Kelsey writes...

1. You said you pitched the idea of direct to dvd YJ movies and it was turned down. If you had the opportunity to produce a movie(s) do you already have plots in mind? Not asking for specifics, just wondering how seriously you've thought about it.

2. At the risk of crossing spoiler territory, does Tim know how Jason died?

3. Does the rest of the team?

GoldenAgeTeen writes...

Hi greg! First off , Young justice and W.I.T.C.H are some of my favorite tv shows ever. While watching young justice i couldn't help but notice that Rocket had the same voice as taranee! my questions are:
1. Was Asami's concept at all inspired by Hay Lin?
2. Was the Tye/Asami pairing inspired by Eric/hay lin?
3. How old is Rumaan Harjavti?
4. How old is Sumaan Harjavti?
And I wanted to say thanks for having this forum where fans can ask questions, Happy holidays!

Laura 'as astra' Sack writes...

And now for something completely different...
You mentioned you wrote a few episodes of Octonauts. My daughter loves that show. (Catchy tune… and who would have thought there was such a thing as a blob fish?) As far as I noticed the credits only list the head writer.

1. Which episodes did you pen?
2. Did they by chance explain what exactly Turnip and kitchen crew are?
3. On a less frivolous note-
I was thinking about shows like Octonauts or Doc McStuffins or Dora or Little Einsteins or etc, the shows aimed young, as opposed to the shows my kids think are on screen for them but are really for Mommy, like the action plot shows, or the crazy clever ones like Phinias and Ferb. Ironically, a lot of the little kid shows are in a way more realistic because they center on smaller things- "3 simple steps to tying your shoe" or being worried how your old and new friends will get along at your first big sleepover party. The fact that a panda is teaching you to tie that shoe, or you are now a princess in a castle and that's why you have old and new friends to invite to the castle is not something that needs particular explanation. And without having to explain those things you can leave the world gentle.

As you get older you require a setting to make the fantastic events explainable. You can cling to a wall? Radioactive spider! You put on a suit and fight crime from the shadows? You're a rich orphan with a mission to protect the world from suffering as you did! You're a giant scary looking flying 'monster' with the soul of a poet wandering around Manhattan? You a magically time lost nearly lone survivor of a horrible betrayal of a near extinct species! (And you can only glide, not fly!) In order to explain why your heroes act as they do, whole worlds are dreamt up in which the hero's action is logical. The fantastical setting makes the actions in them realistic or at least self-consistent. A side effect of that is to introduce a dark element into the world- parental units are murdered, crime or war is at the door, etc

Which leads me to the dilemma: When, in your opinion, do you begin to transition a small child from the world of Octonauts to the world of Young Justice? (Transition isn't the best word, since you can go on watching the old stuff.) It's not a question of comprehension. Kids can understand an awful lot. The question is; when do you make your child's world less gentle? When my eldest saw the TiVo grabbed an episode of Batman she wanted to watch it. With my luck it's the episode with the amnesia girl who turns out to have started out as a piece of Clayface. Great episode. It ends when she rescues Robin and gets reabsorbed. The show explicitly calls it a murder. Then I got to explain how it is murder, what is murder, to a 3 or 4 year old. What fun! I look forward to watching Gargoyles with her, but not it being her introduction to what a massacre is. ("Well it's just like what happened to your great grandparents...") It's not that you plan on sheltering forever, but small children deserve to be sheltered, and sometimes parents are better as the zone of shelter rather than source of disturbing imagery.

Yes, there is another set of cartoons that avoid the dilemma- she loves Tom & Jerry. But frankly, I can say- 'Wow you could really hurt someone if you did that in real life- but isn't it funny when it's fake? Isn't it funny how everyone overreacts!" And then I'm done. Watching Tom getting hit in the face by a rake doesn't make her life less gentle. Explaining why Tye Longfeather left home would.

There are parallels as kids get older. Harry Potter is age appropriate to whatever age Harry is in the book. So you give an 11 year old book 1. If your 11 year old is a reader he or she will want to tear through the series and might be at the last book before turning 12. The last book is appropriate for a 17 year old. Or as my friend complained that it is frustrating to have so many comics she can't share with her 13 year old - it's not that he isn't going to be reading things with mild sexual imagery, (or not so mild; she was considering starting reading Saga), but maybe it's best he not get it directly from mom. She knows he'd love Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, but he doesn't want to start the series only to stop before the 4th book with the aerial sex scene.

At least I only have to worry about it once : The younger one will see everything too early over her sister's shoulder :}

I guess this isn't so much a question as a ramble, but I was wondering your thoughts on the matter.

Laura 'as astra' Sack writes...

Now that I've posted all my episode thoughts...(in theory I still plan on doing the same on the comics, but...) I want to say thank you for the series in general. (I'd go into details, but it seems redundant after posting all those responses.) I've thoroughly enjoyed it in all its parts. Well, by the time you read this the video game will be out. [Yep!] I probably will have to sit it out. Pathetic as it is, I have to admit to some motion sickness from a lot of video games. I'm assuming I'll be able to get some pretty detailed descriptions from the good folks here. I hope that there will be other continuations as well. (Also good luck on your new Star Wars series.)

I have to admit to more than a little annoyance that another show I enjoy is canceled, but also some confusion. If I understand correctly one of the major factors, if not the major factor in the cancellation is that the merchandise didn't sell as well as they companies had hoped. Good viewership numbers are almost inconsequential. If this is true, (big if, I admit), I don't understand the business model. Why continue making cartoons targeting the older demographic at all? I know the show aimed for a broad audience, but it aimed for each part directly. A lot of cartoons aim themselves at kids directly, and place bonus references and jokes for the older viewers. I've loved many shows like that. But the complexity of characters and plots in shows like Young Justice is not a bonus for older viewers, it is integral. (IMHO) A relationship like, for example, Guardian and Bumblebee is more relateable to a college or adult viewer than a kid. (I would have gone to Babs and Dick, but that was mainly expanded upon in the comics.) A kid would gravitate to the first season romances, or the M'gan/L'gan/Conner triangle. All the relationships were interesting and important to the show, and none were simple, it's just different parts resonant (from experience or at least plot type familiarity) better to different age sets. (Or for out of YJ examples- In Green Lantern- the complexity of Razor and Ia's relationship- given his past lost love, her resemblance, his survivor guilt and rage issues and her ultimate sacrifice is not something that targets the younger viewers of the show. They'll just accept the two are a couple and enjoy the fight scenes. It was perhaps more integral to the show than any Hal based plot. In Tron the entire looks of the show was aimed older, high teens and 20s would be my guess, and not particularly conducive to action figures to my eye.)

Older fans are less likely to buy toys, (or have toys bought for them), but they also have control over their own finances to buy what is actually advertised during broadcast. Between the 24 hour cable tv cycle and dvrs, grown ups will be watching when kids can't, allowing for targeted ads of the none happy meal/stompies/pillow pet variety. (For the record, my 4.5 year old adores her stompies. ~she's 5 now~) I get that a franchise like DC or Marvel or Star Wars can expect some cross product sales, and even a show not squarely aimed at a small kid can have a cool iconic action figure that sells well. But no one expects Smallville or Arrow to survive on toy and apparel sales, they stays on air based on the number and demographics of viewers, just like Birds of Prey did not last for the same reason. Have cartoons, or at least the beautifully animated ones, become loss leaders for merchandise like comics have become loss leaders for movies? And is that a reasonable burden to place on a show that does not squarely target the audience that will buy those toys? Is a high level video game an attempt to tap into an action figure equivalent of older viewers?

I don't want to turn this into a rant about how annoyed I am that YJ was canceled....er, not renewed. I will admit to being mightily confused why DC Nation isn't aiming to expand into more than an hour of programming. I just assumed it was planned to become a 2 or 3 hour block like the old Disney Afternoon, with perhaps a rotating stable of shows. But I am interested on your more insider insight on what the none creative aims are when a new cartoon is unleashed upon the world nowadays and whether they are reasonable. Thanks,

Reiena writes...

I am curious about something with young Justice Legacy.

I was wondering how the Team Years went, is it from July 4th to July 4th each year, or is it from january 1st to january 1st each year.

Got young Justice Legacy for the 3DS and I have to say, was not seeing this storyline coming. The trailers did not give anything away, and I'm happy with the story so far.

