CGYJ writes...

Mr. Greg Weisman,

The Season One finale episode was the best episode ever next to "Usual Suspects." It's been a great first season, and I hope the second season does just as good. On to my questions for this particular episode.

1. Was the kryptonite that Robin used to stop Superman actually shaped like a bullet? I wasn’t sure since he moved it towards the screen rather quickly.

2. Batman was under the influence of Starro Tech when he said that Roy Harper was switched with his clone shortly after becoming Green Arrow’s protégé. Personally, I DON’T think Batman was telling the truth at that time (because heroes under the influence of mind-control never do tell the REAL truth). With that fact in mind, was the real Roy Harper on ANY of the past Season One episodes besides the brief appearance at Cadmus at the closing moments of the finale episode? It would be hard to believe that the clone has been around since 2007.

3. The six Starro Tech-controlled Justice League members who returned from their unknown mission appeared to be a nod to the two-part Justice League episode called “A Better World,” in which they were a group of anti-heroes called the Justice Lords in an alternate timeline. Am I correct with what I just said? Now that I think about it, were any other nods to other DC animated media during this entire season? If there was, then this must have been the only one that I’ve actually noticed.

4. Are Dr. Spence and all the Genomorphs at Cadmus dead… or were they just knocked out? Also, if Guardian WAS the cause of it (regardless of what their fate was), was it because he was also under the influence of Starro Tech as well?

5. Because Vandal Savage was registered as designation A04, I’m worried that if his designation is not removed, he can not only gain access to Watchtower, but to other locations such as The Hall of Justice and Mount Justice, and therefore all secret locations could be compromised. With the immediate crisis over, will Vandal Savage’s designation be removed from Justice League computer systems?

Thanks for taking the time to read my questions. Looking forward to the Invasion in the coming week!

Jordan Wade writes...

1. Did the light existed before the league?

2. How many lazarus pits are there and they be created?

3. Is biayla an islamic nation and is there any other countries that didn't sign the justice league charter?

4. Were the justice league affilated with the U.N before they were public?

5. Is there a term for people with superpowers on Earth 16?

Gruntled Fan writes...

Did Captain Marvel ever get the cure chip? What did Zatanna say before he said SHAZAM! What's it like being so awesome?

b1db43 writes...

I have checked the archives and I have not seen a response to this question, but with over 800 questions in the queue it hard to be sure.

My question is: why Artemis?

I would understand if you had chosen, say, Supergirl, but Artemis seems really obscure. With whom did the idea to use Artemis originate, and how did it develop?

(BTW, I'm not arguing with the end result. I love the character! You never know what she's going to say or do next. I hope DC will take the hint and introduce her in the comics. As far as I'm concerned, from now on Wally West will only be half a character without Artemis.)

Finister2 writes...

1) Why is Clark Kent not present at the Daily Planet in the implanted memory seen in Issue #6?
2) How is Professor Ivo affiliated with Artemis's father?
3) Why is Batman so concerned what Talia thinks of him?
4) Why did Ocean-Master want to rob Queen Mera of her powers?

Greg Bishansky writes...

Auld Acquaintance

It's hard to believe that we're finally here. "Young Justice" premiered with "Independence Day" on Black Friday, 2010. Finally, on April 21st, 2012, the show's premiere season comes to a close. Twenty-six episodes spread across three separate years. I don't know if this has ever happened before, but it's certainly the longest time I've ever spent watching one season of a television show. But right now, I can think of no better testimony for this series than to point that despite the constant delays in the airing of the series, and even losing some momentum because of it, the show never ceased to be engaging. Sure, in a perfect world, the season would have aired in less than one year, but we do not live in a perfect world. Neither does The Team.

I loved that cold opening. In fact, it almost feels that on any other DC show, Batman would have been so on top of things that they would have stopped Red Arrow, and subdued Vandal Savage. On any other DC show, Batman would have already known that Red Arrow had been compromised as a traitor. Hell, I've seen people demanding to know how Batman missed this after "Usual Suspects" aired last week. Well, Batman might be the world's greatest detective, but he is not omniscient.

The build-up to this episode started as far back as "Independence Day," everything mattered. Every action taken by every character since the pilot has built up to this. Every action had implications and consequences. It was all a slow burn to a boiling pot. Unlike the overrated "Justice League Unlimited" where you were lucky if anything had even short term consequences, and character development was non-existent unless you were named John Stewart or Shayera Hol. What were the long term consequences of the Annihilator armor created for Ares in JLU's horrid "Hawk and Dove" episode? Um, we got a pretty cool Suicide Squad episode where they infiltrated the Watchtower to steal it, and add it to Project Cadmus' arsenal. Quite a lot of build-up and then... Felix Faust took it on a joyride and it got destroyed in an episode that had nothing to do with their Cadmus arc. Not that I much cared for how the Cadmus arc ended... so much great set-up, and then when it got just a touch too nuanced, a convenient bad guy, without the slightest bit of hint or foreshadowing, showed up for them to beat up and no one again questioned whether the League could go rogue because they took down the big gun on the Watchtower (as if that was really the most powerful thing the League had). I, of course, bring all of this up because the acclaimed "Justice League Unlimited" may have attempted a story arc (something its predecessors never tried), but they didn't really succeed at it. They wanted to have their cake and eat it too, which is why nothing really disturbed the precious status quo. Hawkgirl betrays Earth to the Thanagarians (which was a GREAT story, by the way)? Yeah, she takes a sabbatical and comes back to the League, and the only consequences are an "I Hate Hawkgirl" chat room on the internet.

"Young Justice" knew what it was doing from the word go. Yes, there were times when I was frustrated with it, particularly early on, but it was a slow burn. The seeds were being planted. I was wondering how Red Arrow being the traitor was going to work, and in retrospect, boom, it was there since the pilot. There is not a single episode you can take out of the entire season without really losing something. It would be like removing a chapter from a novel, and that's what the first season of "Young Justice" is: an animated novel. While it did take me a while to warm up to some of the characters, hell it took some of the characters a while to warm up to each other, or in some cases warm up to themselves. But, in the end, it all came together beautifully and we got the best DC series since "Batman the Animated Series."

But how does the episode itself stack up? Pretty damn well. It's sidekick against mentor, and some of us discover whether Freud was right. I was wondering how The Team would be able to take on the League and defeat them in a manner that was credible, and they did it... thanks to the Starro Tech taking 0.16 nano-seconds to control the host, long enough for Red Tornado to arrange to save The Team. From there, it's a series of twists and turns, and all those months conducting stealth black-ops missions really would have paid off.

