TV Review: "Young Justice: Phantoms" - 'Heroes in Crisis' Done Right

Since its premiere in 2010, "Young Justice" has managed to position itself as one of DC's best animated series with a dedicated fanbase that was able to revive it years after its cancellation. As the show's fourth season (with the subtitle of "Phantoms") finally wraps, the creators prove they're not running out of steam with what may be some of their finest work.

As always, the writing of the show is on point. It's brilliant, compelling, and continues to get an emotional response for the character's personal stories. The mature evolution of the show's tone from last season has only gotten stronger here as it delves deeper into real world topics and makes the universe even more inclusive with some characters being revealed to be non-binary or polyamorous. The animation is probably the best it has ever been this season with great fight scenes and some great visuals in general.
What sets this season apart structure wise is that while there is a season long story, it's split up into six arcs, the final arc being a converging point of the previous five. I kind of liked this process as it gives those like myself who prefer to space out their series viewing over a few days clear groupings to watch episodes in. And while the cast continues to be vast, the main focus of the season and each arc is on the original members of the Young Justice team (as seen in the poster above) as they eventually all come together for the final arc. Considering that this season takes place ten years in universe since the series first began, it felt like a nice way to celebrate the show and team's long run with plenty of flashbacks and parallels to boot.

If there's a prevalent theme for this season, it definitely is "Phantoms". While that's true literally, it's even more true metaphorically, as traumas from the past come back to haunt heroes and villains alike this season. When you take into account how much these characters have been through over ten years (not to mention how long superheroes have operated since before the show began), obviously there will be some underlying issues that need addressed. Whether these characters have gone through different kinds of losses, had horrible upbringings, cracked under pressures of the job, or have had relationships that impact or have been impacted by one's wellbeing, this season displays a variety of factors that can impact mental health and how one can get help. "Phantoms" not only does as good as "Steven Universe: Future" at exploring mental trauma with young heroic characters but is a better version of what "Heroes in Crisis" could have been without the murder mystery or pretentious writing. As taking care of one's mental health has become even more of a priority especially over the last two and a half years (and I'll admit that I've had to come to terms with some personal issues myself within that time), I applaud the people behind Young Justice for displaying that anyone, even heroes, can have deep problems and there are ways to try and heal from them.

A few other things that really stood out to me this season:

* Brent Spiner returned to voice the Joker for an episode after playing the character only once back in the first season. When that first episode aired, I absolutely hated his performance. In my latest watch-through of the series on HBO Max building my way up to "Phantoms", I found that Spiner's Joker didn't bother me as much this time and I actually enjoyed his return this season. The only thing I can think of that brought this change is that I found him similar to Jared Leto's Joker in the Snyder Cut. While Leto's Joker is still divisive (and I've made no secret that I'm a fan), is it possible that Spiner's Joker was just ahead of its time?

* During the season's fifth arc, it's established that "Young Justice" and "Green Lantern: The Animated Series" take place in the same universe with the introduction of Razer to the series. Not only does Jason Spisak reprise his role but his story has picked up years after where we left him at the end of the Green Lantern series. Those who remember the old DC Nation Saturday morning block on Cartoon Network in the early 2010's know that the two series aired back to back and were both beloved before their untimely cancellation, so I'm willing to bet that others like myself love there's now some official ties between the two. It makes me want to both go back and watch the Green Lantern series and see it revived for a third season even if it had to transition to 2D.

* Some minor spoilers, but General Zod is our big bad for the season and there's one part where his soldiers in the Phantom Zone are singing a chant/mantra to his glory. I just found it very akin to a Disney villain song like "Be Prepared" for Scar or even "I Go Looney" for the Joker in "The Killing Joke" animated adaptation.

Whatever cons I have are very minor (like story choices and some voice acting), but overall, "Young Justice: Phantoms" is another homerun of a season that celebrates the series and its characters, faults and all. I think season three is still my favorite, but this is definitely a close second. At the time of this writing, the show has yet to be renewed for a fifth season. Before finishing the season, I thought even if it wasn't renewed that this would serve as a satisfying series finale. After the post-credits scene though, I'm really hoping we do get a fifth season. So let's get #RenewYoungJustice trending and keep rewatching the whole series on HBO Max to convince DC, WB, and Discovery not to end this story just yet.

To close this out, whether you're hoping that the series will be renewed or more importantly seeking to improve your own mental health, I'll leave you with words that came to mind during this season: