Young Justice Season Four: Second Half Spoilers

The second half of Young Justice season four is finally done, and if you want a recap of my review for the first half, it’s right here. If the title still doesn’t give you an idea that there’ll be spoilers, then I’m telling you here: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. Having said that, let’s see what I thought about the second part of season four.

Lar-Zod with Darkseid and His Minions

Let me begin by talking about some of my predictions for the second part in my previous review. Firstly, I mentioned that I thought the big baddie for this series was going to be Mordru from the 31st Century. I was DEAD WRONG. Turns out that the threat from the 21st Century is General Zod. This is quite appropriate considering, as predicted, Superboy wasn’t dead, but was actually trapped in the Phantom Zone due to his rescue by Phantom Girl. It was in the Phantom Zone that Superboy encounters General Zod. Back in standard reality, we find out that it was General Zod’s son, Lor-Zod, is responsible for the ‘death’ of Superboy after stealing a time sphere from the 31st Century.

Next, I also predicted two other story elements. One (the long shot) was the return of Wally West who might show up to save Superboy. That didn’t happen. Sigh. I’m still hoping he gets to return from the Speed Force bringing the A Team back to full power. I also predicted that we’ll see more Legionnaires show up in Young Justice. With the apperance of Brainiac 5 who travels back in time to retrieve the stranded Saturn Girl, Chameleon Boy, and Phantom Girl. I got my wish. So, I’m at fifty percent for these predictions. Yey for me.

Lagoon Boy, and the Aquamen

As to the story sequence, I also said that the last three arcs would focus on Aquaman, Nightwing, and Rocket. I was on the money on that one with Nightwing’s arc appropriately ending season four. It was fitting to have Kaldur’ahm aka Aquaman/Aqualad begin the second part of season four. It was a continuation of the mystical story arc that ended in part one with Zatanna. Here we get to find Vandal Savage up to his nefarious schemes again by trying to take control of the Kingdoms of Atlantis. Fortunately, Kaldur and company were able to thwart this plan which secured the safety of Earth for the moment.

Rocket aka Racquel

The next story arc focused on Rocket. With Rocket, the plot was about creating a pact between New Genesis, and the Green Lantern Corps vs. the power of Apokolips. She visited New Genesis to establish a treaty among the two aliend organizations, and Earth. Additionally, Rocket’s story arc focused on her relationship with her son, Amistad, who is autistic. Young Justice knocks it out of the ballpark again with this interpersonal story hook. We already have an overarching element in Beast Boy’s bout with depression. Now Young Justice adds to the mix the challenges of having a child with autism. This is just another example of what makes this series such a beautiful investment to view. Oh, also Rocket was able to broker an alliance with New Genesis, and the Green Lantern Corps.

From Left: Rocket, Miss Martian, Nightwing, Superboy, and Zatanna

Appropriately, the final arc for season four was headlined by the return of Nightwing to the team. I keep saying this, but I’ll say it again. Nightwing/Dick Grayson is a better team leader than Batman. This goes all the way back to his comic book roots even as Robin. We get to see that here in full display in this final arc. With Nightwing at the lead, the A Team was able to bring back Conner Kent from the Phantom Zone, and prevent the destructive fate of the universe under the crushing heels of the Zods. With that settled, Miss Martian, and Superboy could finally get married, albeit on Earth instead of Mars. Another happy ending for all…or is it?

From Left: The Foragers, Orion, Rocket, Jay Garrick Flash, and Lightray

Though the season ended with a happy wedding for our heroes, there are more challenges to face. Zod, and his forces were rescued from the Phantom Zone once again by Apokolips. Add to that the defection of Mary Marvel, AND Supergirl (Kara); and you have a more powerful force to face. I’m wondering if Supergirl’s appearance in Apokolips will follow the path of a familiar Batman/Superman comic story arc. Furthermore, Dru-Zod with the power of the Emerald Eye of Ekron retreats to Daxam…you know that planet of beings with powers similar to Kryptonians. It gets better. Dru-Zod is pregnant with General Zod’s child, and appears to want to raise this child on Daxam. Finally, Ma’alefa’ak who is Miss Martian’s brother, and enemy of Earth was gifted Durla by Darkseid as a reward for his services. For those of you unfamiliar with Durla, this is the planet of shapeshifters from which Chameleon Boy was born. Does this mean that Ma’alefa’ak is the ancestor of the Durlan shapeshifters like Chameleon Boy? Curiouser, and Curiouser. We’ll have to wait for season five (crossing fingers) to find out how these new story arcs pan out.

The A Team From Left: Zatanna, Superboy, Miss Martian, Aquaman, Tigress, Nightwing, and Rocket

Young Justice season four continues the excellent visuals, and storytelling that previous seasons have provided. The series not only centers on superheroics, but also delves deep into the interpersonal relationships among the main characters. Season four adds not only action, and intrigue, but also real life emotional problems such as dealing with depression, and autism. To my mind, this is the best western superhero series out there whether animated or live action. Young Justice is now streaming on HBO Max.