Vandal Savage was in top form here as we learn what his motivation is for all of this. He believes in survival of the fittest, and as the Justice League preserves the status quo, they also slow down the evolution and development of the human race. The truth of the matter is this, he is not wrong. Evolution is come about through conflict. The United States split the atom to end the second world war. The United State went to the moon to beat the the Russians there. With eternal peace, with an eternal status quo, there is no reason to go anywhere. No reason to develop. Vandal Savage has been around for fifty thousand years, he's seen every human accomplishment, and probably had a hand in at least a few. He wants us to become a galactic power, and in a universe where aliens are known to exist, he's not wrong. Weakness can lead one open to invasion (see what I did there?). However none of this makes him the good guy, far from it. What is the price of the strength he wants to give us? Our freedom. But, I think this is a great motivation and plan for Vandal Savage... and much better than the Bond villain with a gimmick from "Justice League" and "Justice League: Doom." The latter especially, where his plan there was to kill off half of the human race, deprive technology to the other half so the survivors would depend on him and make him ruler. I prefer a Vandal Savage who sees the big picture, not one who is short sighted enough to think the plan from "Doom" is a good idea. This guy is the perfect arch-enemy for The Team... an ancient, immortal against young heroes.

Red Arrow? That poor kid. Yes, he may be a clone, he may be biologically eighteen years old, but eighteen is still a kid. He was probably the biggest victim out of anybody. While he was obnoxious and disrespectful at times, he still wanted to be a hero. He still wanted to do the right thing. He couldn't help what he was, what he was programmed to do. On top of all this, he learns that he is not who he thought he was. But he wants to do the right thing, and find the original Speedy. Speaking of whom, that shot where we see the Light clearing out of Cadmus and we see the original Speedy on ice, missing an arm... talk about high octane nightmare fuel. What did the Light do to him.....

... and it really stops to make you think that this is what the Light would have done to Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad in the pilot.

But, this episode is really about The Team, and this was their finest showing to date. They saved the League and handed The Light a real defeat (or did they?). Superboy finally bonded with Superman, and it looks like Superman will finally become the mentor that Superboy needed. Kid Flash and Artemis finally kiss at midnight, and I was even more amused by Zatanna pulling Robin into a kiss.

I will say that if any member of the Team got the short end of the stick, development wise, this season, it was Aqualad. But, we're now at New Year's. Queen Mera is due in February, and Ocean Master/Prince Orm is still at large, as is Black Manta. I suspect Aqualad's real shining moments are yet to come.

I suspected that the Light would survive this season as an organization, and I'm glad they did. Things should get really interesting now that the League and The Team know that the Light exists. But even worse, six of the League members are missing sixteen hours while under Savage's control. What did they do? Whatever it was, even in defeat, the Light accomplished something and I suspect the consequences will be dire... because in all great stories, actions have consequences.

Bring on the invasion!

Finister2 writes...

1) Why did Haly lie to Faraday regarding his troupe's whereabouts?
2) Why did Intergang want to create a black hole in Geneva?
3) Where did Lex Luthor, Queen Bee, and Sportsmaster want to take Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis from Santa Prisca?
4) How long ago was Roy Harper cloned?
5) Was the Zeta-Beam portal in Star City in "Insecurity" a deliberate cultural reference to the TARDIS in Doctor Who.

Finister2 writes...

1) Were the ice-villains really behind the snow storm?
2) Why did Queen Bee want to unite Qurac and Bialya?
3) Why were Hal Jordan and John Stewart so adamant to cut short any discussion on Guy Gardner's induction in the Justice League?
4) What happened to Genomorph City after Cadmus found it?
5) Why did Black Spider want to kill Bernell Jones?

Finister2 writes...

1) How is Professor Ivo capable of eluding telepathic probing?
2) Are Harm's scars self-inflicted
3) Were was Wotan held between his arrest and liberation?
4) Why is Artemis not a cat person?
5) What is Vandal Savage's history with Flash?

Finister2 writes...

1) Why did Queen Bee want Robin taken in alive in "Bereft"?
2) What caused strife between Professor Ojo and Icicle Jr.?
3) How did the Riddler manage to escape Belle Reve in "Terrors"?
4) Who assembled the Injustice League personally?
5) Did the real T.O. Morrow act on his own initiative to destroy the Justice Society of America, or did he do it at someone else's behest?

Finister2 writes...

1) What was Wotan's sun blotting distraction for?
2) Are Blockbuster and Mammoth's mutations reversible?
3) How did Ivo fake his death?
4) Why did the Light want to steal Intel form STAR Labs and Wayne Tech?
5) Why did the Ocean-Master attack Aquaman in "Downtime"'s flashback?

Miss Martian writes...

Why couldnt Miss Martian capture Starro on the minds of Batman and RT?

Reaper writes...

In the season 1 finale, Robin said that starro tech could control 4 kinds of aliens. The Justice League has only 3 kinds alien species; a Kryptonian, a Martian, and Thanagarians. And Atlantians don't count because they are from earth. What was the 4th type of alien he was referring to?

Rebel writes...

Okay, here's hoping my post won't be deleted this time. To avoid posting about multiple topics in one post, I'll be leaving out the white martian stuff and just posting about Doctor Fate. This'll be more of a ramble with my thoughts and suspicions followed by some numbered questions.

What I've been curious to find out is more information about the nature of Nabu / Doctor Fate. Specifically, about what Nabu and Kent Nelson's relationship was like back when Kent Nelson was Doctor Fate. In the show, Kent Nelson says something about how it's been 60something years since he put on the helmet. That line, plus the fact that Kent Nelson had a wife, would seem to suggest that he was frequently putting the helmet on and taking it off during his tenure as Doctor Fate, which would suggest that Nabu / Doctor Fate liked Kent Nelson and trusted him not to abandon the helmet. And in "Denial" Nabu says something about the 60 years of the helmet not being put on made him feel isolated. This suggests to me that prior to that 60-year isolation, Nabu trusted humans to put the helmet on and take it off as Doctor Fate was needed. But after that time period, he no longer trusts humans to put the helmet on after it's been taken off, which is why it was so difficult to get Doctor Fate to relinquish control of Wally, Aqualad, and then Zatanna. In a way, there's a sort of mutual trust involved. The human has to trust Nabu to take the helmet off when Doctor Fate is not directly needed. But Nabu has to trust the human to put the helmet back ON and not leave him all alone forever.

