"Monkey Business" by Greg Weisman and Christopher Jones.
It's Young Justice Saturday!
Hey there again, everyone, Shrine Correspondent Andy Luckett here again with a review of Young Justice #18. Since the last two issues starred only Robin, Kid Flash, and Artemis, this issue begins a new storyline involving the entire team. To review, the comic book series has generally told stories that fill in the gaps between television episodes. This installment is no exception, as it takes place after the events of the "Alpha Male" episode that aired last October.
As we pick up the story, Robin recounts the events of the team's last few missions in his case notes, including Superboy and Miss Martian's infiltration of Belle Reve prison, the attack by Red Tornado's "sibling" robots, and the recent defeat of The Brain's Kobra Venom project in India (where Superboy picked up his pet wolf named, uh, Wolf).
A few days later, Batman summons the team for another assignment. Apparently, after teleporting away in India, The Brain retreated to another base in the Bwundan jungle and resumed his experiments, so it's Round 2 for the team.
Once they arrive in Bwunda, The Brain is already monitoring them from his hideout. He and his companion Monsieur Mallah are not alone, as The Ultra-Humanite is also in attendance. They agree that summoning Gorilla Grodd is the way to bring down the team. In the jungle, Aqualad asks Miss Martian to establish a telepathic link for the team, but she first wants to know about what happened with Tula, sensing Aqualad's distraction. He tells her of his regret:
After establishing the link, Miss Martian is immediately hit on by Wally. This bugs Artemis, who in turn asks Superboy to see a movie. Robin gets in on the act by ribbing Artemis, until Aqualad tells them to cut it out and proclaims, "I know we are all adolescents--but we do not have to be cliches." Suddenly, they are surrounded on all sides by gorillas exhibiting the ripped flesh and exposed muscle brought on by Kobra Venom exposure. The battle is on, as Aqualad forms water maces and attacks:
He asks Miss Martian to camouflage herself and remain as backup, while Robin throws up a smokescreen. Kid Flash takes off, but runs right into Grodd himself, also under the influence of Kobra Venom. Grodd takes out Kid Flash and shuts down Miss Martian psychically, leaving her unconscious and invisible. He then stomps Superboy and Aqualad while Artemis finds herself slapped with an inhibitor collar. Soon the others are as well:
Superboy briefly escapes but is quickly defeated. Grodd and his minions return the unconscious heroes (minus Miss Martian, still invisible) to The Brain and Ultra-Humanite. They are upset that Wolf and Miss Martian are still missing, but realize that the Kobra Venom may be causing the gorillas' improved mental faculties to erode. They send Grodd and the others out to search for Miss Martian and Wolf using infrared goggles. Miss Martian wakes up later, faced with Grodd and the other captive gorillas. Instead of attacking, however, Grodd asks for her help.
Continuing with DC Comics' long tradition of using apes as antagonists, this issue features a whole barrel-full. I find it interesting that the most dangerous of these apes, Grodd, is in a subservient role to Ultra-Humanite and The Brain. I'm guessing next issue we'll see Young Justice trapped between the machinations of The Brain and the wrath of Grodd.
I think the concept of using this comic to showcase missions "in-between" the TV episodes is for the most part successful. It broadens the timeline of the show and creates a very concrete continuity. On the other hand, it can make events seem a little densely packed, and it makes the Young Justice team look like the busiest super-team DC has, since they seem to undertake one mission right after the last! Of course, starting with issue #20 in September, the timeline of the comic will skip five years ahead like the TV show, so we will see if this format stays true.
Aqualad was granted a couple of nice moments in this issue. Besides taking down some gorillas with his water-bearers, he also revealed a bit more about his situation with Tula. It makes sense that with his tendency to over-think and analyze, he would've missed his opportunity to share his feelings for Tula. My favorite Aqualad moment in this issue was his line about the team not resorting to game-playing about their own romantic wishes. Being the oldest and most responsible (not to mention having suffered a recent heartache himself) it stands to reason that he would seek to stop the others from making similar mistakes.
See you soon for my review of issue #19. Same Aqua-time, same Aqua-place!
"...Here There Be Monsters" by Kevin Hopps, Greg Weisman, and Christopher Jones.
