy was chosen for this mission. He was well programmed, don't get me wrong. But he was also practically born yesterday and found in a Cadmus lab. That doesn't seem to be ideal to me. But looking through the rest of The Team's male line up, I can't think of anyone else that would fit.

Miss Martian was far less grating in this episode. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of the Miss Martian haters, but she is my least favorite member of The Team. But it was nice to have less of her 50's sitcom attitude here, and I admit that I enjoyed Superboy calling her on it in their therapy session with Dr. Strange. I'm not saying it's bad. In fact, I am sure there will be significant pay-off for it. I'm just saying it's not my favorite aspect of the show.

Now, if I may, I need to address some comments I have seen where people say they don't believe that these two characters can possibly be truly in love, and are dismissing it all as poorly thought out. I think they are missing the point. These are teenage hormones. The connection there is that they both think the other one is hot. It's like Romeo and Juliet. They are young, they dig each other, and they might think they're in love. But it is all hormones mixed with a not fully matured psyche. Right now this might be the most important thing in the world, just as Romeo and Juliet did, but Romeo and Juliet also died young. Had they lived long enough to mature, they might have seen their tryst and secret marriage as a mistake. Assuming Superboy and Miss Martian survive, I don't see them as a couple, let's say, five years down the line. It's a huge teenage crush, and those tend to be pretty consuming. But that's my analysis and it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong.

Finally, I loved the Riddler's cameo. All the crap he got, all the disrespect, and he was the one who managed to escape. Hope to see him again down the line, but knowing how Weisman loves to lay pipe and plant seeds, I am confident we will.

Great episode.

Jokerfish writes...

So I just finished watching Terrors and may I say; well done sir, well done. I loved all of it; from the awkwardly long kiss to Icicle Jr. (who I'm guessing doesn't have a lot of friends- because surely that habit of hitting on his friend's sister would have been knocked out of him by now if he did.)

So I'd like to ask you important, insightful questions but that's not my style so sit back for pointless tedium.

1. In the episode, after the news report of Martian Manhunter’s (I'm sure stunning) defeat of Headmaster, Freeze said that they now knew what all the leagues were doing except Red Tornado. What were the other members up to? Or is this a case where you knew story-wise they were all busy but you have better things to do then spend your day slaving over the particulars?

2. Was Superboy's disguise for this mission a dye job and a hair cut?

3. If the answer to 2 was yes, is being poor at disguises hereditary? Because that's a trait I'd slap onto Superman too.

Okay now for something a little more obscure...

I don't know why but I've fallen in love with prison guard Wilcox; to the point that I've given him a fictitious first name (Fitzwilliam) and a vague background (he grew up tough until he hit puberty, then… he grew up tougher) so...

4. Is Wilcox a dc character that's making a cameo in this episode or is he just a random character you created to fill a role? I tried to google this on my own but the only two Wilcoxs I would find was Laureen Wilcox and William Wilcox- Laureen is defiantly a woman and William has less of a back story than the one I've given Fitzwilliam Wilcox…

5. Who voiced Wilcox?

Anonymous writes...

Marina Sirtis has a lovely British accent. Why does she always do an American accent on your shows? (Though I love her voice in any way)

spence writes...

A few questions about voice-over.

1) Is it recorded before the episode is animated?

2) How long does it take from recording the voice work until the episode is completely finished?

3) Do all actors get together in the room when recording one episode?

4) Are you present?

Mr. Mysterie writes...

PLEASE tell me by the grace of GOD that you some how got Mark Hamill. I know Vietti worked DiMaggio and he did a good job but No One is close to Mark. But no i'm kidding. But can you tell me who the man behind the Joker's smile this time around. Oh and I can't wait for this friday's new episode. A entire prison full of villians has to call for cameos.

Chris Spider writes...

So glad Young Justice is back! Anyway, I just had a few questions this time around:

1. Is there any particular reason you decided to cover much of the backstory for characters like Kid Flash, Miss Martian, and Robin in Issue #5 of the tie-in comic instead of the show itself? It's an interesting decision, to say the least.

2. How closely did you work with the writer of the first six issues of the book?
3. How many retakes do you generally have to do? MOI's animation for the show has been incredible so far, so I wondered if there were hiccups like you had in, say, Gargoyles.

4. Did BS&P really not catch that quick panty shot of Chesire? I was rather amazed you guys got away with it.

5. Mark Rolston is an intriguing choice for Lex, having only done a little previous VO work, and none with you guys. How did you, Brandon and Jamie come to cast him in the role?

Anyway, can't wait to see where the show goes next!