Anyway, time for questions.

1. So, what was Nabu and Kent Nelson's relationship like? Did they trust each other? Are my suspicions about their relationship correct?

2. What made Kent Nelson stop wearing the helmet? My suspicion is that something went wrong in their relationship, which is why he ended up wearing the half-helmet that he made. But maybe it's something much less dramatic than that.

3. If it's true that Nabu has lost his faith that humans can be trusted to re-don the helmet from time to time to give him something to do so he can feel useful, do you think this faith can be regained? In other words, do you think Nabu could ever "heal" so to speak?

4. While Nabu is more-or-less one of the "good guys" in the sense that he does heroic acts, that shouldn't justify coercing a member of the Justice League into giving up his freedom, so why hasn't anybody on the Justice League tried to get that helmet off of Zatara?

5. I doubt Nabu really *wants* to enslave anybody but I think his desire to not be left alone and isolated outweighs that. Do you think this is correct? Would Nabu be happiest if he had a partner who would frequently put the helmet back on and take it off, or is he happiest being in constant control of his host?

???? Thanks for your answers Greg! If there's any additional light you'd like to shed on Nabu beyond the scope of my questions, feel free!

Reiena Grayson writes...

I wanted to comment about the disgruntled (former) fan.

I think you did the right think changing the limit on the question. I read some of them and well, I could answer those, just common sense. I think Ask Greg is great and a wonderful way to know how your shows touch the fans.

Okay subject change:

ROY WAS THE MOLE!!!!! I did not see that coming until last week,I was sure it was Conner, M'gann, and Artemis. Can't wait for today's finale and next week starting Young Justice INVASION. I've been a fan of DC Comic Shows and movies since I was 7, so I'm about to hit my 20 year anniversary. I hope there's a season three of Young Justice.

Last thing before I close this out. LOVE the job you did on Dick Grayson, Robin's been my fav since I was 7, and this one, I really love. With the hacking, and the cackle that was great but add in his messing with the english language and it's even better. Thank you for the show and keep up the good work.

Ben writes...

superboy and icicle jr understood each other and got along well in prison,
so i was wondering how do superboy and icicle jr feel about each other after the events in belle reve?
does jr only commit crimes to get his fathers approval or does he enjoy it as well?

maskedmax writes...

I noticed that you you used atomic skull in the injustice league episode, my question is which atomic skull is this, Albert Michaels or Joseph Martin?

Guy Gardner writes...

Hi! I'm sure it'll be a while before you get to it, but I wanted to get this in now.

First off, I want to say that I'm a huge fan of the show. I'm a massive DC Comics guy who started off watching the animated Batman and expanded out from there, and no show has gotten me as pumped as this one has me. Also like the music on the new trailer; reminds me a lot of Alien/Aliens/Prometheus, which makes sense considering you guys are going out into space. Hopefully these questions will be quick, easy to answer, and aren't asking you to give anything away prematurely.

1) From the comic and the show, we know that there are still some JSA members running around and that they do have contact with JLA members. Were these members consulted/give advice on the formation of the League and how it was structured, or was this a completely internal thing?

2) We already know that Atlantis is a constitutional monarchy. So do they have a Parliament or Senate based around the various City-States you mentioned in the comic book? I know it's a rather dorky question, but the depth (no pun intended) you've given this version of Atlantis makes me interested.

3) Probably the question that is closest to a spoiler, and I hate asking it... but I just have to. We see an image of Blue Devil for a few seconds in "Agendas", and attached to his belt on the left side is what looks like a law enforcement badge. Am I correct in that assertion? I won't ask for any more beyond that.

4) When the other Lanterns said "No" regarding Guy Gardner, was it because of his good looks, his chiseled abs, or because they knew his ring-slinging skills would make them obsolete? All of the above is an absolutely acceptable answer.

Thanks, and I look forward to the new season!

Kendall Jones writes...

Does Topo have six or eight tentacles? He has six in Down Time, but eight in issue fourteen.

Anonymous writes...

I’m guessing Superman might not be married to Lois Lane on Earth-16 just yet (it's probably still too early), but do they have feelings for each other at this point in time (or at least they’re starting to)?

Fluttershy writes...

Hey Greg before asking my question I would like to praise your exellent characterization on the show. I have become fan of characters i would have ignored otherwise thanks to you (miss martian, superboy artemis Aqualad) Sure you didn't invent them but yo made them actually interesting for the casual viewer imo.

I have only have two question this time, regarding the Zeta beam portal

Due to the fact that it's technology is able to recognize the heroes (ex recognized superman 01), could that technology be abused to identify the heroe's out of their customs and their secret identities?

Is there a failsafe for that technology not to be stolen and be used to find for instance batman's secret identity?

Thanks for your time

Anonymous writes...

I only have one question to ask... sort of.

1. How did you come up with Kaldur's character, going beyond his design and parental origin?
2. Did you originally envision him as calm and collected as he has been seen in the show, or did you have any other ideas regarding his personality?
3. When you were planning the show, was he one of the first characters you started 'fleshing out', so to speak?

Ms. Spoiler writes...

Hey Greg, just say the new invasion promo and while I'm happy to see all these fresh faces I was kinda hoping we would see Donna Troy as wondergirl, not Cassie Sandsmark. So, I was wondering why did you choose Cassie or Donna?

Hugin writes...

Hey, huge fan of the show. It's probably the only thing that gets me out of bed on Saturdays.
You've clearly been pushing Wally and Artemis together since Denial, with the "Spitfire" comment, and while it's been clear that Wally has an interest in Artemis, I can't honestly see why she'd reciprocate. Could you elaborate a bit on what aspects of her character and what actions on Wally's part you think would make her interested in him?

Anonymous writes...

1. How old is Brom Stikk?
2. How old is Count Vertigo?
3. How old is Ultra-Humanite?
4. How old is Uncle Dudley?
5. How old is Wilcox?

Anonymous writes...

1. How old is Mal Duncan?
2. How old is Wildcat?
3. How old is Blue Devil?
4. How old is Serling Roquette?
5. How old is Alan Scott?

Garfeild Logan writes...

Why have the color of my eyes changed after I got a blood transfusion?

