Young Justice Overview; catching up on all the seasons, so far!

Ever since the show, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited went off the air, I’ve been looking for a spiritual successor to the DC Universe and its heroes. Enter Young Justice, where the main heroes’ sidekicks take charge and form a Team to grow out of their mentors’ shadow. At first, I was a little skeptical, but with the subtle nods to classic characters, such a Zatanna, Dr. Fate, Plastic Man, the Legion of Doom and Green Lantern John Stewart (the BEST Green Lantern, fight me!) to the young heroes learning more about themselves, Young Justice is a show where if live action can’t properly tell certain stories, the animated show can. It’s on HBO Max, and all three seasons are available, including the new episodes of season four. Before I talk about season four, however, I’ll quickly address the previous three seasons.

Season one is where it all begins. After sidekicks Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash and Speedy are promised to be fully inducted members of the Justice League, they quickly learn that their mentors are still treating them like sidekicks and not full partners. Speedy, fed up with the behavior, leaves to be his own man. The other three find their own mission, including saving a younger clone of Superman, Conner. From there Batman realizes that while the young heroes have potential, they still need mentoring, so he along with members of the League give them missions of their own. Meanwhile, a mysterious group of villains called “The Light” are creating disastrous events that not even the League are aware of.

Season two gives us older members of The Team coordinating with the Justice League to combat The Light’s plans. But due to the Justice League being framed for war crimes in deep space, the safety of the world is left to the Team, with new members such as Impulse, Rocket, Wonder Girl and more. This season more with espionage and a surprise guest makes his presence felt; Darkseid! Also, a fan favorite Kid Flash sacrifices his life to save the world form an apocalyptic timeline, leaving fiancé Artemis devastated!

Season Three deals with some members of the Justice League leaving the group to perform more covert actions that the League can’t legally condone, the Team combats The Light, as The Light are kidnapping teenagers with superpowers for their own means. This season gained quite a bit of buzz, due to themes of xenophobia, politics, media and whether fighting fire with fire is the right approach. There’s also a heavier theme centered around family, this season. The Light’s allegiance with Darkseid is more felt in this season, with characters like Granny Goodness and the Furies making their appearance.

Now, we’ve come to Season four. Surprisingly, the season opens with Team Members Superboy and Miss Martian getting married on Mars, while the planet is dealing with racism and a political coup! It’s both refreshing and sad to see. Even in space, bigots are still a thing. They also catch us by surprise by SPOILER ALERT KILLING OFF Superboy! I was like, damn! Anybody can get it, huh HBO?! The latest episodes deal with the loss of Connor and a new plot; two former members of The League of Shadows are seeking asylum with the Team, but Team member Tigress must decide which member is telling the truth: Onyx or the daughter of Vandal Savage! I love that more representation is here, different heroes from different backgrounds becoming household names and encouraging viewers to read up on these characters. While season three was a bit long, I’m hoping season four will be tighter with the storytelling and will give us a “less is more” approach with the number of episodes! Stay tuned for more coverage of Young Justice Phantoms here, fellow blerds