It's Young Justice Monday!
Hey there again, everyone, Shrine Correspondent Andy Luckett here with a review of issue 15 of the Young Justice comic series, entitled "...Here There Be Monsters." Last issue ended with Aqualad, Superboy, and Miss Martian traveling to Atlantis and finding Ocean Master leading a group of prejudiced citizens targeting those they called "impure". In a major act of contempt, Ocean Master burst into Mera's bedroom and attacked her using the mystic energy of his trident. As we pick up this month, the three young heroes are settling into sleep in Atlantean pods when Aqualad is alarmed by a telepathic projection from Mera. They rush to her chambers to find her in Ocean Master's clutches:
Aqualad awakes to see Prince Orm standing over him. The group plans to split into two teams and attack each of two possible strongholds for Ocean Master and his followers. Aqualad and his teammates follow the way to one hideout, but they fall into a trap from Ocean Master's disciples. As they are pinned down, the cavalry arrives:
Unfortunately, in the middle of the battle, Ocean Master unleashes a mystic attack that weakens the "impure" heroes of Atlantis, and Aqualad and the others begin to lose energy. King Shark is nearly killed, but Topo comes to his rescue thanks to his ink defense. In the ensuing confusion, Superboy is able to defeat the remainder of Ocean Master's forces. One of the attackers makes a beeline back to Ocean Master's hideout, with Miss Martian following him.
She relays the location to Aqualad and he and his allies attack. Just in time, too, since in the meantime, Ocean Master has been using his trident to steal Mera's mystical/life energy. One of his followers, Ronal, arrives to hear him ranting to Mera about using her (and her unborn child's) death to cause Atlantis to tumble into chaos and war, leaving him the rightful ruler of the oceans. Ronal has heard enough, and attacks:
So, Ocean Master is defeated but uncaptured, and life returns to normal in Atlantis. Aquaman pardons Ronal for his part in the conspiracy, and Prince Orm promises to root out the parties behind the plot (yeah, sure).
Okay, well I have to say, this issue was a decent ending to the storyline, but it seemed to read very fast. Lots of action, but nothing that seemed to have a lasting effect. Ocean Master shows his ruthlessness by caring nothing for Mera or her child, but is overwhelmed by the heroes and thus retreats, leaving them with a relatively easy victory. Of course he will be back very soon, both as a solo villain and as a member of the Light. I'll be curious to see when Ocean Master's true identity as Prince Orm will be revealed, but when it is, I hope it will be part of a larger story involving Aquaman.
Aqualad gets a lot to do, using his waterbearers to make a variety of blades, maces, and clubs. And of course it's great to see the writers using so many of Aquaman's supporting cast, including obscure characters such as Ronal and Lori Lemaris. So in conclusion, this storyline was a nice second look at Young Justice's Atlantis, but nothing about it blew me away. It felt like a spirited skirmish rather than a high-stakes battle. I'm not complaining, though, it still reads as a good companion piece to the "Downtime" episode of earlier this season.
"Under The Surface" by Kevin Hopps, Greg Weisman, and Christopher Jones.
It's a Special Young Justice Monday!
Hey there again, everyone, Shrine Correspondent Andy Luckett back with a review of Young Justice #14. The title of this story is "Under the Surface…", and as you can imagine, it features Aqualad, Atlantis, and many members of the Aqua-family prominently. So lets get to it, huh?
Deep in the Atlantic Ocean, a squid-headed boy named Topo is being chased by a band of hooded assailants. Despite exhaling ink into the water to confuse them, Topo is cornered by the group, who are able to generate energy from their hands.
