Young Justice

[Dark Silver]

Young Justice Season 2 (Subtitle: Invasion) started this morning.

The first minute is replaying what was basically the last minute or two of the Season 1 Finale - six Leaguers were missing for sixteen hours - no trace of where they went or what they did.

Shortly there after, we have a time skip - of Five Fucking Years.

This apparently, is intentional. The Five Year Gap will be shown in a new video game due out in 2013 - Young Justice: Leagacy. The Tag Line of the game is "One will rise. One will Fall. One will Die." Which seems to indicate that something happens to three of the Team's members int he events of the game which brings us to this time skip.

We come back five years later to see some drastic changes - the Team has expanded - considerably. Superboy and company (including a new Robin) take down Clayface. Miss Martian has a new do, and apparently Tim Drake has taken over as Robin, and works under Nightwing who is now team lead (and yes, Nightwing is Dick Grayson). It also seems like Captain Atom is giving JL missions now, so when the hell did that happen. Too many unanswered questions, not enough answering in the first half hour episode.

New to the team is Wondergirl, Batgirl, Drake-Robin, Beast Boy, Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle (who just seems to have gotten his Scarab), Lagoon (from Atlantis) Bumblebee and apparently Earth-16's version of Herald (aka Mal). Zartanna and Rocket have become members of the Justice League, with Miss Martian, Superboy and Nightwing choosing to continue on with the Team.

I'm not entirely sure how to take it. This five year jump and everything that happens is in that time is left a utter mystery to us. The absence of Kaldur, Artemis and Wally is apparent and biting in this new incarnation of the Team, and the fact that Zartanna and Rocket went on to the League just when we were getting to know them....is just as jarring.

What's more, I want to know what happened to those three. Obviously, because of the game, we know one will die, one will move on, and one will fall from grace. If I had to guess, I'd say Kaldur died, Wally moves on to become Flash, and Artemis dies somehow...but that'd be cliche and what everyone's expecting. Fortunatly, it seems that int he third or fourth episode of this season, we will find out who fell...so there's all that.

At anyrate, the episode itself, once we get past the changes, was interesting - and goes right off into the Invasion bit that is this season's Subtitle. Mini-Aliens who remind me of Genomorphs are invading using stolen Zeta-beam Tech from Rann to invade the Earth at multiple locations....and apparently they will have outside help as well.



It's a...interesting episode. I can't really even begin to digest it entirely yet....I have to ruminate on this some more...and maybe see next weeks episode before I can say thumbs up or down....

the Tim Drake Robin seems a bit off though for some reason...

[Batman]

First episode of a new season and a five year time jump so too early to tell anything for sure, but this episode left me less than whelmed, especially if this really is because of a computer game I'll never play. Newsflash-this is a TV series. If I have to play the damned game (which isn't even out yet) to understand what's going on you're doing it all wrong.
Of course this might be worked out in subsequent episodes, for all I know we'll get at the relevant information concerning the gap in the series, but so far, it was too much change with too little information on the why and how. Completely new and vastly expanded team roster, the Megan/Conner thing seems to be a goner, the mostrecent additions to the team are the ones to have moved on to the Justice League, several former members are gone...
And does John Stewart have a new voice actor or does it just seem that way because he said practically nothing in season 1?

[Dark Silver]

Well, We'll find out some clues to what happened in the past 5 years at the very least, in Episode 4....

Invasion: 204 - Salvage
Original Airdate - May 19th, 2012
While Superboy and Blue Beetle battle Intergang, Nightwing and company try to salvage the soul of a former comrade fallen from grace.

I'm still putting money it's Kal'dur who fell during those five years, which would make it rather poignant considering how much of a good guy he is/was.

