RIP Young Justice

I’m about ready to switch comic alliances. To anyone not in comics this is big, like switching the kind of underwear you wear, but DC is really leaving me with no choice. First they quasi-reboot their entire continuity and give us this New 52 trash, then they bomb the Green Lantern movie, and now this: Young Justice will not be in Cartoon Network’s 2013-14 lineup, essentially cancelling it. 

GRRRRRAAAAWWWWWW!!!!

Oh, what’s Young Justice you ask? No, it’s okay, I don’t blame you for not knowing, since DC is too busy trying to convince everyone that healing Batgirl’s spine was a good idea they haven’t really promoted the best cartoon they’ve had since Batman the Animated Series. Young Justice follows a team comprised of the Justice League’s sidekicks, called the Team, who are deployed by Batman to go on covert ops missions in order to stop a secret cabal of villains called the Light from destroying the League and taking over the world. The first season was hands down amazing, Every character had their own intriguing story arch full of surprise twists and more emotional draw-ins then a book about the pioneer’s puppies. The thing that sealed the deal for me was that they brought one of my longtime favorite super heroes, Superboy, in as a main character, complete with his trademark tee shirt. Although they do take liberties with the original continuity, I personally am not a purist (Unless DC does something stupid, see earlier rant on New 52, and extended edition coming next week) and loved the changes they made in Young Justice, like Superboy being a broody anti-social, and Miss Martian being a flake.

The second season took place 5 years after the last, introducing a pile of new young heroes to the team, including Lagoon Boy, Batgirl and Wonder Girl. The story became a little harder to follow with the addition of so many new faces, but it still worked, and this time centered on a secret alien invasion, but the show was put on hiatus mid-season last year. Now it’s all but official: Young Justice is cancelled.

Here’s my question: What is DC doing? At this point they’re pretty much on life support with comic sales dropping since last year, most of their movies either crashing and burning and then cancelling popular shows like Young Justice and Green Lantern. Nolan’s Dark Knight movies was pretty much the only thing they really had going for them and even then Rises had more than its fair share of problems. As of now, DC is looking at rebooting Superman this summer with Man of Steel, rebooting Batman in four years, and after that putting together a Justice League movie much like the Avengers last summer. I really hate to say this, but unless DC makes some major changes soon, they’re might not be a company left to make a Justice League movie!

So here I sit about to give a tearful goodbye to my precious Young Justice, and maybe to my favorite comic book company with it, hoping against hope that they manage to pull themselves together soon before we lose Batman and Superman forever, while wondering if Hot Topic still had those light up Iron Man boxers I was looking at the other day.

-JOE

For a sample of Young Justice, click here!