Back at Mount Justice in Happy Harbor, Aqualad is preparing to return to Atlantis for a visit, which he resolved to do more often during the events of the episode "Downtime". After Kid Flash, Robin, and Artemis teleport home, Aqualad asks Superboy and Miss Martian if they would like to accompany him to Atlantis. The pair are excited and say yes, but Superboy asks why the others weren't invited. Aqualad replies that he would've liked to invite them, but their human bodies lack the resistance to survive at the depths where Atlantis is found. So, the trio take off in the bioship and are soon in view of the splendor of Aqualad's home city, Shayeris:
Both Superboy and Miss Martian are enthralled with the beauty of their surroundings, and Miss Martian quickly changes her form to include gills. Aqualad, aka Kaldur, takes his friends first to meet his parents, Sha'lain'a and Cal Durham. Since Miss Martian can translate Atlantean and Superboy was taught all languages while in his pod at Cadmus, there's no language barrier and everyone gets along great. Before Kaldur leaves, however, his father pulls him aside to tell him that there are rumors of unrest in the capital city, Poseidonis. The group makes that their next stop, and when they arrive, they are greeted by Queen Mera:
They also meet Prince Orm, Aquaman's brother (Aquaman is apparently off with the Justice League) as well as many pupils from the Conservatory of Sorcery, including Ronal, Blubber, Tula, Garth, Lori Lemaris, La'Gaan (aka Lagoon Boy) and King Shark. When Miss Martian remarks that each of the students is very different in appearance, Kaldur states that since ancient Atlantis sank, the population of each separate Atlantean city-state has evolved different adaptations to ocean survival, resulting in a wide variety of sentient life. The Conservatory, in particular, draws a diverse cross section of Atlantean citizenry.
But as much as Superboy and Miss Martian want to know about Atlantis, the students want to know about them and the surface as well. But soon, the atmosphere of wonder fades, as Ronal leaves in a huff and King Shark begins acting in a threatening manner. Aqualad sees Topo swimming by and goes to greet him, but he sees a word marked onto Topo's chest. The other students quickly take Topo away and warn Kaldur to mind his own business, but Tula tells them that the word written on Topo is ancient Atlantean script for "impure":
Meanwhile, in Bar Harbor, at an assisted living facility called Windward Home, a Dr. Jim Lockhart is greeted by a strange young man who seems to know him. He goes along with the man, even leaving his walker behind:
Back in Poseidonis, Aqualad is disturbed by Topo's mutilation and asks Tula and Garth what it means. They tell him about the Purists, a group which has recently become stronger in Atlantis and desires only for the human-looking Atlanteans to be a part of the society, using intimidation and violence to frighten off those they deem unsavory.The turmoil has grown much worse since Kaldur's last visit, and is becoming more and more public. In fact, after hearing cries of anger, Kaldur and the others come across two groups of students facing off against each other; one group with human appearance, the other with characteristics of sea creatures. Aqualad and his friends are able to break up the skirmish, but with no real resolution:
Later, in a secret meeting, the Purists meet to discuss what happened with Kaldur and his friends earlier in the day. Not surprisingly, Ocean Master is leading the group. He tells his followers to cloak themselves with hoods and cleanse Poseidonis of the impure, even saying that Aquaman will approve since he is human-looking as well.
Back on land, Dr. Lockhart has followed the stranger to a graveyard in Queens, where he is digging up the grave of Danette Reilly, a former hero he knew in his youth. However, when the grave is opened, the body shows no signs of decomposition, which the young man seems very pleased about. Back in Poseidonis, the Purists begin their attack on the Capitol, defeating the guards and making their way to the Royal Chambers, where Queen Mera (and her unborn baby) sleep peacefully; until Ocean Master appears, asking her, "Sweet dreams, my Queen?"
...to be continued!
Well, this issue definitely delivered on the Aqua-family front, much like "Downtime" before it. While Aquaman doesn't appear, just about everyone else is here. I find it interesting that the Young Justice creators are presenting a good mix of Aqua-family supporting characters both old (Lori Lemaris, Cal Durham) and newer (Topo, Blubber, Lagoon Boy). It could be a personal bias on my part, but it also seems as though the writers and artists on both the show and the comic seem to relish the opportunity to show Atlantis as a colorful, breathtaking place.
As far as the story, it makes sense that Ocean Master (who is revealed as Prince Orm in this issue, which hasn't been done on the show yet) would be leading a group of hate-mongers, though I would bet he is doing it for his own purposes of taking over the throne of Atlantis. Of course, as we all know, going up against Mera is not a good idea, so I predict that next issue Orm will regret intruding into her bedroom as she sleeps.