[frigidmagi]

I like wonder girl and blue being on the team, beast boy was signaled a mile away. I like how they handled blue, with the outbursts at his armor and everyone looking on confused, just like the comics (the aliens recognizing him or rather, part of him was perfect). The small reference to Todd was good. What's with the Bill O Reilly guy, and why would anyone listen to him over the fucking Justice League? You know, the guys who have saved the planet 15 billion times? I mean seriously in my ranking system Superman>>>>>>>>>>ratings chasing old guy with possible fafel fetish. (I'm on to you newsguy! )

Additional questions:


Why can't I get a full season of Zatana on the team?
Did Nightwing get a really awesome 18th birthday party? Come on Bats, don't be cheap!
How is Billy Batson handling puberty, has he awkwardly tried to hit on the girl members yet?
Why isn't Beast Boy making jokes?
Can we get a Starfire? (What?!?)
Who the fuck is this Lagoon guy?
Why is he lip locking Megan?
Why did she and Connor break up?
How have Connor and Supes worked out their problems?
Why did we have to skip 5 fucking years!?!
Where's Kid Flash and Artemis?
Where's Red Arrow and Speedy?
What happened to Camdus?
Has someone rid me of Lex Luthor?
Who the fuck put Captain Jackass Atom in charge?
No, Serious, why is he planning this shit instead of Batman or Green Carney or even fucking Wonder Women?
Really, him? If you wanted a military guy, you could have had the real thing! JON STEWART IS RIGHT THERE PEOPLE!

YOU HAD PERFECTLY GOOD PLOTS WHY COULDN'T YOU RESOLVE THEM BEFORE LEAPING 5 YEARS AHEAD!?!

*Ahem* Gonna blame that one on finals.

This Lagoon annoys me on top of everything else. Fish puns, Christ almighty fish puns. Why did it have to be puns? It's like Hotfoot the undersea edition. Only Hotfoot earned his damn right to annoy me with puns (within limits, don't ideas Hotfoot). I have an urge for fishsticks.

Also it figures they put the airforce in charge and suddenly we're infested with aliens. And not the cool that save cities and form superhero teams either. I bet Jon saw this coming and was ignored by Mr Tree Up My Ass. Fucking Pilots.

[Dark Silver]

I like wonder girl and blue being on the team, beast boy was signaled a mile away. I like how they handled blue, with the outbursts at his armor and everyone looking on confused, just like the comics (the aliens recognizing him or rather, part of him was perfect). The small reference to Todd was good. What's with the Bill O Reilly guy, and why would anyone listen to him over the fucking Justice League? You know, the guys who have saved the planet 15 billion times? I mean seriously in my ranking system Superman>>>>>>>>>>ratings chasing old guy with possible fafel fetish. (I'm on to you newsguy! )

Yes, the reference to Jason was excellent, I'm fully expecting that to be explored eventually.

The Bill O'Rielly Guy is G Gordan Godfrey...aka the Voice of Darksied. One of the Big Man's Heralds. I have a feeling this invasion, much like The Light, is part of Darksied's plan.

My issue is, if Darksied makes his appearance, the Team won't be able to stand up to him. I mean, sure, they HAVE been punching above their weight class almost all of last season, but even then, somethings are just a bit too much to bite off and chew.

Darksied is definatly in that league. I'd put Braniac in there also. Maybe one or two others.

The Kroloteans recognizing Blue Beetle probably means they have at least had encounters with the Reach....which could bode interesting since the Scarab which gives Jaime his armor and powers is a malfunctioning Reach Infiltrator.

I have the distinct impression Jaime and Tim are both relatively new to their respective roles. Tim probably within the last six months or so (maybe less with how ill at ease he still seems around everyone) and Jaime probably about the same.

Additional questions:


Why can't I get a full season of Zatana on the team?
Did Nightwing get a really awesome 18th birthday party? Come on Bats, don't be cheap!
How is Billy Batson handling puberty, has he awkwardly tried to hit on the girl members yet?
Why isn't Beast Boy making jokes?
Can we get a Starfire? (What?!?)
Who the fuck is this Lagoon guy?
Why is he lip locking Megan?
Why did she and Connor break up?
How have Connor and Supes worked out their problems?
Why did we have to skip 5 fucking years!?!
Where's Kid Flash and Artemis?
Where's Red Arrow and Speedy?
What happened to Camdus?
Has someone rid me of Lex Luthor?
Who the fuck put Captain Jackass Atom in charge?
No, Serious, why is he planning this shit instead of Batman or Green Carney or even fucking Wonder Women?
Really, him? If you wanted a military guy, you could have had the real thing! JON STEWART IS RIGHT THERE PEOPLE!

YOU HAD PERFECTLY GOOD PLOTS WHY COULDN'T YOU RESOLVE THEM BEFORE LEAPING 5 YEARS AHEAD!?!

