Let's Review! The Characters of Young Justice Part 1

The Team... almost

DC has been with me since childhood. The very first cartoon I actually watched was Batman. I became acquainted with Bruce, Robin, Batgirl, Catwoman, Penguin, Joker, Poison Ivy, and many others. Actually my grandfather was more of a comic fan than I was, and he shared his knowledge of DC and Marvel to me. Anyway, as you can see... Marvel has taken over the media for quite some time and DC always end up in the shadows (because they're in the league of shadows...haha. Get it? Never mind). Although I have tried watching cartoons, shows, and movies (most definitely movies) of Marvel, I still find the stories of DC more interesting. So you could say I have developed a bias for DC, but that's not the whole point of this post. I only want to talk about my current DC obsession and that is Young Justice.

But just like most DC shows and films, this one flopped in terms of budget and/or earnings. The plot was very engaging and the characters are just beyond amazing. Don't make me start with the art style.. fine. The details are absolutely gorgeous. But I would like to focus on the characters of Young Justice, particularly The Team. They're a whole mixture of dark sides, hormones, quirkiness, and pure awesomeness. As much as I want to talk about the show as a whole, I'm afraid I will end up being very biased because I actually love everything about it. The only thing I really hate is the fact that it got cancelled! So to sound completely fair all throughout the post, I am going to give a character analysis (sort of) of the characters of Young Justice. But since there are so many characters, I will not discuss about all of them in one post. For now, I will discuss the initial members of The Team.

Note: The following post contains spoilers. Read at your own risk.

The Team (source)

Okay let me break it down for you; Young Justice is basically about the proteges (a.k.a. "sidekicks") of the original members of the Justice League. They are known as The Team, and let's say they are the like Junior Justice League, handling other missions that Wonder Woman (or any member from JL, for that matter) do not have time for. Eventually, they become officially enemies with members called The Light, which is basically just a group of DC's greatest villains. The show simply comprises of many missions, giving a fair focus on each character. But if you want a concrete version of the plot then you can either go here or just watch the show yourself. Hehe. 

Superboy/Conner Kent 

Superboy asking for a pet (source)

First Impression: Oh, wow. He is handsome. Gorgeous. MMM. However, he is as hot as his temper. Now where have I heard of a character like that before?
Evaluation: If you guys want to know his full personality, then you can sort of resemble him to Stitch. Like the cute blue alien, he is what you call a top secret experiment that possesses great strength. In Conner's case, he is basically a clone of Superman, only he can't really fly (awww). And just like Stitch, he has a terrible temper and he can be dangerous without even meaning to. But you do not see this side of him in every episode. Unlike Stitch, he already has a soft and vulnerable side. The moment he opened his eyes, he had this feeling in his gut that he was a complete rip-off of Superman. Not only that, he felt kind of lost along the way. A part of him wants to be as good as Clark Kent, but another part of him does not want Superman (perhaps because Clark completely shrugged him off in the beginning). But here, we can see that Conner is the kind of young person that needs guidance and total acceptance. When Conner nearly got tempted by Lex Luthor proves that what he actually desires is a role model. He just wanted someone to look up to, that's all. Someone who can teach him the ropes of his abilities. Someone to teach him everything, basically. I mean, come on. Why do you think he insists on watching a blank television? Why do you think he enjoyed M'gann's company? Let's not forget that Conner is a clone and episode one was the night he was born. He's the youngest of the group, so it's normal for him to have cute and innocent moments (i.e. adopting pets during mission). He's the baby and every baby needs a guardian or a parent. And as much as he did not want to admit in the beginning, he wanted Clark to guide and accept him. It's actually a good thing M'gann came into his life, otherwise we would see him have a tantrum in almost every episode.

The Development: So yes, he did get his role model. Superman started to train him and almost treated him like a son. And ironically, even though Conner is the youngest, he can mature pretty quick compared to most of the members of The Team. He had two years to change...the others basically had at least seventeen to twenty years. We can see this maturity when he explained the reason why he broke up with M'gann before Young Justice: Invasion. The reason may fill your heart with so much feels, but it's a valid reason. Also you will notice that his hot-temper has completely disappeared. In other words, he can control his strength without having to get angry or something. But his issue in season two was loneliness. Everyone (but M'gann) in The Team, were too busy to notice. Since... he didn't throw any tantrums like he used to. 

Miss Martian/M'gann M'orzz/Megan Morse

Her current martian form (source)

First Impression: HELLO MEGAN! Haha, another quirky female character that gets the guy. 