Alexia writes...

When The Team heads to other countries for missions, do they leave their passports behind and skip customs as they Zeta straightaway to a location inside the country? So that would mean they cannot get caught by the authorities since they'll be technically illegal immigrants, right? The thought of that is really cool.

meksters writes...

Hi Greg! I'm such a huge fan of the show! I have a few questions that I hope you can answer.

1) In an early interview you and Brandon did before the show's release there were a few posters of the characters saying things like "Sweet Sixteen" and "First Date". Who was Wally carrying in the "first date" poster?
2) Will the unaired pilot episode ever be released?
3)If Brandon hadn't suggested Wally and Artemis being together, would Wally have had a different love interest or not at all? Perhaps the one in the poster?

Thank you for answering my questions and again, I'm a huge fan of the show!

Todd Jensen writes...

This is a sort of late review of the latter fourteen episodes of the first season of "Young Justice" (which I saw several months ago, but had to wait until now to comment on). Since you've already read lots of reviews, I'll stick to the moments that most won my attention, rather than overall comments.

ALPHA MALE: The opening reminded me of an English teacher I had in college who used to joke that he believed in "the right to arm bears" - give the animals the opportunity to shoot back at the hunters.

I liked Captain Marvel's depiction of a ten-year-old boy in an adult super-powered body (and it explained so beautifully why he was so eager to hang out with the Team).

Among my favorite moments: "One word - souvenir." "Two words - gorilla lice." And Brain telling Captain Marvel that he'd have been better off with the invulnerability of Achilles than his courage. (Good point - you'd have a hard time extracting his brain through a hole in his heel.)

REVELATION: One of the highlights, Joker saying "Retributionable! That last one might not be a word, so sue me!" (Both Batman's protege and his arch-enemy engage in word coining.)

HUMANITY: I understand that the Red Tornado arc in this season was based on a mini-series comic you were going to write, but which DC Comics cancelled - and I'm glad that you were able to salvage it for "Young Justice". I thought it was effective, with Red Tornado persuading his two fellow robots to help.

FAILSAFE: I knew already (coming to this part of the series late) that this one was an illusion - sort of the "Young Justice" counterpart to "Future Tense", but still found it good watching. I spotted a monument in Central City getting blown up by the aliens that looked a lot like the Gateway Arch here in St. Louis. (More on that when I get to "Young Justice: Invasion".)

DISORDERED: The team's sessions with Black Canary were great, but my favorite was Wally's - eating popcorn, apparently undisturbed until she mentioned Artemis's "death" in the scenario.

And I shared Superboy's astonishment that Sphere was a she. (I never even thought of it having a gender.)

SECRETS: I'm tempted to wonder what particular sword the Sword of Beowulf was. The best candidate in the poem was the ancient sword, forged by giants, that he found in Grendel's lair, except the blade dissolved when he used it to behead Grendel. Of course, I'm probably overthinking it. I liked the notion of its scabbard being (apparently) Grendel's arm - and the notion that "pure of heart" didn't have to mean "pure good".

Marvin tries pulling a Martian landing prank on Halloween, around 75 years after Orson Welles - and Miss Martian gives him a dose of his own medicine (complete with an impersonation of the Martian from "Loony Tunes").

MISPLACED: Another of my favorite parts: the allusions to the Pied Piper and Roanoke in the spell that splits the world in two.

Artemis mangling all those nursery rhymes was hilarious (though I read a comment that it might suggest, underneath, some dark hints about the kind of childhood she'd had).

Captain Marvel's alter ego being a small boy comes in handy (I liked the bit about Billy Batson having the courage of Billy Batson - though he quickly showed that that could be impressive).

I know it's from the source material, but still - when I heard Captain Marvel cry "Speed of Mercury! Power of Zeus!", I thought "Shouldn't that be 'Speed of Hermes! Power of Zeus!' or 'Speed of Mercury! Power of Jupiter!'" (This must say a lot about me - I'm reviewing a cartoon based on DC Comics, and I focus more on the mythological references than on the DC elements. Stems from growing up reading a lot more Greek and Norse mythology than super-hero comics. I remember also thinking that Wotan's name ought to be pronounced with a v rather than a w, like his Wagnerian namesake - but of course, I don't know if the character actually was named after the Wotan of the Ring Cycle and Germanic myth.)

And some ingenious scheming by the Light - splitting the two worlds to create the perfect diversion by which to steal that starfish piece (with Commissioner Gordon even calling the mob protest a distraction, without realizing how right he was). And with Zatara paying the permanent price to become Doctor Fate for good.

COLDHEARTED: One of Wally's finest moments (and I was delighted to see him choose the pouch he carried Perdita's heart in for the souvenir, over the swordstick, at the end).

I did wonder whether the schools would have been closed anyway on November 11, even without the continent-wide blizzard, because of Veterans' Day.

I was amused to notice the Space Needle in the background in the "establishing shot" for the hospital in Seattle - following the unwritten rule in television that if you're setting part of the story in a city with a famous landmark, to get a shot of the landmark somewhere (as in a few shots of the Statue of Liberty in New York in "Gargoyles" - not to mention the Houses of Parliament in the visits to London, the Eiffel Tower in the visits to Paris, the Sydney Opera House in the Sydney scene in "Bad Guys", etc.).

IMAGE: Got a big smile over the names of the producers of "Hello, Megan" (which does indeed sound like a likely sit-com for the 1980's).

AGENDAS: When you had Aquaman coming to fetch Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman to start the meeting, was that intended as a "Superfriends" allusion?

I got a kick out of Captain Marvel's nervousness once the Justice League started talking about the questionability of children as members.

And the Thanksgiving scene at Mount Justice. I enjoyed the shift through the year in the two seasons, from Fourth of July to the New Year - and vice versa in the second season. I hope that you'll get to do more such seasonal cycles in future projects (though, in light of the setting, I doubt we'll see much of that in the "Star Wars" project coming up - "Rain of the Ghosts" is more likely, though I doubt we'll see too many seasonal changes in *its* setting).

INSECURITY: For me, the big highlight of this episode was the police box serving as a Zeta-tube entrance. (Kind of funny this was in the same episode as the revelation that Red Tornado's civilian identity is named "John Smith", the alias most often used by the Doctor in "Doctor Who" when he needs something more than "the Doctor" - though I suspect that was just a coincidence.)

I laughed at Wolf curling up and taking a nap instead of staying on sentry duty.

PERFORMANCE: Made a good "calm before the storm" story. I liked Robin's reference to "The War of the Worlds".

USUAL SUSPECTS and AULD ACQUAINTANCE: A good two-parter season finale. The Light were certainly ingenious in handling their mole - who better than the person most zealously searching for the mole?

I'd suspected from the portrayal of the Light that its goals had an ideological slant, and Vandal Savage didn't disappoint me, in his belief that super-heroes were a bad thing for the human race since they made things too easy for everyone else, prevented humanity from moving forward properly and growing up. I liked the touch that he had to call Klarion off because he was too powerful, and might have wiped out the Justice League prematurely if he'd exerted his full strength.

And I smiled again at Red Tornado's response to the team members' New Year's kisses.

The "Young Justice: Invasion" commentary/review will come later this week.

Jordan Wade writes...

1. Did members of the All-Star Squadron have actual military ranks?

2. Did Ra's Al Ghul or Klarion faced the J.S.A or All Star Squadron?

3. Did the All-Star Squadron ever fight in Europe or Asia during World War 2?

4. Who were all the members of the All Star Squadron?

Donna writes...

Hey Greg,

I was, and still am, a huge fan of Gargoyles, the Spectacular Spider-man, and numerous other shows you've worked on in the past. So to say that I was excited beyond belief when I found out you were not only going to be involved in a DC animated series, but that my favorite DC character, Wally West, was going to be on it as well would have been an understatement. But unfortunately for me, Wally's inclusion on Young Justice actually lessened my enjoyment of the show quite a bit. And I know it's almost impossible to juggle all the characters on team shows like Young Justice, so I didn't really have much expectations outside of Wally being portrayed in a respectable manner with whatever role he was given. And I'm sure it wasn't your intentions and that I'm probably in the minority, but I don't feel that was the case. There honestly wasn't one aspect of his involvement on this show that I took away as a positive when it came to his character as it felt his role in everything he was involved in centered around how bad he was.