Young Justice Season 4 First Half: Phantoms of Future, Past and Present

Though the second part of season four will be coming this spring, there is a lot to talk about with the first thirteen episodes of ‘Young Justice: Phantoms’. Considering it’s been two years since ‘Young Justice: Outsiders’, fans (new and seasoned) have a lot to talk about, and rejoice in season four. And, ‘Phantoms’ is a very apt description so far as we will see with this recap review. Needless to say, this post has SPOILERS so proceed at your own risk. Thank you.

Superboy and Miss Marttian about to leave for Mars

Season four starts off with a revelation that M’gann and Conner are finally getting married. This is a great start to the story as the team’s first couple finally prep to tie the knot. Though the happy beginning just forebodes a series of problematic events as the season continues. It’s nice to see our group celebrate a little down time before the literal sh@t hits the fan. One of these problematic events is the discrimination shown once the couple reaches Mars, which is yet another socio-cultural reality tackled by this series. This leads to our first set of ‘phantoms’ from the future.

Chamelon Boy, Phantom Girl, and Saturn Girl of the Legion of Super-Heroes

The end of season three hinted on the addition of the Legion of Super-Heroes to the series, and we get to see three members of this DC super team in the early story arc. Here we have Chamelion Boy, Phamtom Girl, and Saturn Girl shadowing M’gann and Conner along with Gar for an as of yet unknown reason. Though if you know your comic book references, they are probably there to protect Superboy aka Conner since he is the reason for the Legion forming. I can only assume that’s the rout the writers are taking since the series is Young Justice-centric and not Superman-centric.

Later we find out that Conner seemingly dies at the hands of kryptonite bomb planted by an unknown assailant. My money is that the phantom killer from the future is the Mordru (or connected to him) which links to the Lords of Chaos (more on that later). You can imagine the effect of Conner’s death is to poor M’gann (they weren’t even married yet), but Conner’s death seems to have hit hard on Gar as well. This leads to our next phantom which resonated throughout the entire series so far.

Superboy aka Conner Kent

With the death of Conner, Young Justice highlights the effects of depression through the eyes of Garfield Logan aka Beast Boy. Granted M’gann aka Miss Martian was gravely affected by Conner’s death, it is through Gar’s eyes that we get to see just how depression hits: no rhym or reason. It’s an important plot point of ‘Phantoms’, and you have to remember that Gar is one of the youngest members of the team. As such, we see varying degrees and manifestations of depression in Gar. Here’s hoping he snaps out of it somehow for his own good, and the good of the team.

Beast Boy, Superboy, and Miss Martian on Mars

Moving on to the present, the phantoms of the past rears their ugly heads through the eys of Cassandra Cain aka Orphan. I’m a huge Cassandra Cain comic book fan whether as Orphan or Batgirl, and I’m happy for her to have a story arc of her own in season four. This also connects with the history of both Artemis aka Tigress and Chessire, the sisters on opposite ends of the hero spectrum. Here, we see an opportunity for redemption for both Cassandra Cain, and Chessire in spite of their assassin pasts. The message here is resounding: you can move away from your dark past if you give yourself a chance. As to how this rehabilation of these two characters pan out, we’ll have to wait and see in the next episodes. Also, I’m happy that they had Barbara Gordon portrayed as Oracle. In my opinion, Oracle is one of the best modern characters in recent history in spite of, and because of her disability.

Lady Shiva with Cassandra Cain

Finally, we have the phantoms of the present with Zatanna taking center stage. If I’m happy with the Cassandra Cain story arc, I’m jubilant with the Zatanna story arc. She is one of my favorite comic book characters along with Raven, and Death of the Endless. This is the magic story arc with the Lords of Chaos as the time antagonists. Here we find out that Vandal Savage has an existing agreement with Klarion that now is put to the test. The presence of the Lords of Chaos just strenghtens my belief that Mordru is somehow the big baddie who will be revealed by season’s end.

Zatanna

In any case, the conflict between Klarion and The Child who are both agents of chaos draws in everybody. In the crossfire, we discover that Zatanna is training new magic weilders which include (Tracy) Thirteen, Kahlid Nassour, and Mary Bromfield (Marvel). With the resolution of Zatanna’s story arc, the balance of chaos and order is restored, and we find out that Zatanna has her reasons for having students. The decision was based on helping her fatther Zatara by providing alternate hosts for the Helmet of Faith. This includes herself, and her students minus Mary who was deemed unstable by Zatanna for the task.

The Child with Her Familiar

With that, the group’s run-in with chaos ends on a happy note. However, there are still some outstanding story hooks that remain unresovled. For one, Gar is still in depression, and we have yet to see him snap out of it. I expect that to be a huge part of the story for season four moving forward. Also, Zatanna had a vision of Conner’s soul at unrest. From episode thirteen, it appears that Conner is actually trapped in the Phantom Zone. Maybe he was placed there to protect him from the kryptonite bomb? That would explain why there is no body. With that, we end the first half of season four.