Anonymous writes...

Is it me or is Robin getting taller as the series progresses?

Harmony writes...

I'd like to ask how Robin's signature cackle came about. Was his laugh something that was pre-planned, or did Jesse McCartney just randomly laugh like that one day and you realized you HAD to put it in?

Badgermushroom writes...

Mr Weisman,

You are a busy man so I will get to the point. Here are a couple of question that as far as I can tell have not been asked yet:
1) Am I correct in thinking that a lot (if not most) of the actions scenes in Young Justice take place in the evening/nightime/otherwise dark places? If so, is this for atmosphere, or just so the kids can be heroes and still go to school?
2) Phil Bourassa's art style is really refreshing, I'm very glad to see it in YJ and also movies like "Justice League: Doom". Is there any particular name for Phil's style (like e.g. Bruce Timm's "dark deco" style used in the old Batman cartoons) or is it just "Phil's style"?

Questions over, sycophancy now, feel free to skip if you are busy.

Thank you and the whole Young Justice team for the excellent work on this show. I've been enjoying very much watching the characters and storylines develop, and I love seeing how all the strands are now coming together (final episode will air tomorrow as I write this). As someone with only a passing knowledge of the superhero genre, I can say that this show really has someone for all viewers, not just the hard-core aficionados. I wish you all continuing success with the show!

-BM

Shazam writes...

1) Was there a single event that caused the formation of the Justice League in this universe such as the invasion see in the Justice League cartoon show, or did they form just to get more good done?
2)Does the general public know about the sidekicks? Like are "Batman and Robin" known as being the "Dynamic Duo" or are the sidekicks kept more secretive compared to their famous mentors?

Elaine writes...

1. I've noticed that the beginning credits to the show have been replaced with a logo to allow more time for the DCU shorts. If this hadn't been the case, would you guys have incorporated permanent scenes of Zatanna and Rocket in the beginning credits?
2. Being teenage superheros that fight crime mostly during odd hours of the night or going on long undercover missions, how do they continuously come up with excuses for missing school so often or for such long periods of time? It's pretty suspicious.

Anonymous writes...

I've read on the internet that Earth-16 was chosen for the setting of Young Justice because, in the eyes of the public, superheroes are considered to be a relatively recent phenomenon. Is the reason they are considered as such is because the long period of time that passed between the retirement of the JSA and the emergence of the JLA caused the public to forget (with the passage of time) what superheroes were like?

kelly k writes...

is robin interested in dating Zatanna or barbara?

J writes...

In Usual Supects when Superboy was dimounting the supercycle on Santa Prisca there was a small thing on his arm that looked like the shield he used against Mammoth was this an error?(assuming i'm correct that is)

Kenzey writes...

Hello,
In preparation for the season finale I've been rewatching the show from the beginning, and I have a question about Misplaced.
How did the Riddler get involved with the Light?
Was he recruited by the Light or did he seek them out?
Thanks for taking the time and keep up the amazing work. :)

Anonymous writes...

How would Batman and Commissioner James Gordon react if someone made a rude, crude sitcom which satires and parodies low income residents of Gotham City who are living in public housing?

smartaxe writes...

Hi Greg,

I hadn't heard much about this version of Queen Bee before watching YJ, but she's definitely intrigued me. I'm based in Egypt at the moment, and the idea of a female dictator in the Middle East is a really interesting one, rife with possibilities.

A couple questions:

1. Is she a Muslim?
2a. How do her powers work? Does she issue commands telepathically, or does she need to speak to someone to control him (or her)?
2b. Am I correct in assuming that her powers are based on sexual attraction to some degree? (ie. does a person need to be attracted to women in order to be susceptable to her control?)

Thanks for your time!

Anonymous writes...

Does Queen Bee know any combat skills whatsoever because she seems like the easiest villain to beat?

Jordan writes...

Hey Greg! Young Justice is amazing, you are doing the best work of your career (long time Gargoyles fan here.)

I know that both the YJ comic book and TV show can be enjoyed on their own (and enjoying them I am!), but I'm wondering if just for the fun of it you've thrown in any subtle nods to the events of the comic book on the air?

Now as for my next 34 questions...Just kidding!

Thanks!

no.1 batfan writes...

Let me just say right now that Usual Suspects has become my absolute favorite episode of this show, and not just because of the fantastic fight scenes or the reveal of the mole, but the fact that the team voluntarily revealed their secrets to each other. I especially liked seeing that the longer Miss Martian, Superboy, and Artemis kept their secrets, the worse things got for them, and only by revealing their secrets did things get better for them. My question is what made you and everyone else involved decide to have their secrets revealed to the team in this way, compared to say someone like Cheshire, Queen Bee, or Lex Luthor reveal them?

Paul writes...

Since Red Arrow was the mole and appeared to be under mind control (given his confusion at the end of Usual Suspects), was he instructed by the mind control to place Miss Martian under suspicion in Secrets?

If so, does this mean that the tale he supposedly heard about M'gann having stowed away on J'onn's ship was just a lie concocted by Roy?

Red Robin writes...

I'm a bit curious about Dick Grayson's training prior to becoming Robin. I'm not sure if you're ever planning to do an "origin" type episode for him, so I understand if you can't answer some of these questions due to spoilers. I've also looked through the archive, and I didn't see these questions asked, but if they were I appologies.

1. How long after adopting Dick, did Bruce wait before revealing his identity as Batman? Or did Dick find it out for himself?
2. How long did Bruce train Dick before allowing him to become Robin.
3. Who came up with using a Robin for Dick's hero identity in this continuity? Bruce or Dick or Dick's parents? (In some continuities the Grayson's nicknamed Dick "robin" due to him being born on the first of spring).
4. In the original Young Justice comic, the team were rather resentful towards Robin (Tim Drake) for keeping his identity secret from them, under Batman's orders. Does the animated Young Justice team (with the obvious exception of Wally) feel the same way towards Robin (Dick Grayson)?

Niedzwiedz writes...