First off, the main storyline line he had throughout the two seasons was his relationship with Artemis and the majority of that seemed to revolve around how much of a burden Wally was for her in both seasons. In Season One, it was him making her life harder than it had to be and being the biggest reason she wouldn't tell the team about her family ("DISORDERED") because he was a complete jerk to her for no reason when she showed up in "INFILTRATOR" and she didn't want to listen to him run his mouth again. That would have been okay if Wally would have played a significant role in her overcoming that, but he only ended up making things even worse after his one attempt to make things better in "INSECURITY". It also didn't help that I never got the feeling Artemis liked Wally all that much during that first season. She showed no romantic interest in Wally, outside of the show flat-out saying they were going to get together, that led me to believe that her constant belittling and hitting of him was anything more than her genuinely thinking he's a complete idiot and was constantly annoyed by his antics (which falls in line with all the other characters perceptions of him as they thought Wally was a complete idiot outside of situations that required science knowledge, too). The only time she was shown to even be able to tolerate him was when he was propping her up ("BEREFT" and most of "INSECURITY"), and that had more to do with her own insecurity than her actually liking Wally for Wally (while the show was clear there's quite a bit about him that she didn't like). She just liked having the attention and a glorified cheerleader. And she was shown to like/respect the other male members of the team more than Wally and they were supportive of her from the get go, so why would Wally's words matter more than theirs? I also assume Artemis crushing on Conner was suppose to mirror Wally's crush on M'gann, but the big difference is that the show was clear where Wally's real feelings lied ("FAILSAFE" and he admitted attraction in "BEREFT") before he found out about Conner & M'gann. Where as I mentioned earlier, Artemis didn't show much interest in Wally before finding out about them (Artemis giving him her spare breather so he doesn't drown ,the only other member in danger of that at that moment, and making a sling for his arm is no different than how she interacted with any of her other teammates). So I took it as Wally being her consolation prize after missing out on the guy she actually liked and was attracted to.

Plus with the way the events went down in "DENIAL", I took Kent Nelson's "find your own little spitfire; one who won't let you get away with nothin'" line to mean that Wally needed to date Artemis so she could keep him in line because he was incapable of doing it himself. I mean, the episode started out with Artemis and M'gann laughing at how much of a joke he was after the latter couldn't think of one positive quality that Wally possessed to sale Artemis on the idea of dating him. Then Wally nearly got the team killed just trying to impress M'gann. And all of Wally's interactions with Artemis in the episode either had her rolling her eyes at his antics, mocking him for constantly being wrong, or elbowing him for being rude. Honestly, I don't know why Artemis would've even been interested in a guy that the show basically said she'd have to babysit.

Then is Season Two, Season Two, it was pretty clear that Artemis wanted to return to the hero life and that Wally was holding her back from something she loved due to his own selfish fear. And I got the feeling she just used the undercover mission as an escape from their life/relationship and justified it by saying she was needed, which is also true, but it doesn't change the fact that she wanted out. And the only time she even thinks about Wally while she's undercover is when she said what they had was "special" in "THE FIX", but that's when she was trapped behind enemy lines with a comatose Kaldur (after blowing up the Cave and kidnapping teenage kids for torture) and no clear way out of that situation at that moment. So of course the normal life with Wally looked special compared to that, but later she basically rebuffed Wally on the idea of returning to Paris after they saved the world in "ENDGAME". It's like they were only still "together" in an attempt to force the idea that his death was more meaningful than it really was. I actually rolled my eyes when the show tried to pass off that Wally was important to her after he died because she was already done with him long before that. So I felt that Artemis got exactly what she wanted and what was best for her character. Wally is no longer around to hold her back and she got to avoid any possible guilt about hurting him since he's dead. He wasn't so much portrayed as her "partner" but as a roadblock that she just had to constantly get around. And a roadblock she wasn't even shown to like all that much at that.

Then there's his friendship with Dick, which is something I was always fond of in the comics and was really looking forward to seeing it on the show. But outside of Dick's one line at the end of "COLDHEARTED", all Dick really ever did was constantly make fun of Wally and put him down throughout the two seasons. A few superficial scenes of them high-fiving and fist bumping doesn't offset Dick constantly telling Wally how dumb he is and treating him like he's a joke. I know he supposedly told Wally his secret identity before the series started, but nothing that was shown on the show made me believe that Dick had much respect for Wally as a person. And I know that friends tease each other, but that was pretty much all Dick did (and some things like using Wally's inferiority to Barry to embarrass him in front of M'gann in "WELCOME TO HAPPY HARBOR", or letting an all too eager Artemis crush him with the news about M'gann & Conner at his birthday party of all times were just beyond cruel). So while Wally was far from a perfect friend, I honestly got the feeling that he cared about Dick and was incredibly loyal to him (especially in Season One). And watching Dick constantly use Wally as nothing more than a punchline was tough to watch. Plus, Dick telling Wally that he only cared about his souvenirs getting blown up in "DARKEST" just confirmed to me how little Dick thought of him. And for the record, I really do like Dick but he was beyond terrible as a friend to Wally on this show.

Also, I noticed how Wally was ultimately in the wrong when he got into conflicts with the others characters (Artemis in "INFILTRATOR", magic isn't real in "DENIAL", and Artemis again at the end of "INSECURITY"). The most notable time of Wally being wrong was his scene with Dick at the end of "DARKEST" in Season Two. I get it was just to add drama, but Wally ended up being (predictably) wrong about everything he said there and the entire scene turned out to be completely pointless as it didn't affect anything related to the plot. The only thing it really accomplished in the long run was damaging Wally's character. He was just used to make his best friend feel bad about trying to save the world and accuse Kaldur of being a traitor. Though Wally's rant would have been okay as long as he did something about it afterward but he didn't as he just went back to the sidelines. And given that most people view the characters actions in the context of it being a show about superheroes, Wally was already looking bad by sitting out while an alien invasion that almost everyone he claimed to care about was risking their lives to stop was going on. And I get that loyalty goes a long way, but Dick was in over his head and lost all control of the situation as Wally pointed out (Dick and Conner had almost died, three teenage kids, including his own cousin, was allowed to be captured for torture, and he wrongly believed Kaldur was a traitor). So how can Wally just go back to sitting on his couch thinking the woman he loved was in danger and knowing his best friend thought it was necessary that his little cousin was kidnapped for torture? It's not like Dick's never volunteered sending his friends/teammates to their death before as he did it with Conner in "FAILSAFE". Loyalty is fine, but not when it's given blindly to somebody who has shown repeatedly that they don't deserve it like Dick. Honestly, I never thought it was possible for me to hate/dislike Wally West, but I came pretty close after this because it wasn't Wally-like, as he essentially abandoned his friends and family (Bart). And what happened in "ENDGAME" doesn't erase that. In fact, I'd say it made Wally's mischaracterization (assuming Wally did actually care about the people he mentioned in the episode) after "DARKEST" worse.

Finally, there's Wally's story as a hero. In Season One, it appears that his arc was basically about maturing enough that he could become a suitable boyfriend option for Artemis. I already mentioned what I thought was highlighted in "DENIAL", and I think "COLDHEARTED" was just to make Wally slightly less of an idiot and a joke that she would consider dating him. Which isn't exactly the most flattering of character arcs. And I also felt he was portrayed as the weak link of the team. He was the character that would (comically) mess up the most on missions and with his powers (running into walls, tripping over marbles and rocks, blowing the team's cover, and nearly getting the team killed just by trying to impress a girl who doesn't even think he has one positive attribute). He was also the only member of the team that didn't land a single blow during the fight with the Injustice League in "REVELATIONS", but did manage to be the only one to suffer a significant injury. Honestly, Wally's competence in "COLDHEARTED" was hard for me to believe given how he was portrayed in all the previous episodes. He just seemed to be as much of a detriment to the team as a help unless science exposition was needed on the mission. And things like all the other characters constantly making fun of him, the running gag that Wally was so forgettable as a hero that the public could almost never remember his name, and the oblivious flirting with M'gann that made him look like even more of an idiot didn't help matters. Especially the last one as it lasted the majority of the season and there was no real payoff to it outside of "aw man!". Artemis, who only showed interest in Conner during her first two episodes, had a much more extreme reaction to finding out about M'gann and Conner being together. Not to mention Dick's over-the-top flirting worked with Zatanna in "HUMANITY", so it wasn't Wally's flirting that was bad, just that it was Wally that was doing it.