Young Justice Membes

Additionally, I would just like to mention one other story element incorporated from Young Justice: Outsiders. During the end credits of season three, we see Wolf as the star of the end credits. In ‘Phantoms’, the creators took this up a notch by providing short clips that enhance the story elements for the series. I find this to be a welcome addition to Young Justice. In effect, the end credits aren’t wasted on just credits, and these addtional story elements provide more layers to this beautiful series.

Young Justice cover Photo

So, what’s there to expect with the second half of season four? well, we don’t have stories that center on Aqualad aka Aquaman, Nightwing, and Rocket so I expect future episodes to center on them. If we are to believe the title image of season four, that should be the case. Then, there is the overarching story of depression through the eyes of Beast Boy, and , to a certain extent, Miss Martian. I suspect that how they overcome depression will be a salient point of the second half of the season. Next, we have the Legion, and the mysterious ‘killer’ of Superboy aka Conner. Let’s see if Mordru actually shows up. Finally, I’m hoping for the return of Wally West (Yeah!). Maybe he becomes the key to saving Conner from the Phantom Zone.

If you aren’t watching Young Justice yet, you should. This is one of the best comic book adaptations out there. Young Justice: Phantoms is streaming on HBO Max.

DC Fandome 2021: My Top Five Major Takeaways

It came and went like a Flash of Shazam! Yeah I’ve been waiting to say that. Long enough to give you loads of information. Short enough to keep you wanting for more. DC Fandome gave us a glimpse of what is to come for all things DC. And yet, with all the news and fan service, there are some news that are better than others. I’m sure there will be some people who would question my list. However, note that this is MY LIST. So, if you disagree with it or highly agree with it, check mine out. Here are my TOP FIVE takeaways from DC Fandome.

At number five, we have ‘Catwoman: Hunted’. In celebration of Catwoman’s 80th anniversary, DC has decided to give her a film all her own. Selina Kyle has been one of DC Comics’s longest anti-heros, and has appeared in many media. It’s fitting that she gets her own animated film for the first time. Why is this so groundbreaking for me? Normally you get material spearheaded by the DC Trinity. In this case, you have a female character (not Wonder Woman OR Harley) heading this film. It comes as a surprise for me, and I am glad for it. Gives me hope that one day we’ll have a Zatanna project in the works (MAKE IT HAPPEN!).

At number four, we have the Peacemaker series on HBO MAX. I’ll be honest, I really don’t like Peacemaker for the Suicide Squad. That film was awesome mind you, but I’ve always seen Peacemaker as a solo operator or at the very least a member of Checkmate (look it up DC Fans). So, seeing this series come into fruition just shows how Warner Brothers is allowing other DC characters to spread their wings. Though, it helps that you have geek fans of the property in the form of John Cena and James Gunn heading the reigns of this series. Also, you have Vigilante here as a supporting character who appears pretty comic book accurate. Time to give ‘peace a fuc@ing chance. Speaking of fans…

At number three, we have ‘Black Adam’. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnshon has been pushing for this movie since time immemorial. You can see the passion in his eyes when he talks about the ‘man in black’. We’ve seen very little of the film so far. That is not the case for Fandome. We got a visual feast with a reveal of Black Adam in his costume AS PART OF a clip for the upcoming movie next year. I’m hyped more than ever with this news and video.

At number two, we have ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths (2?). In the build-up to DC Fandome, visual artist god, Jim Lee, has been revealing pieces to a puzzle that were completed at DC Fandome. Combined we see an homage cover to the seminal Crisis on Infinite Earths cover by George Perez. In the image above you notice that the frames are not the same, but depict similar concepts. Also, during the interview with Jim Lee most of the dalogue was censored teasing what the image actually means. I’m going to give a shot at this as to what this all means. Quite recently, Darkseid has returned to his villanous ways, and stories across the comics have been hinting on an incoming ‘crisis’ Also, this year marks the 35th anniversary of ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’. Could this be the next major storyline for DC Comics? One can only hope, and if the image given above is any indication it will be EPIC. This was actually a very sneaky bit of news mostly lost in the shuffle of all the other media shown. However, let’s remember that everything DC springs from the comic books. This story, if it happens, will just give more material for other related media. This news would be in fact number one if not for my choice for number one on this list.

At number one, we have ‘Young Justice: Phantoms’. It’s here! The fourth season of Young Justice has made an appearance in DC Fandome. I’m not kidding. DC Fandome gave us the FIRST EPISODE of ‘Young Justice: Phantoms’. While all other things DC gave us sneak peeks, behind the scenes updates, and trailers; ‘Young Justice: Phantoms’ gave us the first episode to watch ahead of the season. This is the animated series with layered storytelling, and in-depth chaaracter development. It’s focus is on the legacy characters without alienating fans of the comic books while providing new material for followers of the series alone to not be alienated as well. You have a rich source of DC comic book lore all fabricated by some of the most brilliant minds in DC’s creative pool. Of course, it helps that the animation is drop-dead gorgeous, and the voice actors knock it out of the ballpark. How else could I not put this at the top of my list?

And, that’s all for DC Fandome. Agree with me or disagree? Let me know in the comments below.