If I had a nickel for every time "Young Justice" was cancelled with the last episode having a big Darkseid tease, I'd have two. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice.
Yes, since "Phantoms" last year, "Young Justice" has been cancelled for the second time. And like before, fans have been campaigning for another renewal. Which brings us to today's review.
Set directly after "Phantoms", "Young Justice: Targets" is a six-issue miniseries written by series co-creator Greg Weisman that began releasing soon after the finale. It sees our young heroes in search of the kidnapped Queen Perdita of Vlatlava, a supporting character since season one and Beast Boy's love interest in seasons three and four. With the series' cancellation announced during the book's run, part of the campaign for renewal was fans believing good sales could show there's still interest. In my case I trade waited, which I think should count for something.
Whether this is the last story set in the "Young Justice" universe or not, "Targets" is still a fun read and a reminder of what makes it unique.
While it shouldn't come as a surprise, Greg Weisman's writing captures the tone and characters of the series well, even in still images. And credit for that also goes to artist Christopher Jones, who drew the tie-in book for the series during its first two seasons in the early 2010's (he's also worked on tie-in books for other animated series like "The Batman" and "Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes"). The two make a good pairing and deliver what is somewhat a movie or multi-episode story for the show, with plenty of callbacks and new elements to enjoy.
Story wise, it's kind of back-to-basics. I guess some people didn't like the approach "Phantoms" took with dividing focus on characters for their personal arcs. Understandable, though I think "Targets" will satisfy what people initially came to the show for: the young heroes of the Team and Outsiders uniting to fight evil.
Just don't go in thinking it will tie-up any loose ends or act as a grand finale. That wasn't the intent of the book and I believe Greg Weisman has said he doesn't write the series with a finishing point in mind. Which I get, since life doesn't have that either, and a mindset like that helps "Young Justice" feel authentic as a show. I don't know if a fifth season will come to light or if buying "Targets" will have any influence on that decision. But if Futurama can come back 13 years after its own second cancellation, who knows? In any case, there's still fun in trying with reading "Targets" and showing support for "Young Justice".