This is not a question. It is simple statement about Usual Suspects. I' a talkative person - I never shut up. But after the ending of that episode in a group of friends I was silent for a good few minutes. It was not the sleeper agent reveal - which I guessed. It wasn't Red Arrow as mole - I didn't guessed that (to be honest I don't recall anything in particular hinting at him), but I'm paranoid so I considered him. I was silent because of simple fact, how utterly freighting was a scene of taken watchtower. It is quite a common trope among the writers - big guns are mind controlled, weaker heroes have to deal with it. But most of the time I'm not emotionally invested, because even if all logic dictates otherwise, underdogs will somehow win. But I always liked how in Gargoyles and Spectacular you portrait shifting of different powers and long term conflict. I know you will treat it seriously - the Light will not do something incredibly stupid. And for the first time since Dollhouse, I'm concerned with possibility that the good guys (who I grew to like and I'm rooting for), already lost. And simple "Yes. Yes you were" was somehow really disturbing. Sorry to waste your time on comments without questions... but wow. I was concerned that YJ are lost momentum, but I think I have to rewatch everything in 1-2 sittings to get better feel of it. That was one of the best episodes of the series â€" the fact that team acted responsible about their secrets only adds to the value. And the best thing - I will get to watch final episode around midnight of my birthday. It is like bonus gift. Now I just wait for DVDs.
Regards
Niedzwiedz

Jeff writes...

Mr. Weisman,

I absolutely love Young Justice! Thank you for all of your extraordinary work. My questions pertain to "Usual Suspects."

1) During the ambush, the Riddler seemed to imply that its purpose was because the Light wanted to kill the Team or somehow prevent them from continuing to operate. If this were truly the case, why would the Light do this if they thought that they had Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis in their pocket and could utilize them?
2) Did Cheshire intentionally leave the suitcase behind in order for it to be delivered into the League or was it just an accident?

3) What was the Light planning to do with Artemis, Miss Martian, and Superboy at Santa Prisca?

4) I can really relate to Miss Martian as a character. Therefore, I am curious to know if had Aqualad and Superboy not been present when she revealed her true form, then would the rest of the Team have accepted her at that moment? They didn't exactly seem supportive when she revealed it.

jim munro writes...

About the Atlantean in #15 (okay, the preview of #15...)
1. What does it mean?
2. Why is it in Atlantean? Didn't the last issue (and this one too) establish that all speech was in Atlantean and translated into English?
3. Kaldur'ahm's name is spelled "KALDURAM", without the H and without the '. Is the name in a Shayerisian dialect or something?

Vertigo writes...

Hi greg
I have noticed Joker has only appeared in one episode and hasn't been mentioned since.Do you guys have a reason for not using him more or was it because (no offense) his poor reception by SOME fans?
Thanks

Anonymous writes...

1. Besides being a butler for the Wayne family, what else is known about Alfred’s early life before he became a butler?

2. In the film Batman Begins, there was a line spoken by Rachel Dawes, a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne. I can’t remember the exact words, but I think she said, “It’s not about who we are, but what we do that defines us.” Given what happened on “Usual Suspects,” was the lesson you wanted us to learn from that episode was loosely based on that quote from the movie?

Trevor writes...

1. In this article from October 2010 (http://io9.com/5662361/the-creators-of-green-lantern-and-young-justice-drop-major-spoilers-about-dcs-new-tv-shows), it was stated "the villains will however be making their own covert ops young superhero team to counteract Young Justice." What team was the article talking about, the Injustice League, Riddler's team at the start of "Usual Suspects," or was the article in error?

2. In this Ask Greg reply (http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=921), you stated season one's 179 name characters included some who were cut such as Catherine Cobert. Of the number of characters cut, were any of them also characters that have only appeared in the tie-in comic?

3. On November 18, 2011, the master timeline for Young Justice was at 185 pages. How many pages is it at currently?

Anonymous writes...

You said before that there isn't any recorded, on camera footage of the voice actors for Young Justice. Why did you record behind the scenes stuff for The Spectacular Spider-Man but not for Young Justice?

Harmony writes...

1. Does Kaldur, and by extension Orin, need to keep in regular contact with water, or they'll dry out or get sick or whatever?
2. When Kaldur comes on land and uses his lungs, does it feel normal and natural like when humans use their lungs, or is it harder for him?

Anonymous writes...

I asked before if Kaldur and Garth hung out at all in between Downtime and Auld Acquaintance, but I also meant to say 'not counting issues 14 and 15 of the companion comic book'. So did they?

Shayaan Karimi writes...

Sorry for the multiple posts, but i didn't want to risk asking too many questions in one post.
1.)Do the team help each other out with schoolwork or compete with grades? Wally's really good with science, but do any of the others have subjects they're really good at?

Thats it, thanks in advance Mr.Weisman!

Marvelman writes...

Hi. Someone else requested a video of Jason and Stephanie performing Wally and Artemis. I'd like to second that! They are soooo funny. I realize that it is too late to do this for the season 2 DVD, but do you think it would be possible to produce something like this as a special feature for a season 3 DVD? (Obviously, I am assuming there will be a third season.)

Kerry Johnson writes...

Hi again. I'm excited for season 2 and can't wait to see the season finale (in English, I'll admit to spoiling it for myself). Sorry for repeats/dumb questions/clogging up the line wit mass questions (apology for past grievances). Mostly artist quality questions.
1. Do you have any say over the character designs while they're being made, or just the final cut?
2. How long does it take to design a character for a show, and do some people take longer to design than others based on things like gender or if they're a hero or villain?
3. Bourassa's designs for most of the JLA have been carried over into many projects, including Young Justice, so would a design for a villain be carried from another project?
4. I love the designs for everyone on Young Justice, particularly Klarion, the Brain and Queen Bee. The Brain looks so unique from any other version, Queen Bee's outfit looks perfect, and Klarion looks way better than in the DCAU. Hell, he looks kind of sexy to me.

We're both a little disturbed by that last one, aren't we? Keep doing the good work, send by boundless praise to every artist on the show, and I'll seek some clearly needed help.

Marvelman writes...

Is it possible Young Justice could be continued in the comic book or OAVs if the show is ever cancelled?

HellyeahYJ writes...

Appart from Wolf, does any member of the team have a pet?

BHZ writes...

1-Has Garth ever been to the Surface?

2- Do the Atlanteans know the Amazons, since they share some myths?

I guess half of season 2 will have aired by the time you get to this question,
I hope a season 3 has already been announced!

Wonderfulakari writes...

So which companies have the greatest profit/influence, Lexcorp, Wayneindustries or what even Ollie runs.

Paul writes...

1) Will there be another pack of cards available at the July comic-on this year, this time with other characters on them like say Hawkman, John Stewart, Blue Beetle etc?