Then in Season Two, Wally's inferiority was used in "BLOODLINES" for some cheap laughs, and as a prop so you guys could show how much better Bart was than him in every single way. And I know you said you didn't think he showed Wally up at all, but I'd say four (completely obvious) different scenes where the show played it up for laughs at Wally's expense was a little much. As Wally said when he had to be carried away from Neutron's blast by Bart and Barry because he wasn't fast enough, he was being humiliated. And I don't think him assisting Jay at the end to help save Barry/Bart offsets that considering Barry promptly interrupted Wally lecturing Bart on his recklessness and gave Bart all the credit for saving him. The episode spent twenty minutes slamming home the point that Wally wasn't worthy of being named in the same sentence with Bart and Barry, and a scene that is pretty much glossed over hardly made up for it to me. Then Wally ends up dying in "ENDGAME" simply because he wasn't fast enough to live to further cement that he wasn't worthy of being part of the Flash legacy. His death wasn't so much a noble sacrifice to me (as I suspect it was meant to be) as it was him dying because he wasn't good enough to live. And being told your favorite character died because they weren't good enough isn't fun, especially when the show already had an episode where it made fun of that character for the same reason they died. Perhaps if the show would have dealt with Wally's inferiority and his thoughts/feelings about it before "BLOODLINES" or in a serious/respectful manner (much like it did with Conner's inferiority to Superman in the first season), then I'd be able to see his death in a different way. But as it is, his inferiority wasn't so much a part of his character and story as it was just used as a tool to build Bart up and serve as an excuse to kill him off.

And let me say again that I have absolutely no problem with the idea of Wally being slower than Barry/Bart or him dying. Those things could have been interesting and meaningful. But I felt with the way the show handled those things, they weren't. You tried to compare Dick not being as strong as Conner to Wally not being as fast as Bart/Barry, but there's two huge differences. The first is that Dick's one trick isn't being incredible strong and the other is that the show didn't pound home that fact over and over in a comedic fashion the way it did with Wally and the Allen's in "BLOODLINES". Wally being slower is only a big issue because you guys made it one with how you handled it. And I truly believe you don't think you guys implied that Wally was a lesser hero or not good enough because he's slower, but I do know my two kids (11 and 8) now think that Impulse/The Flash are awesome and that Kid Flash is "a loser" thanks to that episode (Young Justice was their first real experience with the DC universe). I also think simply leaving the Allen's out (or not having them be directly involved) of Wally's death scene would've been a more than satisfying conclusion for his character. That way you guys still would have gotten your death and made it about what Wally could do as a hero instead of what he couldn't (and help shed the selfish label the character had). But making it simply about his speed after his treatment in "BLOODLINES", you guys basically admitted that Wally no longer had a role in this universe because he's a second-rate speedster and therefore had to die. Which might actually be true as Wally couldn't be the Flash (not with Bart running circles around him), but I'm not sure that you guys had to be so on the head about it.

Having said all that, I did like Wally's personality on the show (well at least in Season One when his characterization was pretty consistent) and I did relatively enjoy the show on the whole. But feeling like the show was continually telling me over and over how bad Wally was throughout two seasons dragged it down for me at times. And I do get that quite a bit of the things I mentioned weren't entirely valid as Wally was just the comic relief character (they do start to add up, though). But even the important parts of Wally's story (his relationship with Artemis/conflicts with other characters/as a hero/his death) came across about how terrible and/or how much of a joke he was to me. It just seemed that outside of "COLDHEARTED", Wally's main purpose on the show was to look bad to make the others look good and enhance their story by either telling them how great they were (which they never did for him) or being the bad guy. And like I said, I don't think it was the show's intentions to do that and I think I have a pretty good idea what the show was trying to do. But what the narrative of the show wanted me to believe (that Artemis liked Wally/that he was good thing for her/that Dick thought of him as his best friend/etc) and what the show actually showed were two completely different things to me. And I just have a hard time blindly accepting things on a show when they aren't really backed up by what is shown and were even contradicted by what was at times.

So for me, Wally's story was just about how he wasn't good enough no matter how hard he tried. Not good enough for Artemis, not good enough to get any respect from his friends, and not good enough as a speedster to survive or to be worthy of being the Flash because that's simply how those things were handled and portrayed on the show itself. He did have his moments here and there (I loved "COLDHEARTED"), but what little positive the character had was overshadowed by the overwhelming negative in my opinion.

Anyway, I apologize for wasting your time with this and for feeling this way. I really, really wish I didn't. And good luck with your book, the Star Wars series, and whatever else you may work on in the future!

Anonymous writes...

Hey, Greg. I noticed another poster mentioned using YJ for educational purposes. I work as English/ESL teacher. I taught a TOEFL class for a period of time and one of the things I had to do was to introduce my class of Korean teenagers to the concept of an inference. So, I showed them "Infiltrator". "So weak!" and "So stupid!" were one girl's response to Aqualad. (Kaldur does get beat-up quite a bit in this episode.) Anyways, I asked them how Wally and Artemis feel about each other. They drew the conclusion that they don't like each other.

"Oh, really?" I said.

Then, I showed them "Bereft" in which Wally and Artemis meet again for the first time. Then, I showed them how Wally and Artemis's behavior in "Infiltrator" can be construed differently - in other words: it is possible to INFER certain things from their behavior that are not directly stated. Anyways, I think they got the concept of an inference.

More recently, I used "Denial" to demonstrate the hero's journey. Although I did point out that since Wally seems not to have learned anything at the end of the episode that his journey was comic variation of the archetypal hero's journey.

That's all for now.

Best,

Marvelman

Kay writes...

First of all, Thank you. Young Justice gave me hope that there are still quality "kid's shows" being created. Second, Gargoyles was one of my top five shows as a kid (And I just today learned that you're responsible for both, so thanks for that too).

Now for the main reason I'm questioning you: I've finishing up a Master's degree now and will hopefully be teaching come September. Would it bother you if I made it a goal of mine to use Young Justice in a classroom setting? I feel like the show has so much potential for talking about social justice and frankly teaching analytical skills, prediction, characterization...basically I want to use Young Justice as a teaching tool because it was such a richly created world. And the truth is, I would like your blessing to pursue this goal.

P.S. Your snark, it is amazing.

A Flash Fan writes...

Hello Greg,

Another Flash related question I have been pondering for a while now...

1. Why is Flash's (and Kid Flash's) lightning bolt insignia/logo/symbol different from the one in the original comics? In Young Justice it is only one line that switches back, but in the comics it is two (as I'm sure you know, being so knowledgeable in comics and such). I know Bruce Timm did it in the DCAU as well, and it was one of the reasons I had such a hard time (which in the long run I considered fun) finding out and realizing the differences between Flashes. I was just curious. Does it have anything to do with that the logo can't be the same due to copyright? Is it just easier to draw? Was it your preference?

2. Is there more cut material from episodes that you are willing to share?

3. I thought the Arsenal spin-off would have been a great idea! Along with the other items you pitched for Earth-16...here's hoping we'll see some soon!

Anonymous writes...

1. WHERE is the exact place that Vandal Savage was born on Earth-16?

2. Given Vandal Savage lived for over 50,000 years, would he actually be considered to be a Cro-Magnon (which is an informal name for the first early modern humans)?

3. Would Vandal Savage be comparable in some ways to the Marvel Comics villain known as Romulus (one of Wolverine's enemies)?

Steel_Goliath writes...

Hi Mr Weisman
i was wondering do you feel any anger towards the shows you work on get canceled before you can finish all the plot lines
also what do you plan to do now that young justice is cancelled

Eagle-Owl writes...

The fans have spoken!

http://www.theouthousers.com/index.php/news/121176-update-on-the-crowdfunded-return-of-young-justice-and-green-lantern-the-animated-series.html

Janey writes...