I could do without Starfire, unless we get Raven in there also...and if we get Raven, can we also get a Trigon story arc being done sometime in another season? Cause that might be interesting to see. So many unanswered questions RE: the previous version of the Team and this five year time jump. And I'm upset that the video game is suppossed to reveal a good portion of that five years...including the fate of three important members.

Current rumor mill suggests that Kaldur has a "talk" with Ocean Master, and follows in his Father's (Black Manta's) footsteps, going to the "Dark Side" as it were. And with Wally "graduating" to becoming the Flash....that would leave our much loved Archer-femme as the die-er.

Also, why the fuck WAS Captain Atom giving out orders and missions? You had Martian Manhunter and Batman and Jon Fucking Stewart standing right there. Where does Captain Atom come out with authority to order missions like that. Lots of shit went down in the five year gap, and we need to know. I just hope we get the answers.

This Lagoon annoys me on top of everything else. Fish puns, Christ almighty fish puns. Why did it have to be puns? It's like Hotfoot the undersea edition. Only Hotfoot earned his damn right to annoy me with puns (within limits, don't ideas Hotfoot). I have an urge for fishsticks.

Also it figures they put the airforce in charge and suddenly we're infested with aliens. And not the cool that save cities and form superhero teams either. I bet Jon saw this coming and was ignored by Mr Tree Up My Ass. Fucking Pilots.

Lagoon Boy was actually seen in the Season 1 episode where Kaldur'ahm went back to Atlantas. He was still a squeaker then...but now he's an annoying teen fish-mutant thing that makes way to many fish/fishing related puns to be useful and/or kept alive. I require his termination in a grizzly manner. I'll put the League of Shadows on the assignment. I'll put the hit out on Chairforce Captain also while I'm at it.

[Batman]

Me, Diana, John Stewart or JJ not being the ones to assign missions might have something to do with those missing 16 hours (the ones that resulted in the entire JL being Personae Non Grata in Rann space) and somebody (probably me) no longer considering the six of us fully trustworthy. Why it had to be Captain Atom of all people I don't know especially as both Dinah and Red Tornado worked closely with the team in season 1 (especially Tornado).
Of course, he seems to be in charge of League assignments too but for all we know they draw lots on who gets to be mission coordinator or there's a weekly rotation or something. We may have gotten a little too used to the same person always being in control thanks to it always being JJ/Mr Terrific in the Timmverse.

I didn't mind the fish jokes so much as having no real clue who the hell the guy is (I remember him from Young Justice's 'Sins of Youth' but that's about it). And given she did exactly nothing, what was the point in having Bumblebee other than showing us she's on the team?
That could have been just as easily done in an episode where she actually has a purpose.

The Jason reference was subtle enough that it might not have been one other than a nod to the fans, though with the 5 year window it would be possible to fit most if not all of Jason's history in there (especially if Tim is really as new to the job as you've speculated).

Garfield having a tail in human form is new to me and isn't he a little young? Even with the time jump, he can't be any older than, what 13, maybe 14 high end? Time to rewatch 'Image' I guess.

And seriously, DS. The League of Shadows can't take me out but the poor sods are supposed to kill a guy who can go toe to toe with the Big Blue Schoolboy?

[frigidmagi]

I'll point out Dick Grayson was on the team at 13/14. So frankly, this is Batman's fault.

[Batman]

I'm reasonably certain we're never told anything about Dick's age other than he's been on the job since he was 8 years old.
Which sort of torpedoes your point about Garfield being too young?
Robins are a special case. Besides, that very fact likely means Dick would already have had a lot more training than Garfield ever did.
EDIT: Actually 'Drop Zone' explicitly establishes Dick's age as 13 at the time so I was wrong about that.

[Dark Silver]

I figured out why Captain Chairforce with a stick up his ass was giving orders.

Apparently the Justice League of Earth-16 (which is the Earth that Young Justice takes place on, a Earth which is still "early" in the timeframe of getting Superheros) has a Democratically Elected leadership.

Which means in Season 1, Batman, Superman and Diana were leaders of the League...and now apparently Captain Atom and John Stewart lead the team.

I hope that changed quickly. I still blame Atom for the Krolotean invasion.


Also, Ke-zee Femmes.