2) On the off chance that the new intro for Young Justice: Invasion is shortened for time by Cartooon Network like they're doing with the season 1intro at the moment, can you let us know the running time of the full Invasion intro please? Is it 20 seconds long?

3) In the time between Downtime and Auld Acquaintance, did Kaldur hang out with Garth at all?

Anonymous writes...

1) Did Wonder Girl (Donna Troy) become available for use before "Usual Suspects" was written?

2) If so, why did you decide to make Rocket the 8th member instead?

3) Was Rocket mainly added for ethnic diversity? I know you'e fan of Rocket and Icon as well, but was diversity the main reason?

4a) Any particular reason why you felt that as many as 3 of the Team's members needed to have evil fathers (or an evil donor, in Luthor's case)?

4b) What made you opt to go the 'rough background/from a broken home' route with Artemis when you could have just done so with Aqualad (who is also descended from a criminal)? Doing so would have created more variety in the characters' backgrounds. Apologies if this question comes across as rude, I do like Artemis but I feel that her saga could have been covered by Aqualad (aside from the love interest for Wally bit lol.)

Tyler Reznik writes...

Hello again, Mr. Weisman. My questions today relate to Ra's al Ghul and the League of Shadows.
1. Has Ra's ever been an assassin himself, or does he merely command them?
2. Did Ra's found the League of Shadows?
3. Whether Ra's founded the group or not, when was the League of Shadows founded?
4. When did Cheshire join the League of Shadows?
5. You've identified Talia's mother as a woman named Melisande. Was/is she also Ra's' wife?
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, and those of many others. It is much appreciated.

Lurker writes...

1-When will the comic book catch up and begin telling stories of season 2? Also will the comic tie into the video game?

2-Dont you think it would be a good idea to publish character profiles with a few informations, to make the question line a bit smaller?

Tup writes...

It appears my last post was deleted in light of your new no-long-lists policy (I have to say I agree, though this time around, my list was only three questions.) So, I resubmit one question, and come up with two new ones (all sort of Captain Atom-y related). I hope it gets through.

1. In the whole JLA/I/E/Extreme Justice era of the 90s, Captain Atom did not get along with Wonder Woman. Green Arrow and Hawkman were never big friends, and Batman seems to detest anything that glows green. Are there any "fights" or rivalries in the League in YJ, or are they all big super friends?

2. Seeing as how the Vietnam War is now over 40 years ago, and not 20 as it was when you and Cary wrote the Captain Atom comics, how does it influence characters? Rako was made a kid (and around 50 now?), but how old are Rois and Eiling? They both have to be well over sixty, or even seventy.

3. Which Captain Atom-derived character is your favorite, Major Force or Bombshell?

jon damon writes...

hope this is good with the new guidelines.

1. Is Aquaman king of Atlantis, or King of All Seas?
2. Is all of Atlantis in the Atlantic? I'm just asking because "Lemuria" shares its name with the hypothetical sunken land in the Indian Ocean.
3. Is Poseidonis in the northern of southern hemisphere?

Anonymous writes...

1. Correct me if I’m somehow mistaken, but wasn’t there supposed to be some kind of catastrophe that nearly wiped out the Martian race at some point on Earth-16 or did that catastrophe never happened at all and all the Martians still alive?

2. Were ALL White Martians treated as second-class citizens, or were there those within the Red/Green Martian population who might have been sympathetic towards them? It would be hard to believe that the ENTIRE Red and Green Martian population would be so cold towards the White Martian population.

witch boy writes...

is teekl a he or a she?>

Anonymous writes...

1 - How old is Ubu?
2 - How old is Black Manta?
3 - How old is Cat Grant?
4 - How old is Mayor Hill?
5 - How old is Mark Desmond?

Anonymous writes...

1 - How old is Professor Ojo?
2 - How old is Uncle Dudley?
3 - How old is Icon?
4 - How old is Dubbilex?
5 - How old is Henry Yarrow?

Anonymous writes...

1 - How old is Black Adam?
2 - How old is Amanda Waller?
3 - How old is Lucius Fox?
4 - How old is Wotan?
5 - How old is Wade Eiling?

Derek writes...

In the marvel Avengers Academy series, the cast is made up of characters that could have potentially become supervillains. The goal of the Avengers is to basically put them on the straight and narrow.
Are there deliberate similarities in this concept to Young Justice.I notice that Miss Martian, Superboy, Artemis and possibly Aqualad all have villanious ancestry. Also the loss of Zatanna and Robin's parents could have served as catalyst to send them down a dark path.

Hawkfan writes...

1. Out of uniform/costume, are there any significant physiological difference between Thanagarians and humans along the same lines as those between humans and kryptonians, or humans and Martians (ie slowed aging, enhanced strength or vision, weakness to elements etc.)?

2. Would you please clarify Hawkman and Hawkwoman's powers on Earth 16? (as an aside, I hope they have some form of telescopic vision, I always like when that was included as part of their powers in the comics)

3. We've only seen Hawkman and Hawkwoman use maces so far. Are these special Thanagarian maces and do they ever use other archaic style weaponry (ie spears, nets, swords, or shields)?

4. At top flight speed can the Hawks keep up with the likes of Superman and Captain Marvel?

5. In the comics, the Hawks feared using Thanagarian weapons and technology on Earth in case they fell into the wrong hands. Thus they started using ancient Earth weaponry instead. Does this part of their origin hold true on Earth-16?

I love the show and the character designs for Hawkman and Hawkwoman on Earth-16. I hope at some point you delve into how they came to be on Earth in the first place. Also, I hope we get more scenes that focus on how the media and the general public react to the League and superheroes. I loved hearing the reporters questions after the induction ceremony in the Usual Suspects. It's always fascinating to think about how ordinary people would react to such a strange world. Also, I hope we get more school scenes for Wally, Dick, and Artemis.

Young Justice deserves 10 seasons and a movie. Keep up the great work!

Anonymous writes...

1. How old is Devastation?
2. How old is Psimon?
3. How old is Sensei?
4. How old is Pieter Cross?
5. How old is Mattie Harcourt?

Anonymous writes...

1. How old is Mary West?
2. How old is Talia al Ghul?
3. How old is Mercy?
4. How old is Abra Kadabra?
5. How old is Madame Xanadu?

Anonymous writes...