I was on wikipedia(yeah I ), but anyways I was reading about the actor/actresses of Gargoyles, and I found that a lot of them worked with you on Young Justice too, such as Thom Adcox-Hernandez as Lexington and Klarion the witchboy, and Ed Asner as Hudson, and Dr. Kent!! I love that some of these people worked with you again!! So I have a question
1. Ed Asner's filmography on wikipedia, stats on that on Young Justice he voices Doctor Fate, and Granny Goodness, so my question is did I miss Granny Goodness being in young justice or was that a mistake?
2. What was like working with the old cast members of Gargoyles?
I really enjoyed both shows and since you had Josh Keith voice Black Spider as a nod to your series Spiderman, it was refreshing to hear that you also had a nod to Gargoyles with them voicing some of the characters of Young Justice, oh and I have one more question containing endgame
3. Was Wally's death a nod to Barry Allen's death in infinite crises?
This is all, I love your work and I look forward to your book series!!!

Brent Wolgamott writes...

Hey Greg: I just wanted to say "thanks", for such a wonderful TV series in both "Young Justice" and "YJ: Invasion". I watched everything YJ-related for 2+ years now, and it was my first introduction into anything related to you (I watched Gargoyles rarely back in the day). YJ was (is) an amazing drama, albeit animation. I loved the character development of M'gann this year, and I loved the evolution of the series. I am sorry to hear it is likely over now, but I appreciate it (and you) for what it is -- a kickass TV show, juggling multiple characters with a complex but mostly resolved storyline. Thanks for the memories, and I hope to see you again soon. -Brent

Emily writes...

Hi Greg! In season 1 of Young Justice Aquaman and Mera announce they're going to have a child but there is no mention of that ever again. Did Manta kill Aquababy like in the comics or is he still alive during season 2?

Ma'alefa'ak writes...

How did you come up with the designs of Hawkman and Hawkgirl? They are badass.

FOONTS writes...

Did you have trouble coming up with storylines for Wally? All the other major characters at least had one major story arc over the two seasons. Superboy had the clone of Superman and Lex storyline in season 1, Miss Martian had the story of her insecurity about her Martian appearance in season 1 and her misuse of her martian abilities in season 2, Artemis had her family background story in season 1 and her undercover identity storyline in season 2, Kaldur had his undercover storyline in season 2, and Dick had the whole leading the team and keeping a secret from the team storyline in season 2. Wally is legitimately the only one who didn't have an ongoing story in either of the two seasons. He seemed like an accessory to other people's story. And then you killed him off. It didn't make much sense and seemed like a tragic misuse of a popular character who has such a rich comic book history.

Megan writes...

Who was the first team member to find out Artemis's first name was ACTUALLY Artemis. (after Dick since obviously he probably knew from day one)

I SAW THE LIGHT writes...

He wants to protect the Earth from invaders. He uses a death machine to scare the inhabitants other planets. He wants humans to be the strongest species in the universe. He wants to give humans superpowers.

Vandal Savage is more of a hero than all the characters in Young Justice.

Kris W writes...

Hello Mr Weisman,

I just wanted to thank you for your amazing work. I really hate to see Young Justice over so soon but loved every minute of it as a huge comic fan.
I also loved Gargoyles. My mom and I used to watch it together all the time. We loved the series from start to finish. My mom died a few years back and when I really miss her, I watch Gargoyles. Even after all this time I can still remember her comments on her favorite episodes and it's very comforting to have that to fall back on. I don't think I'm explaining myself well, but thank you for giving us something we could enjoy so much together, and something to help me remember her with. I look forward to your next projects.
Kris W

Jarrod writes...

Hi Greg!

I was rewatching YJ Revelations, and I noticed that Count Vertigo was wearing some sort of device in his ears, wrapped around his head. He seemed to be the only member of the Injustice League to be wearing one, so I don't think it was a communications device. I humbly ask the following questions:

1) What was this device?
2) If the above is a spoiler request, I ask how long he has used/needed the device as of his appearance in Revelations?
3) Does said device serve a protective, or a augmentative purpose?

Thank you! Loved the show!

Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg,

Was Young Justice mixed in 5.1, or just stereo? The DVDs and iTunes/Amazon downloads all have stereo audio.

Thanks.

Voice Acting Fan writes...

Dear Greg:

Thank you for answering my previous questions!

You have made reference to SAG before, so presumably Young Justice has to abide by SAG rules or get boycotted. I have a few questions related to this and the voice acting part of the production process:

1. How do the voice talent get paid? A flat rate? Are they paid by the hour? By the line? By the episode? Or some variable rate?

2. When you voiced Lucas Carr, did you have to join the SAG union? Or is production allowed to hire non-SAG personnel as long as they pay them differently?

3. You have stated that getting a second character out of an actor entails no added costs. Since it is free, I am wondering why a few actors (Jesse McCartney comes to mind) doesn't get to voice a character other than Dick Grayson. Was it a matter of actor preference, producer preference, or a mix of the two?

4. How long does a typical recording session last? Do you sit in throughout the whole session, or leave it up to the voice director? How many episode(s) are typically recorded in a sitting?

5. When one of the voice actors sing a song (Reach for a Reach, Hello Megan), they get separately credited. Is this subject to a different rate, or is the singing part simply added as a "character" in determining pay?

Thank you, and I hope by the time you are reading this, you've already got several gigs lined up!

Christine writes...

Hi! I was wondering if ya'll ever made any sort of 'blue print' for the cave? and if you'd ever be willing to share it if you did. Because I'm just really nerdy about those sorts of things and I know a lot of other fans are really curious as well.... :D

Anon the great writes...

Hey Greg! Appreciate all the work you did in the series and hope one day, someone will pick it up for continuation.
Just a few questions:

1. It's obvious Red Arrow and Artemis move around quite a bit when fighting the enemy, my question is how do their arrows stay in their quivers? Magnets maybe?
2. Does Rocket eventually evolve her powers like she did in the comics? In a few issues, she was able to shoot out kinetic energy from her hands.

A Fan from Maryland writes...

Hey Greg, big fan. Sorry to hear about your job issues and I hope by the time you answer this you will have found work, I'd hire you myself if I was rich enough or I knew how. <3

1. You say that M'gann's parents are Green and White and that she and her brother the only "White" looking Martians among her siblings. So does whether you become Green/White Martian work on a sort of "one drop" rule or is more random?

For example (and I phrase it this way so you would only have to give one answer)

Under One drop, if a Green mated with a White Martian the offspring would always be white. If its Random, a child could be green or white at various odds.

Or is it something way more complex like hair or eye color. I say this because its use analogous to the human concept of "ethnicity" and I wanted to know if it was like that on Mars or if was a different type of phenotype such as hair or eye color. Basically i just wanted to know how the "rules" of the colors worked and if stuff like a Red child being more to two Greens or like a "light green" martian was possible.

2. What comic book issue/story arc did the Red Martians first appear in in the DC Comics? Or are they an Original Creation named for the Barsoom concept.

3. You have been noted to be very devoted to comics continuity; going so far as to construct the Martian Language around names seen in the comics. So why is Mars' Martian name " M'arzz" rather than "Ma'aleca'andra" as seen in the 1988 Martian Manhunter series?

4. Speaking of, is "M'arzz" a cognate with the English word "Mars" or is that just an amazing coincidence ?

5. Finally I more avant garde question . Do you think you could be so kind to post the translation dictionaries for some of the conlangs you ,Nicole Dubuc and your other colleagues created such as Interlac, Martian, New Genisian etc? Since it's not a story or a plot I assume its okay through your guidelines. I just thought it'd be a nice treat for the fandoms of those shows.

Thank you Greg, Mad love from MD! :)

A Flash Fan writes...

Hello Greg,

Thank you for responding to my question about Barry Allen's persona. When I think about it, it may also be that the Flash in the Silver Age is in a quite different time period than in Earth-16. And it made a lot of sense when you said you were trying to vary character persona so that they all wouldn't be strict boyscouts. I am still not entirely convinced but your explanation helped put me more at ease.

PS Cary Bates is among one of my favorite Flash writers! Could please tell him if you are able to? Thanks!

Schweitzer-Man writes...

Why didn't Queen Perdita revoke Count Vertigo's diplomatic immunity after the events in "Revelation". Yeah, I know, he wasn't committing acts of treason against her country but...wouldn't she have thought, "This REALLY isn't the kind of company I want to keep. Family or otherwise."

IF writes...

1. How old is Plastic Man?
2. What is the Plastic Man's real name?

West writes...

