Pretty sure this is in my job description as the resident YJ fangirl.

[elfgrove]

Although, thanks to Mary suggesting I cosplay Misfit at D*Con last year, I'm now a fan of "Birds of Prey" and starting to read a little "Secret Six".

So... Updates on the Young Justice cartoon.



So. Everyone has seen the YJ preview that came out of SDCC, right?

Let's be safe: SDCC Video

If you missed the news of a Young Justice animated TV show, please check my earlier posts about it.
- I wouldn't sit this one out if you tranked me up (Feb 4, 2010)
- Young Justice Cartoon Confirmed (Apr 23, 2010)
- DCAU:YJ Aqualad gets comic canon (Jun 15, 2010)

Young Justice Poster: (Left to Right) Artemis, Robin, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Aqualad
"Young Justice" © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
"Young Justice" and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics

So let's play catch up with the news that came out of SDCC along with the video:

• The video link again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxyFMq6gZgs
• The team's alter egos have been partially identified:
  • Robin: Dick Grayson
  • Kid Flash: Wally West
  • Superboy: Kon-El (sources say he will later take on the name Conner Kent too.)
  • Aqualad: Jackson Hyde
  • Miss Martian: M'gann "Megan" M'orzz
  • Artemis: ?
  • Speedy/Red Arrow: ?
• Some Voice Casting:
  • Dick Grayson/Robin - Jesse McCartney
  • Wally West/Kid Flash - Jason Spisak
  • Aqualad - Khary Payton
  • Miss Martian - Danica McKellar
  • Artemis - Stephanie Lemelin
  • Superman & Superboy - Nolan North (that will be interesting)
  • Batman - Bruce Greenwood
  • Green Arrow - Alan Tudyk ♥
  • Captain Marvel - Rob Lowe
  • Aquaman - Phil LaMarr
  • Queen Bee - Marina Sirtis
  • Greg Weisman will also be playing a small role in the series.

• This is not the old Young Justice or Teen Titans. This is a new continuity, and is set in a new parallel Earth, Earth-16.
• Robin has been named the super kid with the most experience -4 years.
• Conner is newly-cloned. Only 16 weeks old -looks 16 years old.
• Aqualad's papa is Black Manta.
• Garth will be in the show as Tempest.
• Artemis is not Arrowette, not Speedy, not Wonder Girl, and not an Amazon --but she is based on an existing DC character.
• Miss Martian will be Martian Manhunter's niece, which I assume means she isn't secretly a White Martian in this continuity.
• The Earth-16 Justice League will start with 16 members.
• The Young Justice team will be a sort of junior Justice League being able to go do covert ops missions, things the adults maybe can't get away with, and dealing with super-teenage issues as well.
• Superman (and superheroes) will be a relatively new installation on Earth-16. Supes only put on the cape 10 years ago. Batman only 9 years ago. This is a young superhero universe.
• Batman will be giving the YJ team their marching orders. (I guess this makes Batman the den mother? LOL)
• We will be seeing the team's out-of-costume lives as much as their in-costume lives. These will be fully-developed characters.
• We will be seeing 135 existing DC characters by episode 16. So just because our favorites aren't on the primary roster doesn't mean we won't be seeing them.
• Some people are not going to survive the events that occur.
• Peter David (the original Young Justice) is writing some of the episodes.

YJ - Minor Adjustments by =elfgrove on deviantART

Now. For some personal reaction to those news tidbits.

• I am disappointed that this is not the YJ team I know and love. Disappointed is not the same as outraged or horrified. Much as I want Bart and Tim, I would be more disappointed in a show that had them in name only and didn't do the characters the way I feel they are.
• I have loved Greg Weisman's work on Gargoyles and the animated Spider-Man. I believe that if they let him do his thing, he will bring us a good story. Promised character death and all. He has shown me he can handle those things with an elegant hand in cartoon-verse. I've also seen Greg accomplish a show that speaks to a cross-demographic the way A:TLA did, so I'm looking forward to that too. With the reign to show the non-costumed side of life, I think he can make the characters his own as a new continuity.
• I am hyped to know Peter David is involved and on board with the new story. That speaks well of it to me.
• 135 characters in 16 epi-Holy casting whiplash Batman. I'm going to be in geek heaven with all the little references--either that or have ComicVine up on my laptop during episodes. Maybe we don't get Kid Flash/Bart as a primary, but there's no telling who we will get cameo-ing with such a big list.
• 16-week-old Conner has a lot of fun classic Conner portrayal possibilities, and I look forward to it.
• I don't know that I like Batman as Den Mother --I love Red Tornado being stuck with that job-but as long as the kids are a little rebellious, it could be fun. I'm just wary.
• I am ready for this to premiere just so I can know who the heck Artemis is!
• Wash (Firefly) is the Green Arrow. :heart::lol:
• Overall, wary of certain aspects, but firmly back in the cheerfully optimistic. I swear, Greg Weisman, Peter David, and Francis Manapul can sell me damn near anything when it comes to comics and cartoons. Not that Manapul's involved here, but hey, he sells me books I wouldn't otherwise buy the same way Weisman sells me cartoons.

There has been a lot of fan outrage over this stuff. While as a hard core original Young Justice fan myself I really feel you guys, I also understand the situation the animated team has to balance. I'm not going to tell fans not to whine and bitch. I know that's an impossible goal. We're fans. We nitpick and bitch. I'm just asking everyone give the show a chance on its own merits before disowning it, because I'd like to see it do well.

Greg W. has written an open letter explaining the character and name choices as best he could. It's really worth reading that link all the way through. He's listening, and he understands that we're irritated.

However, let's be honest folks. If not for the expectations we had when we heard "Young Justice" was going to be the team name, we would all be excited for this. So try removing yourself from the "This is not my Young Justice" gut reaction --which I've been warring with myself since SDCC-- and give the show an honest try when it comes out.

Comments

[bluebeetlev3.livejournal.com]

TRUCK NOT MONKEY.

Oh wait, wrong fandom.

I'm on the fence, just because having Conner seems really weird with it not being Tim and Bart.

I'll give it a chance.

[elfgrove.livejournal.com]

Hahaha.

Yeah, and I completely agree that Conner without Bart and Tim is really weird. But I've circled back to optimism and am hoping it work anyways. :)