EXALT writes...

You said, before the series started, that you made auditions only for the six first members of the Team (plus Superman, but just because you wanted the same actor to voice him and Superboy). So:
1)Have you made auditions for members of the Team that were introduced in Season One, outside the original six (Zatanna-Rocket-Bumblebee-Batgirl-Mal Duncan-Beast Boy-Lagoon Boy)?
2)Have you made auditions for members of the Team introduced in Invasion (Tim Drake-Blue Beetle-Wonder Girl)?
3)Have you considered hiring new voice actors to voice the now adults Nightwing and Batgirl (let's clarify: this is not a hate message against Jesse McCartney and Alyson Stoner, in fact I like them both a lot in both roles; I'm just asking if you've considered it)?

Malini writes...

Dear Mr Weisman,

I have a question or two regarding the ageing of clones:

1. In YJ: Invasion, we see that Superboy hasn't aged much (if at all). Is this due to the fact that he's a clone (much like in the original comics)?

2. If the answer to the above is yes, how is it that the Roy Harper clone was able to age physiologically from 15 to 18 like a normal human?

3.If the answer to the first question is no, how old is Superboy physiologically in YJ: Invasion?

I finally want to thank you for creating such an awesome show. You've earned a fan in Singapore.

Robinfan4ever writes...

Hello Greg.
Just wanted to say that I loved the first ep of season 2!!! It made me happy and sad at the same time; I loved Dick Grayson being the baby of the team but I also like Tim.
I couldn't stand that people were freaking out about old characters not being there and what happened five years ago and blah blah blah: I mean, seriously, were they expecting all that to be in episode ONE??? And I'm 15, some of those people ranting were in college. I was like, nice...real mature.
I seriously believe that you won't let us down and will keep this show amazing.
On Tumblr, a lot of people were seriously posting death threats targeted towards you and Brandon and I was like, people are retarded. Nuff said.
Questions!!! Not sure if you can answer these, but:
1. Does the team know Nightwing's ID?
2. How long has Dick been Nightwing? Tim as Robin?
3. Does Dick live in Bludhaven?
4. Is Dick in college?
5. What made Dick become Nightwing? Did you use the comic story, Dick and Bruce arguing etc?
Thanks so much and I really hope CN orders a season 3!!!

Aaron writes...

Not really a question just more of a comment. Greg, I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the season 2 premiere of "Young Justice". The end of the episode has me wanting to come back for more! You're doing an excellent job writing this series. Keep up the good work, your real fans will stick by you through thick & thin. :)

Ms. Spoiler writes...

Holy time skip Batman! I loved and cried at the 2nd season premire and while I admit Lagoon Boy calling M'Gann 'Angelfish' was adorable I was so devastated by the fact she was wasn't with, Conner. So is M'gann happy with, her new relationship? I have faith that you and the talented staff are going to write an amazing season
Oh and also I Saw Black Lightning with, the lead! I just love Jeff, Hope he has a speaking role!

raymond writes...

thank you greg.

thank you for creating and sharing YOUR show in YOUR universe telling YOUR stories on earth 16 the way YOU want...and also thanks to the rest of the young justice creative team of course. :)

i love this show. i love that you guys take chances and i promise i will be continuing to watch every episode of it. :D

Anonymous writes...

Great episode again just wondering with all the questions being right out the gate of season 2 is 20 episodes enough to answer if not all at least the big ones

Anonymous writes...

Season 2 of Young Justice is off to a great start!
I've been really curious about the eyebrow coloring in the show though. I noticed Wally, Wonder Girl, and a few other people have colored eyebrows to match their hair, but others don't. Is there any reason Miss Martian and Black Canary have black eyebrows?

Happy with the Changes! writes...

Love the new direction they show has gone in. Happy with the changes. Thank you for FINALLY bringing Blue Beetle in!

Anonymous writes...

I just want to apologize for all the rude comments you are getting from some of the Young Justice fans. Just reading some of these comments makes me embarrassed. I enjoyed the first episode to season two. It was great and exciting and I can’t wait to find out what is awaiting us. Sorry again on behalf of the YJ fandom.