I know you may find my question silly or something but:
You said that Iris and Mary are's sisters and that you don't see any resembles between them but: They are both readheads with green eyes. While Rudy has brown hair and brow eyes.... I love that Iris and Rudy are brother and sister, I really do!
But my quetions are:
1-What resembles do you see between Iris and Rudy?
2- Is Iris adopted?

Jared writes...

Hey Greg, first off I just want to say I have been fan of a couple of your series and just want to thank you for creating top notch animation.

My question is in regards to Superboy's invulnerabilty, how in vulnerable is he?

In the episode where the team investigates Santa Prisca and project Blockbuster we see Superboy does not receive any physical injuries from the guns, but in the episode where Superboy goes up against Wolf the viewer can see visible claw marks on his shoulder. So I was just a little curious as to Superboy's invulnerability, and how far it goes in your continuity.

Thank you for your time and patience in answering our many questions. Whatever projects you do in the future I wish you success, although the fanboy in me hopes one day Young Justice will be revived (hope never dies).

Also sorry if this has been answered but I have searched through the archives using the keyword "Superboy."

AhhGoodTimes writes...

Cartoon Network's DC Nation block uses the Young Justice art designs for the Justice League as well as Young Justice designs, info, and even clips in some of its "Secret Files" for Blue-Beetle, Impulse, etc. Do you know if the ending of Young Justice as well as Dc Nation consisting only of Beware the Batman and Teen Titans GO! for now on will affect this?

Moe writes...

How come assassins like Cheshire and Sportsmaster use ranged weapons and melee weapons as opposed to guns. I'd say bullets are more useful then shuriken.

Rex writes...

If Wonder Woman is 90, does that mean Steve Trevor is dead, or really old?

Brella writes...

Hello!

Not a very significant question here, but I couldn't help noticing as I was watching Young Justice that there were a few little references to the film "Casablanca." I really, really love that movie, and I loved the recurring callbacks to it - the episode entitled "Usual Suspects," the exchange in "Insecurity" of "At least a kiss is still a kiss," "And a sai is just a sai!", and (though this one's a bit more tenuous) the whole "We'll always have Paris" implication that was in "Endgame."

It's just really great stuff. I guess I've been wondering for quite a while what the inspiration or reasoning was behind it, or if it was just for fun, or just a coincidence; I dunno! They were all great little Easter eggs and made me smile whenever they'd pop up.

YJ is (was) a spectacular series and really changed my life, no joke! Thank you so, so much for sharing it with all of us (and for taking the time to answer fan questions; wow).

Just a Nerd writes...

Hey, Greg. I just have some questions about Martian technology, being a science geek and such.

1. Are the Bio-Ship and Martian clothing separate species than normal green, red, or white Martians? I would assume the answer is yes... But you never know.

2. Do the Bio-Ship or Martian clothing require any sustenance? Food, water, fuel, etc.

3. If so, what do they eat/drink?

4. What level of intellegence do they have? Are they just mindless... I hesitate to say slaves... Are they in any way sentient, or do they just follow commands given to them? Do they ever make their own choices?

5. Did they come from the same evolutionary line as the Martians? A yes or no will suffice, since you don't feel this is the proper medium for telling stories.

Today marks the 1 week anniversary of the end of Young Justice: Invasion. I'm still not over it. <sigh> I was hooked from the moment I watched the pilot movie. So long ago... Thank you to you and your entire team for a wonderful show. While I was skeptical at times, I wouldn't change a single decision made about the show. Except for the one to cancel it. That was a major error on the part of whoever made it. Only thing I watch on Cartoon Network now are reruns of YJ:I and GL:TAS.
Thank you for your time.

Yolymar writes...

I was curious about why you guys cast Logan Grove as Garfield Logan. I really enjoyed his performance and I think he did a great job capturing Gar's enthusiasm and child-like wonder, but I'll admit that never in a hundred years would it have occurred to me to cast him as this character. I'm really glad you did, though. He was a lot of fun.

Chris writes...

When did Artemis find out about Nightwing's identity? Did Dick Grayson ever show that picture they took at Gotham Academy to her?

DanM writes...

PS: Talked so much that I've forgot to ask some questions…
5 - What do you do with your scripts AFTER they've been used (animated or penciled)?
6 - Is there any way for me to get one you did for YJ? (Usually once a year some guys of DC comics come here to Brasil, to scout for new artists, and generally we are told to remake an actual, published script w/ our own style and composition of scenes so they can evaluate not only the art but also how different we've pulled off the said script)

Thanks man (again).

Marvelman writes...

Hi. Another poster asked whether Captain Marvel or Superman was faster. You said it depended on whether it was season one or season two Captain Marvel.

I'm a little puzzled by this statement. Cap's powers come from the gods so it's not like he can go to the gym and work out, or can he? Has season 2 Captain Marvel suddenly become stronger or faster. Is so, how and why?

Anonymous writes...

Did M'gann reveal her white martian form to Gar willingly or did he find out on his own?

Guy writes...

Did Aqualad renew his frienship with Red Arrow after Aqualad ended his undercover mission?

If season 2 is the last season did Wally ever talk to Red Arrow again after Red Arrow got his life back on track?

Do the four original sidekicks consider eachother their closest seuperhero friends?

Great show, you and Brandon Vietti have done a great job!

Finister2 writes...

1) What became of Despero and Mongal after Savage commandeered the Warworld?
2) Clark Kent is not present at the Daily Planet in Superboy's implanted memory. Why is this?
3) What is the "Serpent", the "Garden", and "Eden" that Ra's refers to in "The Pit..."?
4) Why did Ocean-Master want to rob Queen Mera of her powers?
5) Where was Doctor Fate during "Players"?

Anonymous writes...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CONNER KENT (SUPERBOY)!!!'

Harmony writes...

Why did you think it was necessary to have so many romantic couples? I get that they're teenagers and teens and many adults are romance crazy, but from a story and character development perspective, it seemed a bit much, especially since so much story was being crammed in already to the point that character development was lacking, and the romances ended up just taking up screentime.

Young Justice Forever writes...

I just wanted to say, on behalf of all of the devoted Young Justice fans, THANK YOU sooooo much for creating the best show in the whole world! We will never forgot the joy Young Justice has brought us and our love for this show and it's characters. Young Justice will live on in our hearts and we will never stop fighting for the chance for The Team (and Wally...hopefully) to come back for a third season! Thank you!

From all Fans writes...

Hey Greg, I don't have questions but rather I just really wanted you to see this. It warrants no response whatsoever but as the creator of Young justice you should see it.

"For shows that fell from highest height,
We fans will strive to make things right.
Cartoon Network, fear out might;
We've only just begun our fight."
- Young Justice and GLTAS fandoms

this was posted on tumblr (its a social media/fan site) maybe you have heard of it, anyway, we are serious and are going to do our best to fight for these shows. Thank you for providing us with shows and animation of such high caliber, it is much appreciated. "Gratitude"

Marvelman writes...

Hi Greg. Do you think a new Earth-16 comic book series would sell better if it focused on major plot developments (e.g. season 3) instead of side stories? Or, do you think it wouldn't make a difference?

Kid Flash-Artemis fan writes...

Loved the season finale of YJ, though Wally apparently dying was like a knife to the heart of myself and my little brother, especially since DC has been very unkind to Wally West in general. Still, the way it happened makes me hopeful that he was simply sent to another dimension or something and he would have returned in season 3, perhaps with the KE he absorbed making him as fast as his relatives.

Questions:
"Endgame"
1. With the evidence the Team had in "Summit" connecting Luthor to the Light and bringing the Reach to Earth in the first place, how can he be a serious contender for UN Secretary General?
2. How was the League able to round up people like the Runaways and Blue Devil on such short notice?
3. Were you originally planning to have characters like Donna Troy appear in the Metropolis wide shot?

General
4. How long did it take the Team to learn that "Artemis" was Artemis' real name?
5. Did Artemis ever kill anyone before she joined the Team as part of her "training"?

Jasae writes...

given the Veronica Mars movie has nearly double the estimate budget needed to make the movie a reality (which means even with unexpected hiccups they have good odds of financing it)

So....If the movie successfully debuts (which will probably take a bit of a while since producing a stellar film takes time) and it turns out to be a great success (which givcn the creative team behind it, grants good odds)

Well, I seem to have gotten a little side tracked, but I just wanted to say that I would be one of the people happy to pledge some money in the support of one of your amazing creations and im certain the many many fans you have would quickly pledge for such a cause!