Richard Jackson writes...

Having watched the first 10 episodes and read the first 9 comics (I'm including #0 and FCBD), I can really see how the show is rewarding repeat viewings. I can go back and look how someone said something and see it another away. Also, with the show playing out in real time and cast of dozens of heroes reminds me a lot of one of my favorite series, Astro City. I don't know if you've read the comic, but I assure it's a compliment of the highest order.

When I rewatched "Welcome to Happy Harbor", I noticed Lucas Carr and "Schooled", I finally noticed the LexCorp truck. I love things like that.

Can you give the story on how you were cast as Lucas Carr? Obviously, you're the producer, but who suggested the role for you and why were you attracted to playing Lucas Carr? By the way, I like Lucas "Snapper" Carr.

Greg Bishansky writes...

Targets

This is a show that, I swear, gets better with each episode. I've been enjoying the Red Arrow character since the first episode, so I really dug this episode. He had a lot of character development, and while I can't see him joining the team yet, I do think the door is open for it.

Sportsmaster and Cheshire both make welcome returns. And Cheshire is a character that has really grown on me. I love the chemistry she has, not just with Red Arrow, but with everyone. Kelly Hu is doing a magnificent job with that character. So are the writers and animators. She just personifies the sexy badass, and I am eager to see more of her.

As for Sportsmaster, well, I still don't know too much about him. But I am told he is a D-List villain in the comics who is really shining in this series. He's intimidating, badass, and I guess I'm eager to see more of him to. And while we're talking about villains, for the first time in this series, two of the DC Universe's A-List villains have finally been formally introduced.

I was really happy to see Ra's al Ghul, he's one of my favorite Batman villains. Oded Fehr did a great job with his voice, even if I'll have to take some time to get used to it. I guess David Warner's voice has just imbibed itself into my brain for that character, that Fehr has a lot to live up to. But I enjoyed his performance and I am eager to hear more of him. I also enjoyed his skills not just as a leader, but as an assassin. With just pure skill he knew Red Arrow was watching his meeting with Cheshire and Sportsmaster and from where. Very cool. This is why he's the master of the League of Shadows.

And then, there's Lex Luthor. Lex is a character I have never, ever liked. I'm not quite sure why, it's like oil and water with me. I've always thought of him as the poor man's David Xanatos, even years before I ever met the character of David Xanatos. I don't know why. That being said, I did enjoy Mark Rolson's performance as Lex, he brought a lot of charisma to the role. Clancy Brown did the same thing for Lex Luthor too, loved the performance even if I still didn't like the character. Will this version of Lex break the mold and make me like the character? Time will tell. But Greg Weisman managed to make me like Venom, a character I've always detested. Again, time will tell.

Also, looks like we can finally, officially, identify two members of the Light. Oded Fehr voiced L-2, and Mark Rolston voiced L-3. May I just say, and I understand that this might be a bit petty, how ecstatic I am that Lex Luthor is not L-1? If these numbers are indeed a rank, then I would have been disappointed if Lex, again, took center stage. That's one of the reasons why the "Justice League" cartoons disappointed me, because they put too much emphasis on Lex Luthor (who already had that in the Superman cartoon that preceeded it) and not enough on a guy like Vandal Savage, who's appearances in "Justice League" really impressed me and who I felt should have been the main antagonist of that show.

The school scenes were pretty fun, although I was wondering why Superboy needed it, or a secret identity at all. But then, knowledge aside, Superboy could definitely benefit from learning more social skills, so I understand it. Miss Martian too, who seems to have learned everything about interacting with humans from a 50's sitcom.

And who is that, voicing the teacher. Hmm... someone couldn't resist now, could he? ;)

BTW, I loved the origin of the Conner Kent alias, and where they all think the "Kent" part came from.

lou-bert vs. q-bert writes...

Hi Greg, thank you for connecting to everyone. Fifteen years later, I'm sure questions about "The Kiss" never end, so who am I to part with tradition?

>It is my understanding that, for soap operas and/or ongoing series, actors do get sprung some story-surprises in their scripts. Although it was likely 1 to 2 pages of script, was "The Kiss" that kind of surprise for Salli Richardson and Keith David?

>Did they record their dialogue together? because it was extraordinarily acted.

Antiyonder writes...

In addition to being right for the part, was casting Morgan Shepperd as Erik Hellstrom (Atlantis: Milo's Return) done as a nod to his role of Odin on Gargoyles?

Cal writes...

