Animation,  Television

Review: YOUNG JUSTICE: INVASION

Young Justice is about a group of young heroes who work a special ops team for the Justice League. The team’s mission is to bring down the Light, an evil organization that the main Justice League legally can’t get involved with. Season one dealt with the formation of the team and introduced us to the main cast (click here for our review). In season two, things got even crazier. Full spoilers from here on out, let’s talk about season two.

Season two takes place five years after the events of season one. The team is still trying to combat the forces of the Light, but not much progress at the start. We have a new group composed of several new characters, all of which we see in season one in one form or another. Nightwing, previously known as Robin, leads this team. The Light plan on joining forces with the Reach; an alien race who has recently come to earth. Things get even more out of hand when the six main Leaguers have to stand on trial for what happened when they were mind controlled; making our young heroes the world’s only hope.

Beast Boy, Wonder Girl, Bumblebee, Guardian, Batgirl, Robin (Tim Drake), Blue Beetle and Impulse join Nightwing and the rest of the returning cast, for the most part. Artemis and Kid Flash have retired, and Aqualad is deep undercover working with the Light. The kids from season one have all grown up, and as a result, the show has too.  Nightwing has become more like Batman than he ever wanted to be, Kid Flash wanted nothing more than to be a hero, he’s now retired, Aqualad wanted to be a good leader, he leaves the team, Superboy is the most rational person in the room, etc. The characters have all grown in surprising ways, leading to the newcomers getting more of the spotlight.

Blue Beetle is someone who got a lot of focus. His scarab is a product of the Reach, and If they gain control of him, it’s the end of life as we know it. That’s where Impulse comes in. Bart Allen, the grandson of the Flash, travels to the past to save the future. Blue is the key to the entire mode crashing.

So, how does this all come together? Somehow Wiseman and company yet again find a way to make it work. The story is vast, but they still find a way to have character moments with the original team, and that’s when it shines. Young Justice, like any excellent superhero property, knows that the reason we watch is for the characters. The team dynamic carries the show, and they mix in the newcomers seamlessly. My only complaint is that they didn’t get enough screen time to shine. Example: Wonder Girl. Who is she? Where did she come from? Isn’t Diana against child proteges? We know absolutely nothing about Wonder Girl and they never even attempt to give her any backstory. This happens with a few others, and I think they went a little overboard with the new additions.

The Light is an antagonist that doesn’t have much motivation aside from being “generic evil society.” This was a problem in season one as well, but by taking a fan-favorite and moving him into the Light, you completely changed the game. Kaldur and Black Manta’s relationship is one of the most exciting parts of this ordeal. Manta legitimately cares for Kaldur and loves that he is by his side. It almost makes it sad when he inevitably betrays him. You rarely feel for a villain, but Manta did nothing but care love Kaldur the entire time. Once again, the characters save the show.

Young Justice: Invasion is a fantastic ride. Full of mystery, drama, and characters that remind you of why we love DC to begin with. It has a few missteps now and then, but nothing that ruins the experience.

Follow me on
Latest posts by Michael Thomas (see all)