Evaluation: Well everything I know about M'gann are almost true..only most of the attributes I got right were actually just the tip of the iceberg. Her ultimate struggle was accepting herself. In the series, she's been hiding the fact that she was a white martian...and in their world, it's an equivalent to being a hobo...or something worse than that. Since she has the ability to also shapeshift, then she has more reason to hide her true identity. Her temporary appearance (both martian and resembles her favorite actress in an old eighties show she used to watch called, "Hello, Megan!". I can't help but feel that this happens in real life. There are some people out there who cover up their insecurities by making themselves look like the people they desire to look like (I hope that makes sense). To further bury the White Martian identity deeper, she had Conner. Now who wouldn't feel beautiful and awesome when a handsome boy suddenly goes crazy about you...or your current "not-really-yourself" appearance. 

The Development: We see major changes in Invasion. Her skills dramatically improved, and so did her attitude. She was no longer perky, but much more reserved. But did her fear of being an outcast left? Not really. And it is highly evident in her break-up with Conner. They had an argument,  and because she is scared that he will change his mind about her, she wanted him to forget about it...so she used her powers to make him forget. What made them call it quits had something to do with the fear of her not being accepted. This is where we learn that flaws and negativity are really hard to conquer. And with all this pain twisting her insides, she covers it up the same way she did in the first season, find a guy who thinks she's amazing and this is where Lagoon Boy comes in. Luckily, she realizes this when the second season was drawing to a close. Hello Megan! 

Robin/Nightwing/Dick Grayson

Robin or Nightwing? (source)

First Impression: Oh! We all know him. Everyone does! He is going to be the leader of The Team for sure!

Evaluation: Wow. He sucks at being a leader. It is quite understandable because he's been training with Batman for a very long time. The Bat family were not really used to the usual way of teamwork. For one thing, they just look at each other and they immediately know what to do. Robin was somehow expecting the same thing when The Team emerged, but he learned his lesson the hard way. When he accepted the fact that he couldn't lead, he had another issue. He was so sure that he was going to be the next Batman. That is, until he got a taste of an actual dangerous mission without the Bat. This made him realize that he was confident before because he had Bruce with him. He eventually learns what its really like to handle struggles with his own feet. When he said that he didn't want to be the Batman anymore, that's his way of saying, "I don't have to be the next Batman. I can't handle pressure the same way he does. I got to handle crap my own way. I have to be my own person. Being the Batman is too much." 

The Development: Dick's leadership skills were the major highlight in Young Justice: Invasion. And yes, he still sucks at being a leader. If his teammates were part of the Bat family, then it would not be much of a problem. But again, he was highly expecting everyone to be aware of what they are doing. To be more specific, he was expecting them to be fully aware about the risks in each mission they take. If the plan involves a high chance of many teammates dying or getting captured, then Dick still pushes through with it and makes it a point that they should put it in their heads that its a risky operation. He was also pulling the same card Aqualad used when he learned about a mole in their team during the first season. Dick never told anyone the real motive behind the plans they pull, only because he wanted the effect to be more realistic and believable to the eyes of the enemy. It is somehow a brilliant idea, but at the same time it is just way too risky, especially when The Team consists of  really young members. But a good thing about Dick's character is that he can admit his mistakes, and this has been evident since the first season when he turned the leader position to Aqualad and when he decided to temporarily leave The Team in the end. Apart from that, Dick still maintains his skills (which remain very exceptional), but becomes more serious (like dead serious) with his work ethic. But you can see that he's not trying very hard to be exactly like Batman. For one thing, he took a huge effort to make a completely different identity for himself. Hence the birth of Nightwing. So it's very easy to tell that he's Nightwing and not just some sidekick of Bruce Wayne. Dick actually treats each of the members of The Team fairly and acts as the official big brother to all of them (as seen when he approaches Tim). You barely see him in action, since he's the one doing most of the commanding. He even commands Batman...now that's a real wake-up call to me because that definitely means that Nightwing's a grown man and he's no longer his little Robin. 

Aqualad/Kalder'ahm

And I danced all night, with the best boyfriend ever! (source)

First  Impression: Of course there has to be a cool and calm character in this team. Must be a pacifist. 

Evaluation: Okay, so he's not completely calm. If there is one way to describe Aqualad, he's what you call, "the ideal boyfriend". He listens, calms you down, and gives you really good advice. If you can't picture him as a boyfriend, then you can almost resemble to a mother. He takes time understanding everyone and he never does irrational things on a whim. Aquaman trained him to be tranquil, humble, and to have high morals. This is what he embodies when he joins The Team. It's not hard to figure out why everyone prefer him as the leader in the first place. He sounds perfect for now, but he can't have everything. For one thing, he got rejected by the girl of his dreams...and he finds out the most painful way possible. Seeing her with another guy. But from this episode, you can tell how important love is to Aqualad. He was willing to give up his responsibilities for a girl. That's how intense his love is (now you can see why he can be a great boyfriend, I guess). Also, he is not entirely confident with the task given to him as leader. When he makes even the tiniest mistake, he ends up doubting himself to the point his self-esteem goes down. So yeah, he's that sensitive.
The Development: At least it is good to know that he can move on. Although we barely see Kalder in the second season, but there was supposed to be emphasis on his relationship with his father, who is Black Mamba (yes, he's a villain). Unfortunately, we didn't get to see much of that because he was unconscious for a while and season two focused on other characters. But if you must know, he remains the same.