Greg this is another question I am really dying to ask. Why in modern cartoons, they never cast any Simpsons voice actors, but they always do cast Futurama voice actors especially John DiMaggio? Nearly every cartoon I watched I always hear "Bender"'s voice and I'm always keep thinking that everybody likes Bender a lot these days. I'm also certain you have worked with Futurama voice actors before.

Foxwolf writes...

Hi Greg

First of all, I must compliment the show on it's amazingly beautiful animation. It's like animated movie quality in every episode.
Anyway, I run a website called Behind The Voice Actors and am been the editor on the Young Justice page. Right now, all the characters displayed in the shows credits are on the site, but I was wondering if I could ask you if you knew who voiced these other unnamed characters?

Independence Day
- Fireman

Fireworks
- Dr Spence

Welcome To Happy Harbor
- Happy Harbor Police Officer

Drop Zone
- Kobra Member

Schooled
- Star Boston Driver
- Star Manhattan Driver (is he the one with the beard?)

Infiltrator
- Wally's School Teacher
- WayneTech Security Guard
- WayneTech Cafe

Downtime
- Squad Leaders
- Science Center Guard (Kelly Hu?)

Bereft
- Scientist #1
- Scientist #2

And also one last question for my own curiosity. I was wondering if each of the Justice Leaguers that haven't already been voiced (WW, Hawks, Green Lanterns) will appear by seasons end?

Appreciate your time
Foxwolf

Anonymous writes...

Can the members of the Light be discerned by their voice actors? Especially if one known character has the same voice actor as one of the members?

Without getting into too many details, can you say anything about the selection of characters to be part of the Light? Were you looking for a broad overview of the different corners of the DC universe?

Thank you for the entertaining show!

Cal writes...

Hi Greg, I've got questions regarding the YJ episode "Downtime".

1.Were any Atlantis guards and Black Manta's men killed during the battle?

2.If yes to Q1, why did Aquaman only mentioned the injured guards and not the dead ones?

3.What foreign language was Aquaman and Aqualad speaking in this episode?

4.Was that Jeff Bennett voicing Alfred? if not who?

5.Was that really Patrick Warburton voicing that TV ad before Artemis' mum turns off the TV? It sounds like him. If not who?

PS: I really like the designs of Black Manta's men as well as their weapons.

Cal writes...

Hi Greg,
I've just watch the YJ episode "Denial" and I did enjoyed it. Thanks for letting Jeff Bennett reprise his role as Abra Kadabra from B:TB&TB onto YJ. Oh and Kent Nelson seriously does sound like Adam West even though he isn't voiced by him.

Greg Bishansky writes...

Infiltrator

Another week, and another new episode of "Young Justice." This series just gets better and better. The line-up is finally complete as Artemis joins the team.

I had a feeling Artemis was going to be my favorite member of the team, and the episode did not disappoint. She was intriguing from the get-go. Who is she? How come no one seems to have heard of her before. When Green Arrow introduced her as his niece, something just felt off. Well, the theme of the show seems to be Secrets and Lies, and so far they're doing it beautifully.

At the end of the episode, when Cheshire and later Speedy... er, I mean, Red Arrow, had their little confrontations with Artemis, I cannot say I was surprised. But still intrigued.

The League of Shadows served as this episode's antagonist. I think that was Sensei issuing the orders, but at the end he was speaking to the Light, and one particular member I don't think we've heard speak before this episode. If Sensei called him master, than I think we can safely identify him as Ra's al Ghul. Ra's knows Batman's real identity, and I cannot believe for a second that the attack on WayneTech wasn't a ploy to hack the Batcave.

As for the other new characters, I really, really liked Cheshire. I am interested in seeing her relationship with Artemis explored, not to mention that being a sucker for dark-eyed brunettes, she was hot. And she kicked a lot of ass.

I spotted the evil Spider-Man character, who wikipedia tells me is named Black Spider. After Weisman's previous series, "The Spectacular Spider-Man," I got a kick out of seeing him. I especially got a kick when I realized who was voicing him. None other than the spectacular Spider-Man himself, Josh Keaton. I'd recognize that impact grunt anywhere. My brother recognized him too.

No idea who the third assassin was.

It was nice to see Speedy again, and even nicer to see he has gone his own way as Red Arrow. But best of all was not just seeing him being an angry jerk. He still cares about his friends. That icy warning to Artemis at the end was the best development he's had all season. Looking forward to seeing more of him.

But, by far, the biggest surprise of the episode was Wally NOT hitting on a girl, specifically Artemis. He's hit on everything else that lacks a penis, but not Artemis. I wonder if that will change, or if he is always going to see her as his buddy's replacement.