But overall, this issue is probably my favorite yet, just for the amount of Aqua-content, and the fact that I find the whole setting of Atlantis and its denizens more interesting than most other settings featured so far in Young Justice. Not only that, but Aqualad gets a fair amount to do, and a few moments are given to his love triangle with Tula and Garth. This (and hopefully next issue) would not be a bad pick-up for Aqua-fans, even if you're not a fan of Young Justice.
Editor's Note: Since both the newest issue of Young Justiceand the newest episode of Young Justice feature Aqualad and the Aqua-Family, I decided to give Andy's reviews of both a little more room to shine, which is why I moved "YJ Day" to today. Be back in a few hours to read his review of the Young Justice episode "Agendas"!
"...And The Penalty" by Greg Weisman, Christopher Jones, and Dan Davis.
It's Young Justice Saturday!
Hey there again, everyone, Shrine Correspondent Andy Luckett here with a review of Young Justice issue 13, "…And the Penalty." At the end of last issue, we had learned the dark origin of this version of Clayface, and the YJ team was battling him in the Gotham City sewers. As we pick up things this month, Aqualad is reflecting on how his recent daydreaming about Atlantis and Tula allowed Clayface to ambush the team.
We pick up this issue not with Clayface and a perplexed Talia, but instead we see:
Upon realizing his mistake, Aqualad (AKA Kalder'Ahm) is able to rally himself and the team to bring the hammer down on the former Matt Hagen, immobilizing him. Or so they think. Clayface quickly regains his form and smacks the team down, leaving without finishing them off (classic supervillain mistake, but lucky for the team). As they gather their wits, Batman radios Kalder to ask if they have encountered Clayface, whom they were only supposed to observe and follow, not engage. Kid Flash, never one to respect a private conversation, asks Aqualad to ask Batman where Artemis is, since she is not on the current mission.
A couple of days before, after the funeral of former Dr. Fate Kent Nelson, Artemis was arrested (which is unknown to the rest of the team). As she waits to be booked in a Star City jail, she is seated next to Icicle Jr., the son of the original frosty villain. Turns out the two went to school together, but Artemis wants to know what he's been up to since he went public as a supervillain. He obliges. And as you may have guessed, Artemis wasn't really in any trouble with the law, the Justice League was merely using her as a plant to uncover information from Icicle Jr. (if not other criminals). After she's sprung, she tells her "uncle" Green Arrow what she found out, but warns him that she joined the team "to be a hero--not a snitch!":
Back in Gotham City, the slightly battered and filth-covered team regroups in Miss Martian's bishop. Superboy, KF, Miss Martian and Robin want a rematch with Clayface, but Aqualad is off in his own world again. Cut to the Batcave, where Batman is analyzing a sample of Clayface's flesh; theorizing that a "morphic field" generated by the substance gives Hagen the ability to shape shift and regrow dismembered body parts. He figures out that a taser set to the right frequency could disrupt Clayface's patterns and render him harmless temporarily.
Meanwhile, the team has tracked Clayface to an abandoned warehouse (pretty much every other building in some parts of Gotham) and they attempt to take him on again. But Hagen, having gained quite a bit of mastery over his powers, tricks each member by impersonating another, a la The Thing:
By battle's end, even Aqualad is down for the count. This time, however, Clayface isn't walking away, he's moving in for the kill. Kalder has time to think about how his distracted mind has led his friends into danger again, but he realizes that if this is to be his death, his only regret is leaving Tula in Atlantis. Thankfully, Batman smashes the skylight and drops in to save everyone's bacon. He uses the special taser, which easily melts Clayface into a non-threatening puddle.
Back at YJ headquarters in Happy Harbor, Batman confronts Kalder about his absentmindedness. At first denying it, Kalder quickly admits that his thoughts have lately been drifting more and more to Atlantis. Batman tells him that he must be all in with the team, and if he is not, he needs to go in search of what he is missing. Kalder, as expected, decides he must go back to visit Atlantis:
To be continued!