Kid Flash/Wally West 

This basically sums him up

First Impression: Okay, we have the class clown....who think he's handsome, too. 

Evaluation: Well yes, he is the class clown, but not the typical class clown. First of all, he's very smart. He loves physics, for crying out loud. Why do you think he insisted in becoming a protege to The Flash. Another thing interesting about Wally is that he's very sentimental. He collects a souvenir for every mission. That's how much being part of something as huge as The Team means to him. But that's what he does during the first season. He just enjoys the thrill of working The Team and that's all. Since he's working with other people, the responsibility is not that big. But when he is given a certain task, that's when he completely understood the meaning of being responsible (episode when he had to bring a heart to a hospital, using his intense speed). But he got a complete understanding of his work when he started dating Artemis. 

The Development: In the first season, souvenirs were his love interests. But in season two, it is Artemis. From this, you are able to tell how his views of being a superhero changed. Wally no longer saw his work as a piece of thrill anymore. Although it was not fully explained in the series, Wally definitely left with Artemis simply because he wanted to have a normal life with her. It may seem like his case is similar to that of Kaldur'ahm's but not entirely. First of all, Artemis was also Kid Flash's teammate. He got to see her everyday, so it was not a problem. And when Wally argued with Nightwing about the plans, take note of what he says about Aqualad. He was scared that Aqualad might be a triple agent because his supposed motive for "joining the dark side" was because of the passing of Tula and we all know how much she means to Kaldur. Wally was terrified that Aqualad's love for Tula might make him officially change sides. Before season two's plot took course, Tula was not the only one who passed away. Jason Todd, the Robin before Tim Drake, also died (his grave is seen in season two). In short, The Team has suffered many losses. I'm sure that these deaths had a different impact on Wally. He was afraid the same thing would happen to him or Artemis, and that's when his views have changed. If Kaldur just wanted to be with Tula, Wally did not want to lose Artemis, and it is not hard to miss how adamant he is about not returning to something that would risk their lives. 

Artemis/Tigress/Artemis Lea Crock

Artemis showing her soft side (source)

First Impression: Who uses her first name as an alias. She does. 

Evaluation: Artemis is supposed to be the mysterious person of the group, but let's be honest...she fails at it. She came out of the blue and she makes secretive side too obvious for others to see, especially to Nightwing. But I guess that's not the whole emphasis on her personality. Out of all the characters, she had the darkest past. Just like Miss Martian, she was afraid that no one will accept he for who she is. Deep down, she wants to be a good person, but it wasn't easy for her because her family is full of criminals. And she does not want anyone else to know about that, which explains her secretive side. This also led her to being panicky and defensive, because the last thing she ever wanted to happen was to be found out. This defensiveness affected her feelings for Wally. She kept denying almost throughout the entire series that she did not like him (but this slowly subsides towards the end of the first season). In other words, being panicky and defensive has become a habit and this was seen in a couple of episodes (i.e. when she encountered Robin in Gotham; when she had to work with Robin to take down Red Tornado while the rest of their team were down). Aside from that, she is very similar to Wally. She loves fighting and she fights just for the thrill of it. Her only responsibility was keeping her secrets safe and that was it. In an episode where she goes on a girls' night out with Zatanna, you can see that fighting can calm her down. For her, fighting is almost like breathing. It's something that she couldn't let go easily. 

The Development: Everyone accepted her despite her family background, woohoo! She finally admitted to having feelings for Wally, yes! But she gave up fighting, boohoo. Although it is unclear how she agreed to Wally's proposition of quitting, but one thing's for sure...she missed fighting. So when The Team called for their assistance, she was the only who seemed willing to help out. It's possible that Wally agreed because mostly Artemis convinced him. But as the series progressed, Artemis slowly regretted this decision and she understood why Wally wanted to leave The Team. She just sacrificed a peaceful relationship, just for a thrilling mission. In Filipino, sayang. She somehow punishes herself by changing her identity to Tigress. This was her way of moving on. So, you go girl. 

That is it for my character analysis for each member of The Team. I will probably do another set of The Team next time (there are just so many of them!). And I will be definitely be doing this for another series/fandom again! But really guys, I definitely recommend this show to all of you. If you love DC, comics, or superheroes, and very complicated but thorough story lines, then this show is definitely for you. All the characters are amazing and you will have a hard time hating a single one (except for the villains, maybe). This can be an equivalent of a YA fiction, since almost everyone in this series are young and they go through teenage-related stuff as well. So please! Give this show a chance, I'm sure you will not be disappointed!