Apple Montag writes...

1) What are Tim's strengths and weaknesses? There was a slight controversy over Dick possessing hacking skills, so I'm wondering how Tim translates onto to the show.

2) Would you consider Tim the better, or at least better-trained Robin? Sorry, I'm a big Dick Grayson fan, and a little sensitive over this issue. I love Tim as a character, though, and both characters were rendered well in the premiere.

3) Am I right in believing you and the rest of the staff have most of the longterm plot of the show planned already?

Rob in Chicago writes...

AHHHHHHH! The season 1 finale and season 2 premier just blew my mind.

I smell some serious Greg Weisman subterfuge (or perhaps suprafuge if you ask Robin).

I can remember my tiny heart breaking the first time I saw "Future Tense" on the Disney Afternoon. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Same goes for "Failsafe".

You're not getting me again. I am already preparing myself for this to be an alternate reality (even though I know you've said that is something you avoided in Gargoyles) or something. I may have spotted a small clue that affirmed this in the final scene's time stamp.

Not guessing, just looking forward to enjoying whatever you have in store.

Also, loved the Black Spider cameo. Very clever. Spectacular Spiderman was an awesome show and the new Ultimate Spiderman is GARBAGE. Just really, really bad.

Thanks for all of the enjoyment I've been getting out of YJ as well as all of your old work! You truly are the very best at what you do!

Keep it up.

Garfield writes...

In Season 2 of Young Justice, Beast Boy is Garfield Logan, and Batgirl is Barbara Gordon, correct?

btgr writes...

My reviews on Nightwing, Robin/Tim Drake, Batgirl, Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes, Lagoon Boy, Wondergirl and Gordon Godfrey after watching the very perfect "Happy New Year". BTW Greg don't listen to all those idiots who talk nonsense about the "Time Skip" and the new characters.

Nightwing and Robin/Tim Drake:
I didn't know I would be seeing those two guys very early in the show, but they both have great lines, personalities and costumes though. Plus they are both two of my most favourite DC heroes. I loved the conversions between those two. I also love the part where Robin teams up with Blue Beetle and Lagoon Boy.

Batgirl:
HA!!! I always knew Batgirl exists on Earth 16!!! I liked the part where she teams up with Wonder Girl. Great costume and I'm surprised that you gave her black coloured boots and gloves. She's one of my most favourite DC heroines. Would be great to hear some one-liner jokes from her though. And yes Greg, "she is all that!!!"

Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes:
"That guy" and Batman: The Brave and the Bold is what got me into DC Comics in the first place. I love his costume, powers, Spanish quotes and jokes. His voice is so funny that I just simply laugh everytime he says a word. The part where he talks to his costume was also funny. I would love to see his girlfriend Traci 13 on YJ though, hopefully time will tell. Overall this is why Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes is one of my most favourite DC heroes. Oh and congratulate his voice actor for making him so funny!!!

Lagoon Boy:
I'm not very familar with him, but I like his appearance, powers and voice.

Wondergirl:
I'm a huge fan of her outfit after watching the episode. But I really couldn't believe people on youngjustice.wikia are complaining about her shoes. Just don't listen to them Greg, I actually think her shoes are cute.

Gordon Godfrey:
Like Blue Beetle, his voice is so funny!!! I've actually never heard of him before. But I have heard of "Godfrey", it's an Australian company that sells vacuum cleaners.

My final thoughts:
All those characters that I've reviewed are now on my list of favourite YJ characters, I've watched "Happy New Year" at least 4 times now and I've actually told JM DeMatteis about Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes on your show. Hopefully the rest of Season 2 will turn out perfect. Bye Greg!!!

SHAZAM! writes...

How old is Tim Drake?
How old is Blue Beetle?
How old is Lobo?
How old is Wonder Girl?
How old is Lagoon Boy?

Afan writes...

The start to season two was awesome!!!!!!!