[JimmyTheCannon]

Loved seeing Lobo. I haven't been analyzing the series too much (and I missed a couple episodes), I've just been enjoying it, but it is a fantastic show for non-Timmverse DCAU. I really hope they do answer those questions in the series instead of leaving them for the game... that would be, frankly, rage-inducing.

[Batman]

Not to mention, in my opinion, potentially incredibly stupid. You're going to turn off a lot of what would have otherwise being potential new viewers/followers of the first season by, essentially, telling them 'sorry bro-you'll have to buy a game that won't even be released until s2 is done to find out what happened between s1 and 2'. I already know what my reaction is going to be.

And the visuals of Lobo's bike stunk. The thing's supposed to look like a spacegoing motorcycle. That's what Lobo is. The most powerful and evil tempered (and last because he likely killed all the other ones) space motorcycle ganger in existence. That contraption almost looked like a viable spacegoing vehicle. Lame.

[Batman]

S2E2, 'Earthlings', and so far, it's looking good. Better, in fact, if this episode is an indicator for the rest of the series. We already got a bit of background information on the missing 5 years (not much, but a little).

Spoiler: show

Conner apparently broke up with Megan because he doesn't visually age (I very much suspect she wouldn't give a damn and Conner's explanation of why he did it made no sense but then we're talking about a) love and b) Conner so this not being a rational decision isn't a problem). There's clear indicators that there's still a spark between Conner and Megan, despite Megan being with annoying Fish Boy.There's Alanna (who wears a cape for no apparent reason, but at least turns out to be the daughter of their Rannian contact and not yet another never seen before team member) who apparently has the hots for Adam and is willing to act as a sounding board for Conner.
Megan can telepathically translate Rannian to English for everybody involved in no time flat but would need days if not more to figure out the Krolotean (thanks, archenemy) language. That's one complicated language.
We finally know where the missing six were for the missing sixteen hours-Rimbor. LSH tie-in, anybody?
Adam Strange's distraction on the tram was hilarious, as was the followup comment by Megan ('Well his last name is Strange')
Apparently Megan and Garth consider themself siblings now, if only by adoption.
Megan's TK has either gotten more powerful, more precise, or she has gotten more skilled in using it.

[JimmyTheCannon]

It was interesting to see how much Megan has changed.

Spoiler: show

Apparently, she has no qualms about using her powers to seemingly lobotomize an enemy, when it really wasn't necessary.

[Batman]

Spoiler: show

Where do you get lobotomizing from? She rendered the guy drooling and presumably unconcious, nothing more

[JimmyTheCannon]

I didn't mean in the literal sense of the word. Perhaps I read too much into it, but that was the impression I got.

[Batman]

Spoiler: show

I think we can agree it is heavily implied she went far further than her mental scans in season one, to the detriment of the Krolotean being scanned, but lobotomy is a pretty drastic (and likely highly inaccurate) description

.
And could the rest of you get around to watching the episode so I can finally dispose of those stupid spoiler tags? I mean I'm the one who is supposed to be massively behind the times here.

[Dark Silver]

a) You're welcome Detective

b) Hold your flipping bat-horses. I have issues getting the episode while out on a jobsite. Go snort some Bat-Shark-Repellant in the meantime.

[JimmyTheCannon]

I think we can agree on that, yeah. Poor choice of words on my part.

[Batman]

a) You're welcome Detective
b) Hold your flipping bat-horses. I have issues getting the episode while out on a jobsite. Go snort some Bat-Shark-Repellant in the meantime.

Sorry. Being the first one to know is just something that I'm not used to. Heck I'm the one who has to worry the flipping bat-horses actually happenend at one point or other.

[Dark Silver]

Finally got to see S2E2, and...well...hell..

M'gann has gotten a power up this season - she must have done some heavy training with Jo'nn or something - she can now phase shift which was a advanced Martian Telepathy discipline.

We get some insight into what happened between M'gann and Conner...in more ways than one. I think MM's new approach to how she uses her powers is part of the reason Conner broke up with her....she did something that she shouldn't have - either she screwed with someone's minds. . . . or going with the revelation from BB's flashback, she killed Queen Bee.

