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Imperial Privilege

Young Justice

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Imperial
, June 6th, 2014 at 08:32 PM (2701 Views)
I'm way behind the curve on this show, but it's that Greg Weisman (Gargoyles)-helmed DC show that seemed to be trying to tap into the residual fan base from the much goofier Teen Titans show in a roundabout way.

Why, yes, I am a geek.

Eight episodes in and I'm disappointed. A show with YJ's creative staff behind it has no business being so ho-hum. It's not out-and-out awful, but it's very much a paint-by-numbers affair. The protagonists feel like archetypes more than characters, and almost every episode follows the same formula of the kids fighting off some seemingly random villain who has been working for the shadowy Illuminati Lite.

I've been told it improves tremendously in the second season, but I'm not sure my waning interest will carry me that far.

As for what it does right, I'm really enjoying what giant asshats Red Arrow and Superman have been. Red Arrow feels pretty justified in a lot of his complaints, and watching him go solo as a successful hero without any hand-holding or backup has given him some serious badass credentials. Superman is a bit weirder.

I respect that the writers are trying to take this Clark in a much different direction. He doesn't seem to emote or relate to others as well as he does in almost every other piece of fiction that uses him, which makes a fair amount of sense when he's virtually a god among men--and an alien god at that. Superboy's whiny streak is wearing thin on me, but it really does juke the expected big brother role a lot of people were probably expecting.

It just doesn't feel like Superman. In spite of all of his supervillain-smashing power, he is a sensitive, compassionate soul. He's the type of guy would rather talk someone down than go straight to the face-breaking.

Like Batman. His surprisingly healthy relationship with Dick and his sound parenting advice make up another curveball I've been enjoying simply because it bucks trends. It just doesn't feel like Bruce. He obviously cares and has done a lot of things right to earn such an extensive "Bat-Family" (as the kids are calling it these days), but he's usually the type to struggle with showing his feelings or letting others see his compassionate side.

So Batman is acting like Superman, and Superman is acting like Batman.

I've been talking mostly about the big names in a show about the sidekicks, and I think that's pretty telling. What's such a big deal that the Justice League can't do what the kids are doing in half the time and a quarter of the effort? There is obviously a larger DC universe at work here, but it doesn't have the luxury of dozens of POVs spooling out at once. We're only getting a worm's eye view from the kids, so it makes the adult supers come off as kind of lazy and neglectful.

It has a lot of potential, but it's not using that potential.

Updated June 6th, 2014 at 08:34 PM by Imperial

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  1. Sherrinford's Avatar
    YJ is one of my favorite shows of all time, and pretty much an almost perfect example of how a plot should be carried out. The poin of YJ is that it carries on its plot slowly but steadily through all the episodes. It doesn't get better in season 2, it's always good. For example, YJ is probably the only series where you (I) actually have trouble believing the heroes will save the world this time.
    If it's not your cup of tea, fine, sad, but fine, although I really have trouble understanding your critique.
  2. Elf's Avatar
    I'm currently watching YJ too, and I'm actually really enjoying it.

    The characterization is really sound and the romance is actually handled really well. (Looking at Connor/Megan and Wally/Artemis).

    However, I do like the idea that Superman is basically treating Superboy like he's the byproduct of some girl he knocked up at prom while Batman is telling him to man up. Also family is something that is important to Bruce because he never had one. He wants Clark to help the boy for a multitude of reasons, but Clark, who did grow up with a stable family is bucking. Maybe he sees Connor as some sort of accident, or something he didn't actively take part in.

    Ironically, Lex is acting more like a proper parental figure despite his ulterior motives.
  3. Imperial's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Sherrinford
    YJ is one of my favorite shows of all time, and pretty much an almost perfect example of how a plot should be carried out. The poin of YJ is that it carries on its plot slowly but steadily through all the episodes. It doesn't get better in season 2, it's always good. For example, YJ is probably the only series where you (I) actually have trouble believing the heroes will save the world this time.
    If it's not your cup of tea, fine, sad, but fine, although I really have trouble understanding your critique.
    I binged my way through the first season, so a lot of my complaints have asterisks now. It did markedly improve, but I think that has more to do with the incredible animation and a great season-long buildup than any of the characters. And even the plot fumbled near the end with how easily Vandal's plan was foiled and how quickly everyone gave up their secrets all at once. YJ has done a better job of handling itself as it goes on, but it's still very uneven.
    Updated June 9th, 2014 at 11:04 AM by Imperial
  4. Imperial's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Elf
    I'm currently watching YJ too, and I'm actually really enjoying it.

    The characterization is really sound and the romance is actually handled really well. (Looking at Connor/Megan and Wally/Artemis).

    However, I do like the idea that Superman is basically treating Superboy like he's the byproduct of some girl he knocked up at prom while Batman is telling him to man up. Also family is something that is important to Bruce because he never had one. He wants Clark to help the boy for a multitude of reasons, but Clark, who did grow up with a stable family is bucking. Maybe he sees Connor as some sort of accident, or something he didn't actively take part in.

    Ironically, Lex is acting more like a proper parental figure despite his ulterior motives.
    YJ Lex is fantastic. The Light as a whole has this problem of getting off unscathed and being entirely successful in almost every venture (I think Wally getting the heart in time was the only real setback), but it actually makes sense with Lex. He's such a smooth operator, and it fits his MO to keep his hands clean in such a way.

    I don't dislike Superman and Batman acting the way they do. I like that YJ is willing to experiment with things to keep us guessing, as seen in the Sportsmaster family. It's not afraid to use familiar trappings in unfamiliar ways. I just find it jarring that Bruce and Clark have essentially switched roles. You would think Clark would be receptive to the idea of Kryptonian family, too, given that he's alone in the world. Green Arrow even made a note of it by accusing Clark of only wanting Icon and Captain Marvel on the League because Supes thought they were Kryptonians, too.

    As for romance, YJ is striking out pretty damn hard.

    Superboy and Miss Martian is working wonderfully, but Wally and Artemis are symptomatic of one of the worst romantic writing cliches in the world. Two people who snipe at each other and have such an adversarial relationship are not on the way to romance. I loathe writers who use that "fighting like an old married couple" idea to justify attraction. That's not attraction. That's aversion. I can't tell you how big a pet peeve it is to see two people who can't stand each other being awkwardly smashed into a love affair because writers all over the world seem to love this idea that disdain and irritation are the key ingredients to a lasting love. I hope Wally and Artemis go into season 2 and realize how awful they are for each other.

    Robin and Zatanna rubbed me the wrong way, too, but that's because most of theirs scenes were about him comforting her about her dad. They have a great sense of camaraderie and trust, but I don't see any romantic chemistry. That said, I am curious to see where that goes in season 2. It has potential, but it's been handled very poorly, which is true of a lot of things in YJ.

    I'm definitely going to watch season 2 (cliffhanger be damned!). I just hope the writers can work out all of these kinks and live up to the show at its best instead of jack knifing so severely between great and mediocre.