If that last scene between Aqualad and Batman sounds familiar, it was used originally to open the TV episode "Downtime" in which Kalder went back to Atlantis and fought alongside the Aqua-family against Black Manta. Another example of the comic finding ways to tell stories that fit into the cracks of time between episodes. And this issue gave us a bit more insight into Aqualad's thoughts at this point in Young Justice continuity. The trip to Atlantis may have been something of a turning point for Kalder, since by visiting he was able to resolve his feelings for Tula, fight alongside his mentors again and help save his home. But for this issue he is still a little inexperienced, making big mistakes like underestimating Clayface and allowing the other members to make plans without his input. He does get a couple of cool moments though, such as cutting off a Clayface arm to free himself using a hard-water machete.
On the whole, I enjoyed this Clayface story. The details of Matt Hagen's transformation into Clayface were interesting and different from both the DC Universe and Batman: The Animated Series versions (even if Clayface's visual design is pretty much unchanged from BTAS, but hey, it's a great design). And the subplot about Artemis' use as a jailhouse stool pigeon are intriguing too. Just what kind of information are the Justice League trying to obtain from little fish like Icicle Jr.? I have a feeling this plotline may tie into the episode "Terrors", in which Superboy and Miss Martian went undercover inside Belle Reve Penitentiary.
I've noticed that since Greg Weisman has picked up scripting duties on this book (he's one of the creators and showrunners of the show), the continuity has been based around earlier events than those happening on the show. By going back and filling in the events untold by the TV show, it makes the broader story much more dense. Whether that's good or bad is probably a matter of taste, but it is somewhat engaging to connect the dots from episode to episode. So we'll see next month what Weisman and the team have in store.
"The Pendulum" by Greg Weisman and Luciano Vecchio.
It's Young Justice Saturday!
Hey there again, everyone, Shrine Correspondent Andy Luckett here again with a review of Young Justice issue 12. Last issue, Batman and Robin foiled another plot of R'as Al Ghul's which ended in Ra's' apparent death. After Talia and Ubu scooped up the body and returned it to a Lazarus Pit, Ra's returned to life. However, soon after Ra's left, Clayface emerge from the Pit, calling Talia's name. Huh?
We pick up this issue not with Clayface and a perplexed Talia, but instead we see:
Busted! Aqualad is daydreaming about Tula as he and the other Young Justice members hunt for Clayface in a Gotham sewer. How did he get there? To find out, we flash back to a few hours earlier as Batman contacts the team at their headquarters. He tells them to track Clayface, but not to engage him until the Dynamic Duo can return with a strategy for taking him down. After that flashback ends, we flash back a few hours earlier, as Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox inspect a suspicious crate that has arrived at the Wayne Foundation building. Of course, the crate doesn't stay mysterious for long, as:
Batman and Robin show up and take on the mud monster, but he escapes into a nearby sewer, thinking about how he arrived in Gotham. So yes, we flash back again to the previous night. Clayface emerged from the Pit calling for Talia, who knows him as Matt Hagen. He asks her what she did to him, but at this point R'as returns, demanding that he sleep. Clayface, who apparently has to obey R'as' commands since he works for him, promptly falls asleep. He is then shipped to Gotham as a punishment for Batman's earlier interference.
R'as demands to know of Talia how Clayface came to be, and we flash back yet again to months earlier. Turns out, since Batman has repeatedly spurned her advances, Talia has fallen for Hagen, a soldier in the League of Shadows. Her father does not approve, saying that Hagen is beneath her and that Batman must be her intended. Yet Talia has found happiness with Hagen, and her father relents. They meet at a nearby waterfall, where:
Turns out that Hagen has inoperable cancer, and needs a Lazarus Pit to save his life. He tells her he needs her, and that since she is R'as Al Ghul's daughter, she can gain him access to the Pit. Insulted that Hagen is interested in her only for whose daughter she is, Talia reluctantly agrees.
She takes him to the Pit, where she tells him he must submerge. Predictably, as he does, she shuts the lid and locks him in. Should've seen that one coming, Matt! So, by being locked in the energized fluids of the Lazarus Pit for months, Matt becomes Clayface, and another grotesque Batman villain is born! As we see, however, the Dynamic Duo is not the only opponents he's after:
To be continued!