So many questions! This show is amazing and does not treat its viewers like kids. I appreciate that you give us intelligently scripted plots and it calls for patience and those who want their hands held and everything nice and cute and shippy...well go watch Nickelodeon. Five years has passed. People change and GROW up. This season has a sense that the show is growing up too and reflect that change. Miss Martian and Conner breaking up is actually the most understandable/realistic change in all of it. They were kids and they were not even normal teens. But it would be pretty cliche setting Lagoon boy as the fall guy so Conner can pine and Megan can pretend she doesn't care for Conner and we have a silly love traingle. Let them move on for goodness sakes. I loved seeing Nightwing leading the team and in time I am sure we will get the stories behind the changes. I sense he and Zatanna have a little vibe but again, maybe they moved on. They were kids too.

Wondergirl (she was awesome), Blue Beetle (so funny),Lobo (love that he got his bounty...he's a tough) Glorious Godfrey (yeeee Darkseid???) Batgirl, Tim Drake, Adam Strange...I love the new heroes and characters and curious to find out what happened to Kaldur, Artemis and Wally. What did the League do for those missing hours and why are they wanted. Oooh so exciting. I for one can't wait and it will be torture to have to wait a whole week...The shows are just not long enough.

So ignore the crybabies.

Marvelman writes...

Hi Greg. I have tried my best to put my top concerns in to questions you can actually answer.

1) As seen in the season premiere, you have removed Wally, Artemis, and Kaldur as series regulars. Yet, Dick, M'Gann, and Connor (and Wolf) remain. Was this decision based upon favoritism, or was it a purely storytelling decision?

2) Why is it that the relationship between Wally and Artemis always seems to be the last thing you address? Is this just to torture us?

3)I'm a little miffed that Zatanna is off the team. She wasn't on the team for very long and never got as much development as she could have. I guess there's only so much screen time to go around when there are so many characters running around.

CrossPoison writes...

Hi Greg,
I have some questions concerning Superboy's age. Call it too much time, but it's your fault, creating such an interesting character.
1. Since Superboy has never left his pod, I was wondering if he was 'born' in there as a new-born baby, and aged one year each week, or was he created as a teenage boy?
2. If the latter is true, does he age physically outside his pod? Because I couldn't really see much difference between the 2010-Superboy and the 2016-Superboy.

I live in a country where YJ isn't aired in television, but me and my sister are in tension each Saturday, waiting for the newest episode to be uploaded. And today's episode really overwhelmed us with the new characters and the time leap. Awesome.

SHAZAM! writes...

Is there a reason Dick seems to have trouble with Tim? i mean they seem to be uneasy, and i know they didn't get along well in the comics without Bruce

krypto writes...

1.Who is Stronger Superboy or Wonder girl?
2.Do the people of Earth now know who Superboy is?
3.Does Supeeman know that half of Superboy's dna comes from Lex Luthor?
4.Do Mal and Karen know that Superboy is Conner Kent?
5.Does Superboy where glasses as Conner Kent now?

SHAZAM! writes...

Has the Justice League inducted any more members? I know they mentioned Rocket and Zatanna, but has anyone else joined/esft scince we last checked in 20 years ago? PS. Nigel Thornberry on Young Justice? nice.

Bashir Bin Ali writes...

Wow. Reading through the unanswered questions, no wonder you've gotten so angry over people constantly asking for spoilers.

Good job with the opening for season 2. I heard something about a time skip but didn't expect it that far into the future. It seems like an odd choice but I have faith in you and the others to keep it glorious. Well, I guess y'all already have been, the season opener was real good.

1.) What was this site before it became AskGreg? Was it just another Gargoyles fansite or something like that?

Eagle-Owl writes...

To the "fans", I think you ought to have a little more faith in Greg.