1. How old is John Stewart?
2. How old is Whisper A'Daire?
3. How old is Lois Lane?
4. How old is Joan Garrick?
5. How old is Rudy West?

Hawkfan writes...

1. Did Alan Scott's power ring give him the power of flight?

2. As of this writing, every construct that we've seen a Green Lantern make (Hal's giant hand in 102, Guy's baseball mitt, John's sawblade he used to cut the plant creatures in Revelations) has been attached to the power ring itself. Are Green Lanterns on Earth-16 incapable of using projectile type constructs (ex. a bow and arrow, a gattling gun, etc.) or must the hard light constructs always be tethered to the ring?

3. Are power rings on Earth 16 limited to hard light constructs or can a GL create constructs and imbue them with properties (ie create a flamethrower that shoots out flame, or a giant magnet that attracts metal?)

4. How does the media differentiate between the different Green Lanterns? Is Hal just called Green Lantern, and Guy and John just called by their names?

5. Do the different Green Lantern's personalities and creativity manifest themselves in the types of constructs they make? I always liked in the comics how John's background as an architect set him apart from Hal and Guy.

Jasser writes...

*sigh* again..

1. Were the side effects of the shields intentional(on Luthor or whoever's point)?

about the shields.
It's very confusing to me, they SUPPRESS his human DNA, but that gives parasite MORE to drain,and also makes him easier to recover his powers;that works like the shields give him Kriptonian genetics instead of suppressing the human DNA that's dominating. Shouldn't parasite, as Superboy suggested, just absorb his genetic potential, even with the human side suppressed? It's not like the shields temporarily change his entire genetic structure...I think.That doesn't make any sense(then again, it is a microscopic plausibility issue compared to the series as a whole, and I don't complain about THAT)... I also could just be misinterpreting parasites power.Wonder if he could absorb tornado or fate or a sharks powers.He spoke of his powers in terms of genetics, but that could just be for this specific case with Aliens, and acrobatics arn't genetic, but DNA isn't learned...I've just confused myself.

so I guess my question, after that exasperated ramble of a build up...

2.What exactly do the shields do to superboy?

Jasser writes...

Is all magic the same?-That was horribly worded, what I mean to ask is,like... is Zatanna's backwards spells technically and different from Atlantian Tattoo magic or Lord of Chaos fire? I can see they are visually different and have different levels of strength, but could,say Doctor Fate preform all of them? Is one inherently more potent then another? How can all these sub-sects exist of the exact same thing-or are they not all the same thing? I'm not certain what i'm asking here,and I really am sorry for that-but it's bothering my brain.

and since that was a paragraph and not a list..

1.How do the seperate branches of magic relate to each other?
1a. are they all on the same ''magic scale''? (if you can preform a really powerful magic like doctor fate, would you just as easily be able to preform lesser magic like the Atlanteans).
1b. Is one inherently stronger/difficult then another?
1c. Did they develop independent of each other but are virtually the same? (that wasn't meant to be a yes/no question...I don't know how to word it differently).

I'm keeping the paragraph because I think it illustrates my thoughts better, but I think you'd prefer just to outline the questions I listed.Wish I could previous this, I'm afraid it's going to look like an annoying wall of text! grr..

(Also, I just discovered I asked a question alittle while ago that was already asked, sorry! For these I just ctrl + F'd the words "magic", "spell(s)" and "sorcery")

Sethmo writes...

Hi. First off, most awesoe show I've seen, surpassed only by (or even to, can't decide) by Alan Wake. Second, my question. How did Huntress (Artemis' Mom)get in a wheel chair (e.g. what were the events that made her unable to walk?)

Ed writes...

1. How do Artemis and Paula support themselves financially?

2. Where was Paula born?

Anonymous Andy writes...

Is there a chance that the YJ tie-in comics will eventually be combined into a single graphic novel, like with Gargoyles?

Orio, again writes...

[I am re-submitting my questions in a suitable format; my old post was under the same name and asked the same questions. It would be helpful if it could possibly be deleted. I'd like to apologize for blurting out all my questions, it's just that I was all excited about posting because I never had before and I felt like I wouldn't be able to get everything I wanted to get asked put in before the queue closed. I have no idea how things work around here as far as that.]
6. Who is Aqualad closer to? Garth or Roy?
7. Are Aqualad's water-bearers some type of machine, or are they of magical origin?
8. How close is Aqualad to Robin?
10. Do Atlanteans eat fish, or are they opposed to the idea?

Orio writes...

[I am re-submitting my questions in a suitable format; my old post was under the same name and asked the same questions. It would be helpful if it could possibly be deleted. I'd like to apologize for blurting out all my questions, it's just that I was all excited about posting because I never had before and I felt like I wouldn't be able to get everything I wanted to get asked put in before the queue closed. I have no idea how things work around here as far as that.]
Hello, Mr. Weisman!
I'd like to start out by saying that I'm a huge fan of Young Justice, and think it's amazing how you can deal with such dark-ish concepts and still maintain a soft tone--and deal with a ginormous cast in one show! I'm actually very excited, typing this, because I've never actually had the chance to ask questions, so… Here goes!

2. Since it's probably trivial enough (and kind of impossible, since pretty much all of them are dead) not to be mentioned in any future show episodes, how old were each of the Flying Graysons (excluding Robin, of course) when they died? How old was the uncle, Richard, when he went into a coma (I think that's what happened... Am I wrong?)
3. Likewise, what were their personalities?
4. Did Robin's older cousin take on the role of an 'older brother' when he lived due to the age difference between the two of them, as well as how close they were as a family?

Derek writes...

1) So Martian Manhunter knows that Miss Martian was a white martian right? So is she really "legally" his niece via adoption or was that just a cover story?
2) Where did the idea of Miss Martian basing her personality on a sitcom come from? I thought it was very clever.

Jason R. Carter writes...

1. Any particular reason why Luthor is pronounced like Luther as opposed to "Lu-thor"?

2. Is Earth-16 Atom stuck at that size or can he grow to human size?

Paul writes...

1) Is Lex Luthor immune to Queen Bee's control?

2) When Cheshire retreated at the end of "Usual Suspects", was she feeling some respect for Artemis at bringing down Sportsmaster?

3) Is Zatanna a cougar?

The spider writes...

Not that i have a problem with it but why is batman so much younger than everyone else(including flash)?
Love the young justice show!

LupusLover writes...

Was Paula Crock put in a wheel chair before she went to prison or during?