Jonathan writes...

Dear Mr. Weisman,

You have been responsible for two of my favorite shows--Gargoyles and Young Justice. They have brought me much enjoyment and I thank you greatly for that. You a writer of the highest caliber, able to write deeply intrinsic plots and characters who are both philosophically intelligent and comically amusing. Your talents are recognized not only by your fans, but also through organized bodies with highly publicized awards, such as the Emmy.

So quite objectively, your work is very good and many people enjoy the shows you produce. Why is it then, and I ask this with as minimal offense as possible, that your shows always seem cut tragically short?

Gargoyles and Young Justice both deserved additional seasons, yet the cries from fans seem to fall on deaf ears. Are network producers really so blind?

James G. writes...

I know this is not a question but I would just like to thank you. To everyone who worked on Young Justice, from the writers, the composers to the voice actors and to you and Brandon. Thank you so much for giving me such a wonderful story to follow, and making it an experience of a lifetime.
Never before has a show captured my imagination, nor the characters seemed so real as Young Justice has. The experience of watching these characters grow, coupled with the amazing acting and art design (as well as suffering through the hiatus to see them all again) was one of the best times i have ever had watching a show. And I never felt anything was dumbed down for understanding, easy enough if you have watched the episodes leading up to the current but with an extra layer of depth for those who could read into the dialogue and scenes to find parallels drawn throughout the series, or understood some subtle hints to character's stories in the comics. I for one thought the scene where The Team came down to meet the Justice League after they had arrived back on Earth was immensely powerful because of the fact the opposite had happened in the pilot episode of both season 1 and season 2. Fantastic job.
The characters in themselves felt real, and I could see many of the social situations the teens went through happening in real life (and in some cases I have seen said situation happen.) Before I had watched this show, sure I had always loved the DC universe, and yes i had watched previous DC shows (Batman:TAS, Justice League, the list goes on)but I had never been struck by a character in a way that I said, you know what I am going to look up more about Artemis, or T.O. Morrow, or Sportsmaster. Even previous characters that I have seen done on animated shows never felt old, each character in Young Justice felt like a fresh take, one I could like.
Props on you and everyone that worked on this show. You have created a world in which my favorite super heroes live, and in doing so have become my hero. Thank you.

Anonymous writes...

I apologize if this question has been asked before, I tried searching through the archives but maybe I didn't frame my search parameters correctly.

How public are The Team members as superheroes? I know the team isn't known by the general public, and certain sidekicks are known because they fight alongside their fellow mentors (like Batman and Robin, Flash and Kid Flash, Aquaman and Aqualad, and maybe later Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl and so on) but what about other heroes like Beast Boy? Or Bumblebee? Or even Superboy?

I ask because Superboy is wearing his Superman-symbol shirt in "Satisfaction." I understand this is a world where glasses can protect Clark Kent's identity or sunglasses protects Dick and Tim's, but come on! He's wearing his Superboy "uniform" right out in the open! Does that mean the public is unaware of Superboy?

What I'm basically wondering is, do certain Team members even need secret identities, or can they just go out in public without masks and such because they only ever go out for covert ops where the general public won't see them anyway?

Young Justice forever writes...

Is there anything us fans can do to help Young Justice come back for another season?

Anonymous writes...

Hi Mr Greg,
I know this is a wired question but I'm so curious. You voice cast Lucas Carr in Young Justice. Do you get pay for this character or you cast it for free? Is this only your interest or consider of saving cost?

Bianca Ruhland writes...

Hi Greg :)
My name is Bianca Ruhland and currently i have just started my final year getting my double major in Creative Writing and Animation. It's a big wish of mine to one day go on to write for or create a cartoon series of my own (especially of the superhero variety, haha.)
After the series final of Young Justice i just want to say, well done. It's shows like Young Justice i want to show to my own kids one day. It inspires me and i want to work with shows like it one day.
Visually, it's stunning, story wise it's even better. You've managed to find a way to introduce characters to keep existing comic book fans happy, but write it in such a way it introduces new fans as well. That's a very hard to do (from what i've heard). Not to mention, your show is built in such a way that it doesn't patronize children's intelligence. You have connecting story lines about big issues. You show them the power of love and friendship, but also show the realistic side that sometimes, friends fight and relationships end. People grow up on the outside, but not always on the inside. Also, the fact you broke the 'Rule of 3' and had such a large female cast was so awesome!
I'm writing to you as one of many voices of support for this show. It breaks my heart to see it go, especially in favor of other new shows that...well, that just kind of look like the same old stuff personally. It's really upsetting. After watching the final episode, there are so many cliff hangers! And Wally! Also, i've heard rumours that there were plans to bring in Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, Jason Todd and Damian Wayne into the next season. That would have just blown my mind.
I was wondering, Greg, exactly where the show stands right now. Is there a possibility at a Season 3 if Beware the Batman and Teen Titans Go don't fare too well? Can we get it outside of DC Nation or on another channel? Do you have plans for a Kickstarter (ala Veronica Mars?)Is there anything at all being done that you can mention? Like plans for a mini-series or an online follow up comic? (ala Smallville?)
If you can't tell me anything that's fine, but i just wanted to let you know Greg that you did a really great job on this show. You and Bruce Timm are my idols and i hope to be like you one day. If it's possible, please don't give up on the show just yet, not because I and other fans want it, but because i honestly feel that children everywhere NEED it, for what it is and what it teaches.
Thank you for your time.

david writes...

How do you feel about the fans putting up petitions and, in a way, bombarding CN fb page and DC Nation fb page about bringing back Young Justice for another season? I mean i love young justice and would love another season, but i'm just wondering from your perspective

Tya writes...

Please Mr. Greg, I know that you're a very busy man and I am in love with you guy's work, especially Young Justice Series. Ever since the very first episode I have been in amazement by how good the series is. It really brought back how much eveyone truly loved all DC Heroes. I was extremely happy about the whole focus on the sidekicks,who proved to be much more than that. Now I have seen the finale now, and I hope this wont get my question deleted or anything, but I was wondering what was now next for you guys,since the unpredictable and sad ending to such a great series?

Nicholas Griel writes...

In an interview you said that two of the members of the team that joined and left during the 5 year gap were Sergeant Marvel and Lieutenant Marvel. Can you pin sown any more information on these two characters especially Sergeant.

Anonymous writes...

Does Kate Kane exist in the Young Justice universe?

Melissa writes...

Hi Greg! I hope you know how much we appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to answer our questions. Anyway, I love Young Justice and will be devastated to see it going off the air as of tomorrow. I was wondering however, if you or Brandon or any of the other writers have given a thought to continuing the story of our favorite characters in Earth-16 through novel format? I know you would probably have to go through the proper channels to even get approval for something like that, but I know myself and most of the fandom would love to get our hands on anything YJ once the show ends, especially in a written format. Would you be even interested in doing something like this or are you more intent on saving any and all material for possible future projects? It's just a thought. Thanks for giving us this great show!

Angel writes...

Hi Mr. Weisman, I would be glad if you answer some of this questions

1. How did the Kroloteans and The Reach knew about the meta-gene? I ask this because none of the members of the Justice League that attacked Rimbor had meta-genes

2. Are Batgirl and Wondergirl public heroes? In "Happy New Year" Gordon Godfrey shows footage of Lobo ripping the false body to reveal a krolotean, he even mentioned that it has been played a lot of times before, did the video was edited to not show them? if that's the case why?

3. Who's a public hero and Who isn't?

4. About the Team, I know you've said that the team doesn't need a fancy name, but I find it difficult to believe that some eager members like Beast Boy or Kid Flash that even named the Super-Cycle didn't come up with a name for them, did some ever come up with or suggested a name for the team or they just let Superboy decide how to refer to themselves?

5. Face recognition technology used for uncovered Sportmaster and Cheshire would recognize Clark Kent as Superman or any other uncovered hero?

Well thanks for your attention, I hope you can answer some of them. Young Justice brought me a lot of hours of fun and it has become my favorite animated series, Thank you

Anonymous writes...

I JUST FOUND OUT YOU ARE COMING TO THE COMIC CONVENTION IN MY AREA!

You cannot imagine how excited I was to find out one of the producers of my favorite show was going to be at Denvercon. As we speak I'm trying to get a group together to cosplay some DC characters.