Okay, well, another issue of Young Justice that features cameos by Young Justice. Not that this issue was a bad read, it just seems like a strange choice of story for this book. Even Batman and Robin are relegated to the sidelines as we explore the origin of Clayface. I did enjoy seeing a more vindictive side to Talia that shows her less as a directionless pawn caught between her father and Batman, and more as a powerful woman not be be messed with. I do hope next issue that the action involves the team much more. And to be honest, the flashback upon flashback structure of this issue was a little unnecessary. At times it felt like watching that Seinfeld episode in India that plays in reverse.
As stated above, Aqualad makes only a couple of appearances in this issue, once daydreaming of Tula (which was a nice surprise for the opening page) and once in battle with Clayface at the end. But I do still feel that this comic as a whole has leaned more toward individual member stories than adventures where everyone works together. In the future I hope to see more team adventures that have a bit of that old Gardner Fox early-JLA teamwork feel, but we'll see.
"The Pit…" by Greg Weisman, Christopher A. Jones, and Dan Davis.
Hey there, everyone, Andy Luckett here again with a review of Young Justice issue 11. We begin a new story this issue as the team gathers at Mount Justice in Happy Harbor. Red Tornado is present, but doesn't have a mission for the team, explaining that is Batman's job. Speaking of Batman, he and Robin are currently in Cape Canaveral, FL, foiling yet another of Ra's Al Ghul's "up with nature, down with humanity" schemes.
After taking down the low-level henchmen, Robin catches up to Batman, only to find him compromised by Ubu, Ra's lieutenant. After Robin helps Batman take Ubu down, Talia arrives and starts their whole "I love you but don't make me stop you" dance once again. Turns out the particular rocket that Ra's is attempting to launch into space is being overseen by Carol Ferris as well.
After Batman persuades Talia that to stop him she'll have to shoot him, she can't and he goes after the rocket. Ra's himself is standing on the platform near the top of the nosecone. Ra's gives a speech about why the ecological balance of the Earth must be reestablished, even offering to spare Gotham City if Batman will join his crusade. The Dark Knight's response:
While Batman has distracted Ra's, Robin hops up and disables the shuttle's nosecone. Ra's loses it at little about that, jumping desperately at Robin in an attempt to recover the nosecone lens. Unfortunately, he misses and takes a header right off the platform, landing dead at his daughter's feet:
Talia and Ubu scoop up Ra's remains and head for the nearest Lazarus Pit, leaving the Dynamic Duo to clean up the mess. Sadly, as this has occurred, Batman and Robin receive news that Kent Nelson, aka Dr. Fate, has died. At his funeral, the whole YJ team, their mentors and members of the Justice League and Society are in attendance. After the ceremony ends, something unexpected occurs:
On Infinity Island, the entrance to a glowing green Lazarus Pit opens, and Ra's al Ghul lives again! Of course, since any recent occupant of a Lazarus Pit comes out super insane, Ra's attacks Ubu before recovering his senses. He tells Talia and the Sensei of the League of Assassins to prepare both the Garden and the Serpent plans, but not to activate them yet. Talia believes that these plans are far too drastic, and that her father will change his mind as the effects of the Pit wear off further. The Sensei is not so sure. As they both turn to leave, something wicked this way comes...
...to be continued!
As I'm sure you can tell by now, this issue was wall-to-wall Bat-action. More of a character spotlight story than any so far, this issue reads like a random issue of any Bat-book. The rest of the team make only two appearances: on the opening page with Red Tornado, and at Kent Nelson's funeral. Aqualad appears in both scenes but has no lines, making his appearance a mere walk-on role. Aquaman also shows up during the funeral scene, but that's the extent of Aqua-presence this time.
So while this issue really seems out of step with being part of a team comic book, I'm hopeful that Greg Weisman and his team will dovetail the rest of YJ into foiling Ra's plans next issue. That said, there is a lot of interesting stuff in this issue. First of all, it tells us the story of what Robin was up to during the events of the TV episode "Denial", in which Kent Nelson was killed. But more importantly, beyond the Ra's al Ghul vs. Dynamic Duo "A" plot, we also have the intriguing detail of Artemis' arrest at Nelson's funeral (couldn't they have waited till they got back to an HQ?). And beyond that, there's the whole Clayface-hiding-in-the-Lazarus-Pit wrinkle. Hopefully all of this will come to some satisfying conclusion at the end of this story, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