I'm not exactly praising the first episode of Invasion that much, but remember one thing: it's Greg Weisman! He made Gargoyles, The Spectacular Spider-Man, the second season of W.I.T.C.H., and this incredible first season of Young Justice! This is all top-notch work, and one "bad egg" shouldn't change what you think of his work. Knowing how Greg works, I'm sure the rest of Invasion will be worth waiting for. If you don't like the first episode of Invasion (and I'm not saying it's a masterpiece or even anything that great), that's your issue, but please don't turn your back on Greg's top-notch work just for that. He'll make it work. I have faith in that.

ShawnF writes...

First and foremost, great writing. As an animation aficionado for many years, I continue to enjoy where things go, and how things unfold. Kudos for the time jump, I look forward to the "look backs" to see how things have unfolded to where we are today. (I'm assuming this look backs, of course, but I'm sure through the process, you'll have to explain how things went from A>B)

My questions have to do more with process and collaboration with DC.

1) With the reboot of the DC Comics, is it easier or more difficult to reach into DC history for storyline or character shaping? An example is in episode 2:1. Pulling Glorious Godfrey out of hallowed antiquity is very nice...many of your fans weren't even alive when "Legends" was published...and Kudos do Tim Curry. I will say, it sounded a bit like "The Voice of London" there for a moment (from "V") but, once I listened, you can hear ole Frank-N-Furter warming up...For me, he will always be Sir Gawain in "Prince Valiant" but I digress.

2) With the reboot, how much interaction do you have with Dan (Dido), Jim (Lee) et al...from the stand point so you can to reference the past without copying exact story lines, allowing the story to move in its own direction?

Thanks for you time.

Eagle-Owl writes...

Just saw "Happy New Year". I will admit it was kinda confusing with the timeskip, but it was worth the time. And Tim Curry as G. Gordon Godfrey was PRICELESS!!

1) What's it like working with Tim Curry again? Did you ever want him back on W.I.T.C.H. or Spider-Man?

2) What was Lobo saying in his original language?

3) What were the Kroloteans (is that correct spelling?) saying?

4) What are Zatanna's spells in Usual Suspects and Auld Acquaintance?

Sammy writes...

Hey Greg! I don't know why people are being so apprehensive about the time-skip-thing. I absolutely love it!! Fantastic episode! I'm more excited to see next week's episode than ever! :D

1. How old is Tim Drake?
2. How old is Jaimie Reyes?
3. How old is Adam Strange?

Thanks so much!

Kevin writes...

1. Being Green Lanterns why didn't Hal Jordan and John Stewart know about the missing Justice League members activities in space?
2. When did Dick Grayson become Nightwing on Earth 16?
3. How long has Tim Drake been active as Robin on Earth 16?
4. Is Guy Gardner a member of the Justice League now?
5. Did the Justice League give a reason for Zatara not being a member anymore?

AlexP writes...

So! Now that Young Justice has started it's second season and we're heading more towards the Young Justice team as seen in the comics such as, Lagoon Boy (showed up once), Tim Drake, Superboy, Wonder Girl, Secret (Already featured in an episode), Arrowette (Who was also featured in the series but not as a hero). Im assuming that Impulse(Bart Allen) will be appearing soon as well. Comments?

Ed writes...

1. Is Superboy immortal?

2. How strong is Aquaman compared to Superman?

Anonymous writes...

Is Lagoon Boy from Atlantis?

Garfield writes...

I'm very sorry to continue to bother you about Young Justice. i'm a 12 year old, and it's my favorite show of all time!
Does Season 2 take place in 2016?

Patrick writes...

Hi Greg,

I really enjoyed the first episode of Young Justice: Invasion. I have a couple questions:

1. It seems that as team is still covert and being run by Nightwing. Would you consider the team as Earth-16's equivalent to the Outsiders?
2. What made you decide to not have the viewer hear Blue Beetle's suits discussions with Jaime?

Brandon writes...

Hi Greg,

Let me first say that there are plenty of things about Young Justice that I really enjoy, but I don't want to waste your time by listing everything. I do have one question though:

In "Happy New Year!", when it's revealed what happened during the 16 hours that some league members were missing, it seems like no one had figured it out already. Are we really supposed to believe that Batman (the world's greatest detective) just gave up trying to figure out where he went? I mean, he had plenty of time to investigate it. Again, thanks for a great show!

