TV Review: "Young Justice: Outsiders" - Business As Usual

I cannot give enough praise to the DC animated series, "Young Justice". Beginning on Cartoon Network in 2010, the show featured a team of superhero proteges, with the initial roster consisting of Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis. It may sound like an updated version of Teen Titans, but while the focus is on the young heroes, it was more of a DC universe show as a whole. The team would work hand in hand with the Justice League and take on A-list villains, including Lex Luthor and Ra's al Ghul. The brilliant writing of the show not only helped make this version of the DC universe so unique, but also allowed viewers to become invested in the characters and their relationships. The best thing the show could have done was a five year time skip between seasons one and two (taglined "Invasion") with an expanded character roster, as it made it clear that these characters will change and grow in time much like how real life works. I'd go so far to say this is THE best DC animated series of all time (at least when it comes to universe-wide shows).
The show grew a large fanbase over its first two seasons, so you can probably guess how angry I and others were when the show was cancelled in 2013 for something as dumb as low toy sales. It was even worse that the season ended on a cliffhanger teasing Darkseid; you don't tease Darkseid and end the story there! Petitions were constant, but as years went by, it seemed like the book was closed on the story. That is until the tail end of 2016 when a third season was officially announced, much to a collective fangasm.
Season three, with the tagline "Outsiders", would air over the course of 2019 on the DC Universe streaming service. Despite the gap between seasons, the creators behind the show are no worse for wear, as the show retains what made it so special and loved to begin with.

In a way, it feels like the show never left. The writing is still brilliant and it's a joy that they were able to get a majority of the original voice cast back. The ones I do miss though are Tim Curry as G. Gordon Godfrey and Logan Grove as Beast Boy. Godfrey is now voiced by James Arnold Taylor, who does a good impression, while Beast Boy is reprised by his Teen Titans voice actor, Greg Cipes. I do like Cipes and he does good as a more mature Beast Boy, but getting Logan Grove back would have been a nice touch since the young actor has aged about the same amount as the character; then again, he may just have been available.
The season introduces a number of new characters, including Geo-Force, Halo, Forager, Terra and Cyborg. All mentioned characters are written very well and you will become invested in their progression, so much so that you will feel bad for them at moments where they make major mistakes.

The season begins two years after "Invasion", and it's made clear the Justice League's public reputation still hasn't fully recovered, not helped by Lex Luthor using his position as the United Nations Secretary General to hinder the League's efforts to help the world. This causes a divide among the heroes, whether to work with or without oversight, as well as staying in the shadows or remain public figures. It's an interesting premise that helps it stand out from the previous two seasons, bringing about a moral debate of how far one would go for justice.

The show seems to take a "Samurai Jack" approach with its revival, taking on a more mature tone compared to what came before. This works hand in hand with how the other DC Universe originals do the same. Compared to the previous seasons, the tone of "Outsiders" is more in line with the current DC animated films. It doesn't stick out like the content of "Titans" though, as I feel the mature tone in "Outsiders" feels like a natural progression and helps up the ante from what came before. This includes a lot more bloodshed during fights and some graphic imagery. A prime example is Cyborg's origin, particularly the accident that lead to his creation. This origin is probably the most graphic version yet, going so far as to expose his still beating heart and a portion of his head scorched down to the skull.
Aside from the violence though, the mature tone also allows for the show deal with themes it would have been unable to before, including abusive homesteads, childbirth complications, and more prevalent and relative, racism. While they also go the X-Men route by using meta-humans as a metaphor, true racism exists as well, including a storyline about banning refugees from certain countries. It's also clear they take inspiration from Donald Trump with villains like Baron Bedlam and Lex Luthor, the latter of which mimicking the "fake news" and "good people on both sides" quotes. So not only has the Donald Trump makeover Lex had in the 80's come full circle, but maybe it's a good thing the show had a bit of a hiatus.

As a whole, "Young Justice" has had this way of using the last episodes of the season to wrap things up in a way that, personally, gets me overly excited as I watch the smug-ass villains get rightfully put in their place as the heroes get the huge victory. "Outsiders" is no different. Like "Invasion" though, it's a bittersweet ending as the victory also comes with a major turning point for one of the characters. I think that between the excitement and concern over the fate of certain characters, both are a testament to how well written the show is and how it's able to make fans care so much.

Admittedly, I will say that I wish certain questions I had were answered (like why Miss Martian's form was different) and that some plotlines weren't used to their full potential (Red Hood, Batman Inc.). However, it's small potatoes when it comes to how good the season was as a whole.

Overall, "Young Justice: Outsiders" will leave both established fans and newcomers extremely satisfied. Not only do we get some closure from "Invasion", but with a fourth season greenlit, we won't have to say goodbye to these characters again. In a word, it's totally crash.