There is an assumption among many that cartoons are for children. This could not be further from the truth. Some cartoons, like DCs ‘Superman vs. The Elite‘ are actually rated PG-13 for use of language and violence (I’ll be writing more on that cartoon in another post).
Then there are other cartoons that are geared for children but are just really good. Young Justice falls into the second category.
Young Justice
Young Justice, which is now in it’s second season on Cartoon Network, is a show I can watch with my three sons (ages 15,12, and 9) and they ALL enjoy it, as do I. In addition to the show actually containing a real plot, the dialog is witty and the action is fast and fun. The actions of the characters makes sense (unlike the capture of some Norse gods in some movies ) and all serve to forward the plot. And to top it all off, Young Justice is drawn really well! Check out the detail and style in the image below!
Scene from Young Justice: Independence Day – Part one
The show centers on the young ‘sidekicks’ of the adult members of the Justice League. The first season focuses on Robin, Kid Flash, Speedy (Green Arrow‘s sidekick), Aqualad, Superboy and Ms. Martian (The Martian Manhunter‘s niece). What is nice about the show is that it finds a really good balance between character development, plot, and action. There is also a really cool story arc that runs through the whole first season and into the second season.
The trap that almost all shows about teen heroes is depicting the adult supervision as incompetent or dumb (think Inspector Gadget and Penny), Young Justice stays clear of this trap and still manages to portray the youth as strong heroes in their own right. Young Justice also shows that there are plenty of female heroes out there, another trap which many Super Hero shows and comic books fail to pull off successfully.
I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and entertaining Super Hero cartoon to watch with their kids.
The first season is available on iTunes and on DVD. Oddly enough the DVD’s are cheaper from Amazon (Vol 1, Vol 2 which is out July 24th) than buying the digital media on iTunes. Season 2 is airing on Cartoon Network.
I also very much enjoy the series. It is probably the best Comic Book TV series since Batman: The Animated Series. Until this past episode I was a little disappointed with season 2 but it is still very good.
-James
I just recently got inot Young Justice and I really enjoy it. I was wondering if you could recommend the DVD’s to me since I looked them up and there are so many out there vol. 1-3 then a fun pack. I just want to make sure I get the right one.
Thanks!!!!
Hi,
I would recommend waiting for proper DVD releases of each complete season. In the meantime you can catch the show on TV or you get get the episodes on demand via iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/us/tv-season/young-justice-season-1/id405081247) or via Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Independence-Day-Part-1/dp/B004IDISOK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1348750772&sr=8-3&keywords=young+justice)
I have fallen in love with this series. I love the plot twists and just the story line in general. It doesn’t go to fast, but progresses moderately. Watching them from episode one until now has def shown how they have all grown over time. Great show!
For the first few years of Cartoon Network’s existence, programming meant for Cartoon Network would also be simulcast on TBS and/or TNT in order to increase the shows’ (and Cartoon Network’s) exposure; examples include The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, Cartoon Planet, and 2 Stupid Dogs.*