Reiena Grayson writes...

If people are saying you ruined Young Justice, I don't think you did, I'm more curious about the show more than ever. Love Tim's look, and attitude, and loving that Dick still isn't part of the League. I had a feeling that Bumblebee would be in it, Love that Cassie is Wondergirl, and Blue Beetle is funny when he's talking to the Scarab. Okay, now the big part.

I'm so glad Dick hasn't lost his personality over five years, but will we be seeing more of his wordplay in the future is my question (don't have to answer, will be following intensly.

I think the time skip was perfect, since and invasion like what was seen today could take a lot of planning, and Vandal has some kind of plan, I just know it.

Okay, my rant is over, but overall, I was WHELMED, but I couldn't take my eyes off the screen, so I guess I was OVERwhelmed. LOL, got in a bit of Dick's wordplay.

Can't wait for more, Greg, and thanks for a great show.

hallofjustice writes...

1. In YJ, how old is Jaime Reyes? Let me guess he's the same age as Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon. Correct me if I'm wrong.

2. Was Jaime Reyes' popularity on Batman: The Brave and the Bold the reason why you included him on YJ?, or are there other reasons as well?

CGYJ writes...

Mr. Greg Weisman,

I must please ask out of utmost respect that this posting must not be deleted under any circumstances! After watching the season premiere of Young Justice: Invasion, I may have figured something out, and I wish for you to read this!

Five years have passed since the aftermath of the events of “Auld Acquaintance,” and it is clear that things have changed a great deal. When I realized there was a time-skip in this episode, my intial thought was that you might have made this move out of inspiration from the DC relaunch (ie. an origin story, like the Justice League in the relaunched comics, taking place five years prior). You must understand that it seemed reasonable for a time, because I believed for a moment that everything that happened in Season One seemed more like an origin story since there is a time-skip this season. However, while watching “Happy New Year,” and thinking about the time-skip some more, I have come to a possible conclusion and wish to ask you this: Is it possible the reason for the time-skip has something to do with the upcoming Young Justice: Legacy video game (coming in 2013, as I’ve read on the internet)? I might have asked questions about the game before in a prior posting, but now the time-skip seems to make sense and everything seems to connect. No other person prior to me might have asked you about it, but I believe that whatever happened within the unexplained five years might have something to do with whatever events will occur in the upcoming game, hence the game’s presented tagline, “One will Rise. One Will Fall. One will Die.” Is my deduction correct?

Thanks for taking the time to read this particular posting. It means a lot.

Ashlay writes...

Hey Greg,

Huge fan of Gargoyles back in the day and love the new series.

Question regarding the time skip between seasons 1 and 2 of Young Justice: Was it something planned since the show's conception, that YJ would be a story through the generations of this world of heroes? Or was it just a handy way to clear the boards for a fresh team?

Or to put it another way: Did you do a new team so you could have a time skip? Or do a time skip so you could have a new team? or a bit of both?

raymond writes...

hey greg. is there a plan for the young justice comic to follow along with the events in young justice invasion once all your current stories are told. i'm a huge fan of the show as well as the book and will follow along both as long as they are produced. huge thanks to everyone at both creative teams for creating and working on such a stellar universe. :)

Zachary Bishop writes...

1. How much would say past cartoons like Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited influenced your work on, Young Justice?

2. Were the six Leaguers in "Auld Acquaintance" who were unaccounted for(Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Hawkwoman and John Stewart) a reference to the Justice League cartoon, since the show featured an near identical line-up, or was it just a coincidence?

Colton writes...

I have a few questions regarding designation numbers
1) does wolf have a number?
2)does sphere?
3) has zatannas changed?
Thank you for your time
THANK YOU!!!!!!

Anonymous writes...

Would you please post a list of all of the episode titles for Invasion (or at least the first 10-13, if you're reluctant to post any more)?

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?

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?

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...

Did you pitch Invasion as 20 episodes?