I like Adam's new Rann gear...very Assassin's Creed in look - hilarious that he was reciting Jabbawocky and acting like the White Rabbit during the chase. It seems at the very least the Light was working with the Kroloteans - is Apocalypse using them as a middle man? We saw Desade and Apokolyptian Tech last season (five years ago to the Team)...so I was almost sure The Light was working directly with Apokalypse and Darksied. . . now I'm not so sure. But would the Kroloteans have big enough balls to steal tech from a universally known and vengeful Master of the Omega Beam?

[Batman]

It's called density shifting in YJ and bugger. How did I miss that? It's not like they made a point of her not being able to do that last season or anything.
Just like the vault I keep the kryptonite in, the omega beam isn't all it's hyped up to be and leaving aside the possibility that the Kroloteans are simply too stupid to realize how deep in shit they are if they steal from Darkseid (which remains a distinct one by the way, the most brilliant of villains theyre not, so far) I wouldn't count out Darkseid having let them for purposes of his own.
For all we know the poor buggers are yet another pawn of The Light (if apparently unknowingly).

[JimmyTheCannon]

I kinda miss the "Hello, Megan!" moments.

[Batman]

That actually got on my nerves after a while. And this is a darker future, and definitely a darker Megan (notice the costume change? We know why Conner had to ditch the S shield, why did she have to change outfits?). I'm actually curious if DS' speculation on what happened between her and Queen Bee turns out to be true.

[Dark Silver]

What's going to really throw you for a loop Detective.....

Go rewatch the scene were M'gann links everyone on Rann for the "Universal Translator" bit. Notice the look on Superboy's face.

He's clearly upset/pissed she's doing it without even asking anyone - that she just invaded the Professor's mind like that for the knowledge....

Then he was upset with her again when she fried the Krolotean's brain to get the information.........



Also, we now have a timeframe for when the Missing Three went out....

The respective losses of Wally, Kaldur'ahm and Artemis occur sometime after Dick becomes Nightwing, and Tim becomes Robin...and Garth becomes Beast Boy....


thanks to the Young Justice Leagacy gamesite (linked above).

[frigidmagi]

I honestly don't have a problem with Megan just linking everyone. It could have taken hours to do otherwise, which was time they didn't have. And frankly, she likely still doesn't get why that's a problem for non-telepathic species. Which makes sense. I mean she spends the vast majority of her time around superheroes, who are not normal people! I do think she might have gone a little far on the alien there, but... You know... Fuck it, the dude is a kidnapper, a thief and refers to other sapient beings as playthings. Considering what someone with Cats, Hotfoot, Steve's or my moral system may have done if we got our paws on him... He got off light. I imagine we seem fuck off scary to the Randians at this point though.

As for Connor, I'm not seeing how being a clone keeps him from aging? I'm gonna assume this is some Kryptonian thing honestly. Because if he's aging "internally" then he should be aging externally. The external effects of aging after all are byproducts or part of the internal aging process. So yeah, I'm assuming that they don't understand what's going on with Connor and this is a steaming load of, you know. I like how Connor interacts with Beast Boy, they seem to be buddies. I'm also not buying this as a reason to break up with Megan. I can see he's uncomfortable with how far she's willing to go though and I think that has more to do with it.

Beast boy was cool, he's different from the Teen Titans Beast Boy (which is not only fair but necessary) but still Beast Boy if you catch my drift. It's clearly shown that he's chosen the monkey look for some reason, maybe as a distance from grief.

I like the changes made to the Randians. When they were first created, they were a civilian suffering from a decline of vitality. They just didn't have the ommpah to do stuff anymore. These days they seem more of a Techanocratic Police State. That's a shift more in line to modern fears. I don't want to get into a demographic argument but rightly or wrongly we don't fear decline via lack of children/vitality, but fear a slide into a technocratic security state that watches our every move while telling us as little as possible.

The fact that Connor calls fish guy a jerk only improves my opinion of Connor. Just saying.

Additionally, if Megan killed Queen Bee? Why should I be appalled? She's a dictator! Worse, she's a slave monger of the highest degree, turning people into thralls for her own shits and giggles. If anyone ever wants to free the nation she's keeping under her dainty boot and keep it free, she's gonna have to die. And even blunter, superheroes may be the only ones who can kill her. But this is really more about the rift between me and comic book morality.