Laura 'ad astra' Sack writes...

Now that I am finally caught up on YJ episodes...{I'm the only person I've ever heard of to have any problems with TiVO, let alone have one box go from working poorly to actually dying, and now the new one is working no better!?} A few reactions and questions...

1- Aqualad's water manipulation power reminds me of 'water bending' in Avatar. Was that a visual inspiration, or just a happenstance?

2- I had a surprising realization. Robin is a bit annoying- That's not the surprise; he is annoying as a 13 year old trying a smidge too hard to run with the big kids most probably would be. (I started reading comics with the preternaturally mature Tim Drake as Robin so it does stick out to me.) The realization that surprised me was that I have no idea if that is consistent with or devient from Dick's personality when he first appeared back in the Golden Age.

3- I'm not sure if this is something you would care to answer or if it is a 'wait and see' thing but... If YJ has the "Don't call them sidekicks" vibe, will we be seeing plain old 'call them sidekicks'? (I'm thinking more world building background than full show characters. This is a young universe, there aren't that many sidekicks yet so the example of these sidekicks should first be leading to more, and to reactions to kids in the field in general. Foreground I'm fairly certain is a 'wait and see' answer.)
3a- Will we be seeing any of the YJ crew in their sidekick capacity like we did in the series opening sequence?

4- The animated YJ members assumption Speedy's presence whenever clues of Artimas shows up mirrors the printed members' assumption of Arrowette's return when Empress first showed up.

5- I like Black Canary's design, also her characterization and acting- the leggings could be simplified visually from her famous fishnets, or they could equally be a more practical protective material. Her body actually looks capable of the fighting she does. And the arm wound was subtle enough to just be there like working past a battle wound would be for her in, uh..real life. It was used wonderfully to show her personality, similarly her reliance on her fighting skills over her meta ability. (Superboy picked up on that nicely when Amazo called on her skills twice- first for her scream and second, when the fighting heated up, for her brawling skills.)

6- Speaking of Black Canary- in the comics, despite their closeness in age, Dinah is often considered Roy's mother. (Making her a rediculously young grandmother.) I'm not a big Green Arrow reader, but I can think of several times Roy and Ollie saying that Dinah was a better mother to him than Ollie ever was a father. And IIRC correctly there was a strong 'proud mama' vibe over Red Arrow's membership in Dinah's JLA. Assuming at least part of that relationship is in the animated continuity it adds an additional level of depth to her mentoring the angry young Kon-el when her own angry young Roy is on her mind.

7- One last note on some of the Superman complaints I've been reading in the que- I'm foundinng the animation so expressive (as with my two previous Black Canary comments) that what some complain is missing in Superman's failure to be fatherly, (or at least big brotherly- a clone seems more brother than son to me), to Superboy to be clearly on screen in facial expressions and body langauge. I don't think Clark is being short changed at all.

8- And a request...can the "Come on Megan!"s be limited to one per ep? I get her Earth name is new and she is still enjoying the sound and play of it, but it is a bit much.