I'm asking because I would have thought that the network would have greenlit either 13 or 26 episodes... So did you pitch the season as 20 episodes?

Maggie writes...

Dear Greg,

Thank you for making a really fantastic show! I have enjoyed it so much over the last year and then some. I also enjoyed Usual Suspects - I especially loved that Conner knew about M'gann's true form since Bialya! So. Cool!

I was just wondering if I could ask about some of your thoughts on Artemis and Wally's relationship, because I was a little surprised at how quickly and easily it was resolved (?) in the last episode.

Certainly, I've expected them to get together since Infiltrator, since they played on the "love at first fight" trope. I can definitely see Artemis's appeal to Wally. She challenges him, and we know he appreciates that because Robin does it, too. Being super kick-ass and pretty doesn't hurt either!

But I'm not really sure I understand where Artemis's feelings for Wally eventually came from. He's not really her standard type - since Superboy seems about as opposite as you can get from Wally to me! :)

Her feelings for Superboy make a lot of sense: he was the one who inspired her to get over her both her initial fears and join the team, and he was the one who made her feel secure enough to finally share her background in Usual Suspects, since they shared the "bad DNA" bond.

Wally has done a couple of nice things, too: the handhold in Bereft and pep talk in Insecurity were great, but by that math I'd expect her to feel the same way for Robin, since his support for her in Homefront was actually enough to help her get over her fears and save the team instead of running. In Insecurity, Wally's pep talk ultimately didn't matter because she still decided to lie to them anyway.

I also do like that Wally challenged her and called her out on her insecurities and fears in Insecurity - but wasn't he also the one that made them so bad she didn't want to share her secret with the team in the first place? He really was the only person on the team who ever made her feel like she didn't belong.

And it seems like he hasn't really done much to counteract that - not that there should necessarily be a one-to-one correlation between sniping at someone and being nice to them in a relationship. I like the bantering.

It's just odd that Robin and Superboy have had more influence in making her feel welcome and accepted, but for some reason she's paired with Wally. As far as I can tell, Wally and Artemis didn't even talk for a month between their fight, since he was still scolding her at the beginning of Usual Suspects for her mistakes in Insecurity.

This is especially in light of the fact that she harbored feelings for Superboy for so long. Did she decide that she liked Wally after she found out about Conner and Megan? It seemed like that was the first time she acted jealous - when she told Wally about M'gann and Conner in the, ah, pretty "coldhearted" way that she did (at his birthday party, in public, where everyone could see, and well ... she knew she would hurt him and seemed kind of pleased and smug to do that to him on his birthday...)

So that feels like she's maybe settling? :(

I think the show has set their relationship up to be really complicated and interesting, and I was just really surprised everything seemed suddenly 100% okay in Usual Suspects, in what amounted to about a sentence and a half (and Robin talked more about how he accepted her no matter what). M'gann and Conner had more of a to-do around them, and they were already getting along.

(Maybe it's not as resolved as it seems?)

At any rate! Thank you for making characters that are so interesting and complicated and deep that I'd even be able to think about them this much and in this way.

Wally and Artemis are two of my very, very favorite characters of all time.

I really look forward to hearing what your take on them is. :)

Anonymous writes...

It’s good that Robin was given the chance to lead The Team at least once so far (in the real world), but he didn’t feel 100% confident in his own abilities just yet (given what happened in “Failsafe”). If more situations dictate the need for Robin’s leadership more often (I'll wait to find out), then do you believe in your most honest opinion that he will gradually improve overtime (both in his own confidence and in his own skills)?

no.1 batfan writes...

I saw in the archives that someone asked about the religions that the members of the Justice League are practicing, so I was curious about the religions of the members of the team as well. I think it is safe to say that some of them, namely Miss Martian, are already revealed (in her case in Denial), and others like Aqualad and Zatanna can be inferred from their counterparts on the Justice League. Also, since it will be a while when you do get to this question, I would appreciate if you would answer this for any and all new additions to the team as of answering this question as well. Thanks in advance.