Monsters of Television

“Why isn’t anyone ever just whelmed?“

I haven’t really read comic books in years, and even then I was a Marvel guy (though I’ve been reading bits of DC lately). That said, I’ve always enjoyed DC’s animated work.  Batman The Animated Series was my Batman (and his rogues gallery, of course) more than Michael Keaton’s performance or Frank Miller’s takes. While I’m not a Superman fan, I appreciated the animated series (great voice work), and the Justice League series were very good. In fact, with the exception of The Batman (interesting ideas, but never liked the execution), I’ve enjoyed most of the DC animated series.

Needless to say, I’ve been looking forward to Young Justice for a little while. Part of this stems from the above, but the behind-the-scenes crew (Greg Weisman (Gargoyles, Spectacular Spider-Man (actually pretty good if you haven’t seen it)! Please, and thank you) is very solid as well, creating a one-two punch that really can’t be denied.

The pilot 2-parter is, as expected, well-made and entertaining from an action perspective. And while only the pilot, it hints at the narrative and character richness that marked the Justice League shows. I’m pretty optimistic about the show’s development.

The pilot is about, as all pilots are, set up. A group of, um, sidekicks (Kid Flash, Robin, Aqualad, and Speedy) believe that they are being initiated into the Justice League. They find out that they are, in fact, only receiving access to the Hall’s library and training area, no access beyond that and definitely no access to the Watchtower (which no one would’ve known about had Green Arrow not told Speedy about it).

This slight sets up the central conflict of the show, and in a fairly organic way. The sidekicks are all talented, well-trained heroes in their own right, and no real reason beyond “You’re not ready” is given for their exclusion from the big heroes club. This is understandably frustrating for the group, especially a group of teenagers who have essentially been told by their parents that while they have a license to drive, they can’t take the family car for a spin.

Speedy storming out makes room for Artemis (though no idea when she’ll appear; Green Arrow how to train a new sidekick now), so the episode’s focus on Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash gives time to sketch out three characters very well. Robin is the most iconic of the three and all the Robin traits are there: light touches of humor, clearly a strategist, and a reliance on gadgets (oh, that glove computer is going to be the bane of my existence).

But Aqualad and Kid Flash, given their fewer, if any, appearances in non-comics media, are a little more open to play with (and, indeed, this Aqualad is brand new). I like that it is Kid Flash, not Robin, who appears to be bucking up against the mentor’s influence while still staying in the realm of being respectful. It’s a nice shift in character, as it’s far too early to even hint at Nightwing, plus it’ll be interesting to see Flash as a mentor who has to deal with an upstart protege.

Aqualad, on the other hand, is an interesting case. That they’ve given him more abilities than Aquaman, in particular his Aquakinesis, does make the character more engaging on a power level (though it feels very Green Lantern to me). I’m not crazy about the telepathy (justified by the fact that all creatures evolved from water creatures, thus Aquaman and Aqualad have limited telepathy abilities with everyone on Earth), but as long as it doesn’t get overused. But the persona, as a respectful subject and warrior who is clearly talented will make for an interesting leadership character for the group.

The rest of the episode is action and arc set up. I like that Cadmus is put front and center so quickly, especially since I think the Newsboy Legion, the original board of directors for Cadmus would be a logical choice for Young Justice to square off against. Guardian, likewise, is quickly established as a recognizable face to the team, will me for a good face for the Big Bads (whomever they may be). I’m sure the show will do non-arc centric episodes, which will be a good thin so long as they’re balanced well against each other.

Voice casting is strong thus far. I’m a sucker for Crispin Freeman, so I hope we get plenty of the Guardian (or the return of Speedy). Jesse McCartney’s slightly squeaky Robin makes sense (he’s the youngest of the group apart from the 16-week old Superboy) even if it’s a bit distracting. I’m still mulling on Jason Spisak’s Kid Flash, while I’m already grooving on Khrary Payton’s Aqualad, which he instills the right amounts of serenity, respect, and passion for more in Aqualad. Nolan North as Superboy is working a bit more for me than his Superman, but we’ll see how that develops.

Indeed, the entire series is under a “we’ll see” stage as it’s still too early to guess how things will go. One thing I do appreciate is that the show, while hinting at Justice League/Justice League Unlimited potential, still seems very kid friendly but also something parents and non-parent adults can enjoy as well.

FINAL THOUGHTS

• That’s a lot of cold-based villains.
• “No, Speedy is Green Arrow’s sidekick.” “That makes no sense at all.”
• I would’ve liked to have heard Red Tornado and Black Canary speak, since they’ll be baby-sitting the new group at Mount Justice, but plenty of time for that later, I suppose. At least Bruce Greenwood is back as Batman.
• “You’re not a real boy, you’re a weapon! Now get back to your pod!”
• As Charlotte Howell noted, “2 GLs?” All the better to promote your new summer blockbuster with, I guess.
• Among the first times that “Got your nose” is very literal.
• Appreciated the Teen Titans (and Cowboy Bebop) nod with Robin’s computer icons in that style (Yes, I liked Teen Titans). Radical Robin!
• Arc words/bad guys: the Light.