The biggest laugh of the episode goes to the segments showing why telepathically linking a group of teenagers together is a bad idea. It reminded me of that episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" where Buffy gained telepathic powers.

But this episode left a lot of questions. I understand why Artemis is lying. But why was Green Arrow lying about who Artemis is? Was Batman in on it? If now, you'd think he'd vet new recruits better. Was the Light talking about Artemis at the end, or are we being misdirected? Well, it's either her or Superboy, who was created to be their weapon. I've noticed the Light don't seem broken up about him being in enemy hands, and you'd they would.

Curious...

Algernon writes...

“Schooled” Review

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Yo Greg, sorry I’ve kinda fallen behind with these reviews but life sometimes gets in the way. Anyway, I enjoyed this ep a lot. I have to admit I did find Superboy’s anger issues a bit one not in “Welcome to Happy Harbor” even though I did understand why it was so. Lets face it, being raised in a tube by psychic goblins is probably going to leave you a little lacking in social skills. But this ep, (and to a certain extent “Drop-Zone”) has done a great job of letting us see other sides of his character, as well as exploring the underlying reasons for all that anger.

I particularly liked his exchange with Clark, poor kids practically giving Big Blue puppy dog eyes. Not that I don’t sympathise with Clark. Even with the best will in the world, dealing with your own clone/son has got to be a pretty daunting prospect. If I were brutally honest, I’d have to admit Clark is handling this way better then I would be. I know if I met a clone of myself, my first instinct would probably be to reach for a torch and pitch fork. Hardly the rational or ethical response I’ll readily admit, but luckily the Man of Steel is a lot more level headed then me.

Loved Peter MacNicol as Professor Ivo, he brought a great sense of humour and menace to the character without making him sound like a clone of Doc Ock. I just dig the idea tha this short skinny middle-aged nerd is able to strike terror into the hearts of the Justice League. I also noticed that his character design has a very similar colour scheme to AMAZO, red hair and green clothes. I loved this because it neatly explains AMAZO’s goofy silver design, Ivo designed the android to basically look like and idealised version of himself, brilliant! Hope we see the M.O.N.Q.I.s again. J

Black Canary was pretty cool, it’s good to hear Vanessa Marshall again. I’ve heard she’s your favourite DC character so I’m interested to see how you handle her.

All and all another great ep, I’ll try and get my “Infiltrator” review up sometime tomorrow.

Cal writes...

Will any Kim Possible voice actors be working on YJ? I only asked because you and Nicole Dubuc have written episodes for both shows.

Paul writes...

1) In Young Justice, what is the codename of Hawkman's partner in the Justice League: Hawkgirl or Hawkwoman?
2) Is her real name Shayera Hol or is it something else?
3) Is she romantically linked to Green Lantern (John Stewart) or Hawkman in Young Justice?
4) I asked you before about how much of Justice League/Justice League Unlimited and Teen Titans you had seen and was just wondering if you're thinking of resuming watching either of them? I ask this because they're both great shows and seeing them in their entirety would prevent you from accidentally using an idea that was done on one of those shows.
5) Did/would you ever consider recasting some of the voice actors from other DC cartoons in the same role on Young Justice? (To give an example, Tara Strong as Raven on Teen Titans.)

tomi writes...

I really enjoyed these first preview episodes of Young Justice. And perhaps even moreso than that i enjoyed to hear Crispin Freeman to return back to your services: i think he made fantastic work as both Speedy and Guardian, and eventhough you can still hear a bit that it is the same actor, he made it possible for those two characters to be divided and personified from one and another.

He was excellent as Electro, and i was fan of him before that(i came hooked sometimes around i first saw first few episodes of Wolf,s Rain).

From what i,ve been able to gather, he seems to be not only true professional, but also smart, intelligent guy with great thoughts, coupled with sharp and delightful sense of humor. I have seem him to appear in many of Gatherings(often paired with good old Thom Lexington Adcox), and i,ve heard that he was fan long before your paths crossed, often discussing with his fans about serie,s themes.

If it isnt too much trouble, could you give little bit of greenlight how you two met, and how your cooperation began?

Hopes for better to your work from fan from far-off-land Finland: maybe there arent too many Finnish Gargfans, but i am one of them.

Pidä lippu korkealla!/Keep your spirits high!

Stephanie writes...

I searched some of the archives and I don't think you've answered this, but what was your main inspiration for the creation Thailog's character? He was definitely one of my most favorite antagonists in the show, as well as Demona and Xanatos.

P.S.
Young Justice was amazing! :)

BonnieB21:-) writes...

