In comics history, there is a long tradition of radio shows, TV shows and movies based on characters. Many people have seen the Batman and Superman cartoons of the '90s and the recent Christopher Nolan film series. One of the most recent comic forays into television is the teen-centric cartoon Young Justice.
Though there was a Young Justice team and comic in the early 2000's, the TV series has a new roster of teen heroes with completely different backstories.
The current YJ team, which has a tie-in comic series by the same writers, is about a group of sidekicks who feel stifled at their mentors' sides. They branch out on their own to form a covert team led by Aqualad and sent on missions by Batman.
The team currently includes:
Aqualad (Kaldur ‘Ahm): Team leader and Aquaman’s former sidekick, Kaldur is originally from Atlantis and has mystical and water-related powers. This version of Aqualad is different from the comic book version, but his passion for his team has made him a fan favorite.
Robin (Dick Grayson): Batman’s sidekick and one of the more secretive members of the group, Dick has no powers but is an expert fighter and a tech genius. Despite being an enigma to most of his friends, Robin can switch between serious hero and fun-loving kid. And since the pilot episode, where he questioned whether a person can be “whelmed” (as opposed to over- or under-), he’s quick to remind his teammates to “stay whelmed.”
Kid Flash (Wally West): The Flash’s sidekick, Wally is a hot-headed and impulsive speedster with a heart of gold (and a somewhat annoying personality). Many fans find Wally too annoying to be lovable, but as a long-time Wally West fan in all of his forms, I love seeing my favorite Flash family member again (since the DC comics reboot, he’s been missing from the main universe).
Superboy (Conner Kent): A clone of Superman, Superboy was rescued by his teammates in the pilot from the lab where he was made. He has all of Superman’s powers but is estranged from the hero. He is, however, dating Miss Martian. Although fans of the show love to pair off the team members into couples, their relationship is the only current romance. Conner is a lot different from his comic book origins – he is much more stoic and angst-ridden in his YJ incarnation.
Miss Martian (M’Gann M’orzz): A plucky, bubbly young woman, M’Gann (a.k.a. Megan) is Martian Manhunter’s niece and is in love with pop culture and Superboy. She also has super strength, telepathy and shape-shifting abilities. M’Gann, along with her self-deprecating catchphrase “hello, Megan!,” is the sweetest character on the show. She is also pretty adorable, despite the fact that the audience knows she keeps most of her life and her true Martian form hidden from her friends.
Artemis (Artemis Crock): Green Arrow’s sidekick with a dark past, Artemis comes from a family of villains but only wishes to do good. Though she has no powers, she is an expert archer and fighter. Her strong attitude and her general badassery may make Artemis the fan favorite girl on the team.
Zatanna (Zatanna Zatara): Daughter of the magician John Zatara, Zatanna has spell-casting abilities. She was recently orphaned but has found a new family in the YJ team. Zatanna has a lot of angst, making her perfect for this typical teen team, and she also has quite a bit of chemistry with both Robin and Artemis.
Rocket (Raquel Ervin): The newest member of the team, Raquel is the sidekick of the hero Icon and can store and manipulate kinetic energy. Rocket is the newest member of the team, so we don't know as much about her yet.
Red Arrow/ Speedy (Roy Harper): Green Arrow’s former sidekick, Roy has a lot of anger issues toward the adult heroes, but is still a role model for the other sidekicks. An expert archer as well, he does not get along with his replacement Artemis. Roy is very angry.
Captain Marvel (Billy Batson): A pre-teen boy who can turn into the adult superhero with the use of the magic word “Shazam,” Billy is the Justice League’s liaison to the teen team. Despite looking like an adult, Billy is the youngest member of the team, and he loves to hang out and eat junk food with his more mature teammates. Everyone loves Billy.
The team has gone through a lot of drama in their first season. Superboy and Miss Martian navigate their burgeoning relationship, while Artemis comes to terms with her past, and Superboy strives for Superman’s approval. Also, Wally has unrequited feelings for both M’Gann and Artemis. The most important event, though, is the discovery of a mole on their team. The show and comic both do a great job of mixing teen angst with heroic action and drama.
Despite the fact that YJ airs on Cartoon Network and the comic is part of DC’s younger readers titles, both aspects of the series have a huge teen and adult following. I’ve personally been a fan since the show premiered last year, and my friends and I follow it very closely. As the drama over the mole's identity increased, we each had our bets as to who it was, though these changed with each subsequent episode. When the mole was revealed two weeks ago, and explained in last weekend’s season one finale, it was still a shock to the fandom.
Young Justice airs on Cartoon Network on Saturday mornings, and the comic – which covers storylines not in the show and goes more in depth into plots from the episodes – publishes once a month. Season two of the TV series will premiere this Saturday, April 28. Be sure to check out both the show and comic!