But if you happen to spy a Young Justice character running around with a couple of X-men, well, I tried my best.

Thank you for continuing to reach out to the fan base and generally be awesome!

FMAB94 writes...

Hey Greg,
I've got another question that has been eating me up.

What ever happened to the Gnomes. After the episode "Agendas" we never saw them again. Did things ever work out? Or are they still enslaved by Cadmas.

anon.canon writes...

Well, here it goes.

"Young Jusice: Invasion" is ending in a few days--way to state the obvious--and to be honest, I'm sorry to see it leave. I've looked forward to watching this show every Saturday--and then, later, Sunday--and it's become part of my weekend. I honestly never thought that I would get this attached to a show, but it appears that I was wrong.

Your show is, well, amazing. I used to watch "Gargoyles" when I was younger, and it was just...well, great. And then, when I heard that you were working on a new project, I was psyched. And I wasn't disappointed--"Young Justice" is probably one of the best DC cartoon shows that I've ever seen, and I've seen a ton.

You managed to put your own portrayal on characters that we had already seen, already knew, while making them recognizable and enjoyable. It's one thing to write characters that are of your own creation, but it's another thing entirely to write characters that are of another person's design.

Your--and Brandon's--work is just...amazing. Really. I've had yet to see an episode that I haven't liked, and I'm sure that the finale won't disappoint, either. Again, I'm sorry to see the show go, but I'm going to remain optimistic and hope that it'll come back, one day. (I'm looking forward to the finale, but--at the same time--I'm not looking forward to it. Does that make sense?)

...Sorry for the rambling message, though I'm not sorry to tell you how much I love your show.

Again, fantastic job.

Darksuperboy writes...

you said i one of your previous answers ''who said any thing about being cancelled'' can you elaberate? also
1) do you have any plans to sell the show to another channel so it may continue?
1a)if not then why not?
2)currently the rateing for the show averaged at 1.9 million+ what numbers did you need for season 3 to get a green light?
3)is the online petitions (one numbering over 31000+ votes)and tweet trends akeing a difference in picking up the show for season 3 by cn or any other channel or helping in any way for the show continueing?
4)if season 3 isnt an option will we at least exspect a dvd film like TEEN TITANS TROUBLE IN TOKYO to round out the shows ending

thank you for your time, youve made great shows now and in the past and look forward to your next

Anonymous writes...

This isn't a question, but I felt I had to write about this. I just saw your post about the site 'kickstarters' and I just want to assure you that I, at least, would DEFINATELY throw money at any of the three shows you mentioned (Gargoyles, Spectacular and Young Justice). Initiatives like that, where audience and creator 'cuts out the middleman' have always been my vision for the future of entertainment. Your shows in particular would have top priority for me.

Julia writes...

Young Justice has meant a lot to me. It's what got me into a wider scope of fandom and, honestly, paved the way for a lot of the friendships I've made in the past two years.

So- thank you. For making this. It changed my life.

Grant writes...

Personally in your opinion who is the better parent, Sportsmaster or Black Manta?

Just a Nerd writes...

Read your interview with World's Finest. Lots of designations!

A lot of assumptions I made are true. Yay!

Was it intentional that Jason Todd be... Unlucky thirteen?

Bill writes...

1) Did you have any unused story arcs for the tie-in comic that involved the Justice Society of America or the All-Star Squadron?

2) On May 5th, 2012, you revealed there was at least 7 major characters that the staff wanted to add to Season 2 but there just wasn't any room for them and they were saved for the comic book and/or a potential Season 3. Did any of these 7 appear between Issue #16 Common Denominators and Issue #25 Players Part 6?

3) If the answer to 2) is yes, who were they?

4) On July 18, 2012, you hinted a Wildstorm character was included in a 'stealth way.' Was this in Young Justice season one or in season two?

5) Young Justice had 179 name characters in season one and 145 in season two. Could you please post this list of name characters in a series of Ask Greg rambles (for example 1-50 in one post, 51-100 in a second post and so on)?

Shannon Martin writes...

If you had to choose, in your opinion, who do you think is the most iconic character of the original Young Justice team in season 1?

Craig writes...

Who provided Hal Jordan's voice for his brief lines in "Agendas"?

Anderson writes...

Hey Greg, congratulations on an excellent two seasons. Hopefully there's more to come. Here are a few questions I've been pondering:

1) Can Black Manta breathe underwater without his armor and helmet? Is he Atlantean?
2) During season one it seemed Artemis relied heavily on her bow even though she was good hand to hand; in season two it seems she is extremely adept hand to hand. Does most of her skills as Tigress come from training with her father? Or training with Black Canary? Or both? Maybe she was training during her time retired? I guess what I'm really asking is if she always this skilled at fighting even in season one and we just didn't really see it?
3) Will we ever find out what happened to poor disgraced Ocean Master/Aquaman's child/Tula? Is there a connection?

Thanks for the time!

Kevin writes...

1. When Black Lightning generates electricity why is it that the lightning is sometimes black when other times it is blue?
2. Does Sportsmaster have superhuman attributes or is he just incredibly fit for someone his age?
3. How many Lords/Ladies of Order and Chaos are there on Earth 16?
4. What are the different functions of Robin's circular Birdarangs and the ones that are similar in appearance to Batarangs?
5. Do Black Manta's missile launchers have different functions when they are on different shoulders?

Anonymous writes...

Would an inhibitor collar work on Superman and/or Icon.

Anonymous writes...

Can Superman fly faster than Flash or KId Flash could run.

Terrell writes...

I'm a really big fan of the show. Great work.
I was wondering if Casey from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles could take on Sportsmaster in a fight.

Anonymous writes...

In Earth-16 , Would Icon be considered stronger than Superman.

Anonymous writes...

Does Queen Bee's powers class her as a Meta-Human

Anonymous writes...

In the "Players" comic arc, Blue Beetle wasn't aware of any connection between Nightwing and the first Robin, which got me wondering about the other two.

1. Were Jason Todd and Tim Drake public heroes as Robin the same way Dick was?
2. If they were, was the general public able to figure out that it was a different person behind the cowl?

Anonymous writes...

Hi Greg,

I love how Young Justice uses so many characters from the comics, even if they are just small cameos. But, if you could, would you use an original character as a main/supporting role?

Moe writes...

What was Artemis and Green Arrows relationship? Did Green Arrow actually care for her like he cared for Red Arrow?

Adam writes...

What are some effective things we viewers could do to persuade Cartoon Network to pick up "Young Justice" for another season?

I'd love to see what you'd come up with next.

Protocol16 writes...

In concern for "Misplaced", since Roy Harper(clone) is technically 3 years old at that time, how come he is placed in the adult world and not in the children/teens world? Thanks for reading!

AJC writes...

How much input do the head guys at DC or other workers influence what characters are in the cast of YJ? For example, is it frequent for them to say 'we want this character the show', regardless of the story being told?

Paul writes...

Were you at any point seriously considering killing off Red Arrow in "Auld Acquaintance"?

The reason I ask is because the source of the title, in the phrase 'Should auld acquaintance be forgot' from 'Auld Lang Syne', carries that sense of "We'll never forget [the person in question]", and I don't have much trouble envisaging an ending to season 1 where Red Arrow atones for his 'betrayal' by dying in battle with the Light, leading the Team to promise that they won't forget him.

Chris writes...

Hi Greg,

I am loving the run to the finale.

My question pertains to Red Volcano's habit of calling people "meatbags". Did you or the writers come up with that independently, or is it more of a reference to other media such as Bender in Futurama or HK-47 in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic?

I associate the term with HK-47 because he's a red-armoured droid assassin, but Bender is probably more widely-known (even though he doesn't use the term that often). So I'm just curious if it was a parallel invention, or a reference!

JETT writes...

hi, thanks for letting the fans ask questions and stuff. i really like young justice and i'm upset to know that its going off the air.

as for my questions, i have a few about bette kane?
1)why didn't she recognize dick grayson in issue 20? they seemed friendly enough at his birthday party for her to have had an inkling of who he could be. at least to me.
2)why did she spend the night at his place? did they have a date or something the night before? which doesn't make sense since she couldn't remember his name.
3)does she live in bludhaven too?
4)also, since she mentioned she had to go to work, i might as well ask, where does she work? and what is her title?

thanks for your time =)