Long time lurker, first time poster!

I've been trying to think of some questions I know no one else has thought of before. It's taken me a while, but I finally got them.

I've been a fan of Spiderman all my life and have watched EVERY cartoon version either in syndication, on cable, or when they originally aired. I was rewatching "Along Came Spidey" the origin of Spiderman from Spiderman And His Amazing Friends last night (a gorgeous episode, one of the best of the series and the BEST of his various origin stories (present company excluded)). But I believe this was the last time his full story was told. As in before Spiderman became a crime fighter, he was a "plain, old, SUPERSTAR!!!!!". I saw your Spectacular Spiderman origin and I had to ask you this:

I know you had to/wanted to keep towards Spiderman's live action movie origin which rushes through all the pre-crime fighting stuff. But if you could've, would you have explored Spidey's fame-whoring past? Cause I've always wondered why no one else in New York City, no other fans, or no one else remembers Spidey's pro-wrestling, personal appearance making, TV show guest starring past. If J. Jonah Jamision had a reason for hating Spiderman, I would think that would be it.

I used to watch '60s Spiderman every morning in syndication before going to school. But I hadn't seen it in a very long time until ABC Family/Disney reran a bunch of old Spidey episodes, but only one of '60s Spidey. The interesting thing about Peter Parker/Spiderman is that Peter talks in a mild mannered, soft spoken voice in his real life but once he dons the mask, his voice got deeper and more authoritative. That was the only series that had such a huge differnce between Peter and Spidey.

On Spectacular Spidey, there doesn't seem to be a huge difference between the way Peter sounds and the way Spidey sounds. Was there a reason for that? For the most part, Peter's and Spidey's lives don't connect too much (as in Spidey doesn't have to have long conversations with Peter's friends). But I would think at least of one person be it Aunt May, Gwen, or M.J. would be able to tell Peter's voice over a cell phone and Spiderman sound an awful lot alike.

Thanks for taking the time to answer fan questions!

Neal writes...

Questions regarding some of the actors you have worked with:

1. I know you have casted Xander Berkeley in some of your shows in the past, do you have any plans on casting his wife Sarah Clarke in any of your future projects?

2. Has Peter MacNicol told you about his time on Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie? To refresh your memory, he played that art curator David Langley who exists to have his life destroyed by Mr Bean. Very funny movie BTW.

Richard Jackson writes...

When Gargoyles first came on, I was in elementary school (4th grade), but I knew who the main actors on Gargoyles were and I knew a lot of them were in Star Trek. When I went to see Star Trek: First Contact in 5th grade, (that's how I "reckon time" as Titania would say) I noticed that Jonathan Frakes was the director and I knew he was one of the stars, along with Marina Sirtis. I don't think I knew at the time that Michael Dorn or Brent Spiner were Gargoyles/Star Trek actors, but let's move on.

Right about the time ST:FC came out, it was about the time The World Tour episodes were on TV and I noticed that Demona and Xanatos were in less episodes. I wondered then if Frakes and Sirtis' commitment to that film was one of the reasons for the World Tour episodes, since their availability might have decreased.

I know now from reading the archives that the in show reason was to open up the Gargoyles Universe, but my inner child still wants to know if his theory has any weight.

Alan writes...

For Young Justice, are you planning to get voice actors who were in your other projects (Gargoyles, TSSM) and did you worked with Jamie Thomason in your shows?

Con writes...

How did Crispin Freeman manage to find work in American cartoons? Before that he mostly works on anime.

Bryan writes...

Hello Greg,

I watched the pilot for Young Justice, and it was phenomenal. I love this original concept you and Brandon are creating by taking inspiration from past shows and comics. This show will certainly be a hit and hope it goes on for many seasons to come. The question I wanted to ask, was whether Keith David would be voicing any of the characters on this show?

LaLaLa writes...

When Young Justice dvd's get released, is there any footage of the actors doing their voices in the recording rooms for it?

Anonymous writes...

Why didn't Neal McDonough reprised his role as Green Arrow from that DC Showcase onto YJ? Was he unable to?

tomi writes...

I saw premiere of Young Justice, and once agains, brilliant job well done!

I was just wondering, who,s voice director on that series?
My two guesses would be either Andrea Romano( since She has directed almost all existing animation adaptations of DC)or Jamie Thomason( since you have together history).
Once again, nice work, and keep it up!

Voice Chaser? writes...

Thanks for answering my question about Fleur and the Grim's voices.

Who do you imagine for the following characters?

Amanda Chung
Brother Valmont
True
Nashville