Adam writes...

Hello!

As I'm writing this, "Usual Suspects" aired yesterday. Before I get to my question, I'd just like to thank you for a few things. First, that for "Young Justice," which has more or less replaced "Justice League Unlimited" for me as my favorite DC adaptation of all time, and I didn't think that was going to happen. Second, thanks for "Spectacular Spider-Man", which is tied with YJ as my favorite comic adaptation ever. And finally, thank you SO much for including Icon and Rocket in "Usual Suspects". I'm not sure Rocket will stay with the Team, but as a Milestone fan from way back, it meant a lot to me to see these characters get some screen time.

Now for my question, since I don't recall having seen it asked before: in "Misplaced," did Zatanna understand, before she put it on, that she might never be able to take off the helmet of Fate? It was a powerful moment (I loved the reversal my expectations given Zatara's fate in the comics), but I'm not clear on whether Zatanna had a sense of the potential jeopardy she was in.

"Usual Suspects" was immensely satisfying for me, and I'm looking forward to next week's season finale. I hope you and your fellow creators are proud; I think the work you've done on YJ has been a high watermark for cartoons based on comics.

The black guy writes...

As a kid, I grew up watching superhero cartoons. I watched Spider-man(loved him), Superman(hated him), Batman, and etc. I thought to myself, "There is not a fly in the milk." It wasn't until Justice League Unlimited(Jon Stewart was awesome) and Static Shock where I could see Superheroes who looked liked me. The same culture as me. Green Lantern was raised in the projects and regularly got his haircut in Barbershop just like mine. Static had that same parent who acted just like mine did. What I am trying to say is thank you. Thank you for being so open minded with established characters and having the foresight to think that not all kids in America or the world have to have that "Great White Hero." Adding Icon and Rocket to the Young Justice was a great homage to Dwayne McDuffie, the man who made those characters or pushed for the inclusion of those characters in the mainstream. I'm glad that my little girl can have that same cathartic feeling about Rocket as I did for Static and Jon Stewart.

Anonymous writes...

Why is Superboy in every episode so far? Is he supposed to be the character with more focused, or no real reason?

Foxwolf writes...

Hi Greg

As someone who is interested in writing episodic stories, I was wondering if you could tell me your approach on how you write a season for a series like YJ? I remember seeing an image on Brandon Vietti's blog where he had post-it's on a board mapping out all of season 1. Do you start with the season's overall story first, eg. The Light wants to take control of the Justice League and Red Arrow is the mole who will help them?

Then do you just come up with events that move the story forward and scatter them across episodes? Do you come up with plot points and character development separately or in tandum, eg. Superboy's growth would work well with this event? I ask because in my own writing I have season arc's and checkpoints on where I want some character's to grow but have struggled with "filling in the blanks".

Just off the top of your head, would you be able to share a few of the post-it's from a particular YJ episode?

And what are your thoughts on "filler story episodes". My interpretation was "Secrets" and "Performance" were filler in that they didn't drive the overall season story forward, but did have character development. Do you think it's important in writing for a series to give the audience a break from the story arc at regular intervals?

Thanks for your time Greg on sharing your writing process.

I was also wondering if you could please identify which voice actors voiced the following uncredited characters? Thanks.

120 - Coldhearted
Boston Police Officer
Chicago Police Officer #1
Chicago Police Officer #2
South Dakota State Trooper

121 - Image
Biaylan General

124 - Performance
Dragon's Breath
Carlo
Carlo's Brother

jjj writes...

Hi Greg,

Thanks for a great show! I have a question about "The Mole". I believe that in Targets, Sportsmaster implied that the mission in Bialya was one of the things his inside source told him about. If that's the case, how did Roy know about Bialya?

Thanks!

Evan writes...

Hi, Greg!
I just wanted to know: is there a death penalty in Atlantis? No real reason, I'm just curious.

Thanks!

Colleen writes...

Did you consider making Lois Lane a TV reporter or presenter, and having her do all the journalistic narration, instead of Cat Grant?

The Greenman writes...

Excellent, excellent show, ref: YJ.

Just watched "Usual Suspects" and this one was great.

I most especially loved the aspect of mixing science and sorcery to use the Starro chips. I kept thinking to myself, how is it possible to influence the will of Starro if it's incapcitated? You solved it.

For this episode specifically:

What are the names of the t.v. stations 7, 11, and 5?

Effie writes...

Wow, "Usual Suspects" was incredible. My favorite episode to date! Can't wait for the finale!

Just one question: how did you and Brandon (and whoever else) decide who the mole would be? Was it a long process, or did the idea just come naturally?

IBGame writes...

I just watched Usual Suspects today- great episode, I might add- and I have one major question.

Artemis is reveals the identity of her mother as "Huntress". Was she not the Tigress in this universe or is she an amalgamation of both (kind of how Earth 16 Robin has many Tim Drake traits)?

Jack-Pumpkinhead writes...

Dear Greg,
Watched Usual Suspects today, and I gotta say Thank you for an awesome episode! I've been arguing with a friend over the mole, and I'm happy to see I was right; I knew Artemis wouldn't betray the team. But as for the reveal of the mole-WHAAAA??!! I did not see that coming! Very nicely done! Also, I like the expansion of the League, nice additions. Keep it up, I can't wait for next week's episode!

Jonathon Sparks writes...

Before I begin, I want to say thanks for taking the time to read all of our crazy questions, I know it can sometimes be taxing dealing with the hive mind that is the internet.

1- Since Episode 25's "Usual Suspects" just aired, I was wondering... Since Red Arrow is now a member of the Justice League, has his designation number changed from B-06 to a JL designation number (I'd guess 21 based on his position in line)? If so... do the designation numbers after him (Artemis for instance) get reduced, is the designation number permanently voided, or does the newest member (Rocket) take over that slot? Or something else entirely that I haven't thought of?

... Yeah, I know that one's probably asking for a Spoiler, but I just saw the episode and my inner "OCD comic nerd" is going nuts over it.

2- Hopefully this one is a bit less crazy. I've been a big fan of the Young Justice tie-in comic as well as the show, and I've been more then happy to recommend it to other YJ fans. In particular, several story arcs from the comic tie into the show's continuity, and I was just curious how the whole process of writing those stories works... are the gaps in the show added intentionally to allow for the comics, or are they stories that you just didn't have the space for in the show?