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REVELATIONS 2012-09 (Sep)
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b1db43 writes...
I have checked the archives and I have not seen a response to this question, but with over 800 questions in the queue it hard to be sure.
My question is: why Artemis?
I would understand if you had chosen, say, Supergirl, but Artemis seems really obscure. With whom did the idea to use Artemis originate, and how did it develop?
(BTW, I'm not arguing with the end result. I love the character! You never know what she's going to say or do next. I hope DC will take the hint and introduce her in the comics. As far as I'm concerned, from now on Wally West will only be half a character without Artemis.)
Greg responds...
Having a female archer was initially Brandon's idea, but I readily agreed - as long as I could keep Roy in there too. Choosing which female archer was a process. DC has something like four blonde female teenage archers. We looked at all of them. And Artemis' backstory seemed the most interesting, with the most secrets and lies.
Whether a character was obscure or not didn't enter into it. (And why would we use Supergirl as one of our original six heroes, when we already had Superboy?)
Anyway, I'm glad you like her.
Finister2 writes...
1) Why is Clark Kent not present at the Daily Planet in the implanted memory seen in Issue #6?
2) How is Professor Ivo affiliated with Artemis's father?
3) Why is Batman so concerned what Talia thinks of him?
4) Why did Ocean-Master want to rob Queen Mera of her powers?
Greg responds...
1. He was in the Men's Room.
2. See episode 123, i.e. "Insecurity".
3. Fair question.
4. So that he could have them.
Greg Bishansky writes...
Auld Acquaintance
It's hard to believe that we're finally here. "Young Justice" premiered with "Independence Day" on Black Friday, 2010. Finally, on April 21st, 2012, the show's premiere season comes to a close. Twenty-six episodes spread across three separate years. I don't know if this has ever happened before, but it's certainly the longest time I've ever spent watching one season of a television show. But right now, I can think of no better testimony for this series than to point that despite the constant delays in the airing of the series, and even losing some momentum because of it, the show never ceased to be engaging. Sure, in a perfect world, the season would have aired in less than one year, but we do not live in a perfect world. Neither does The Team.
I loved that cold opening. In fact, it almost feels that on any other DC show, Batman would have been so on top of things that they would have stopped Red Arrow, and subdued Vandal Savage. On any other DC show, Batman would have already known that Red Arrow had been compromised as a traitor. Hell, I've seen people demanding to know how Batman missed this after "Usual Suspects" aired last week. Well, Batman might be the world's greatest detective, but he is not omniscient.
The build-up to this episode started as far back as "Independence Day," everything mattered. Every action taken by every character since the pilot has built up to this. Every action had implications and consequences. It was all a slow burn to a boiling pot. Unlike the overrated "Justice League Unlimited" where you were lucky if anything had even short term consequences, and character development was non-existent unless you were named John Stewart or Shayera Hol. What were the long term consequences of the Annihilator armor created for Ares in JLU's horrid "Hawk and Dove" episode? Um, we got a pretty cool Suicide Squad episode where they infiltrated the Watchtower to steal it, and add it to Project Cadmus' arsenal. Quite a lot of build-up and then... Felix Faust took it on a joyride and it got destroyed in an episode that had nothing to do with their Cadmus arc. Not that I much cared for how the Cadmus arc ended... so much great set-up, and then when it got just a touch too nuanced, a convenient bad guy, without the slightest bit of hint or foreshadowing, showed up for them to beat up and no one again questioned whether the League could go rogue because they took down the big gun on the Watchtower (as if that was really the most powerful thing the League had). I, of course, bring all of this up because the acclaimed "Justice League Unlimited" may have attempted a story arc (something its predecessors never tried), but they didn't really succeed at it. They wanted to have their cake and eat it too, which is why nothing really disturbed the precious status quo. Hawkgirl betrays Earth to the Thanagarians (which was a GREAT story, by the way)? Yeah, she takes a sabbatical and comes back to the League, and the only consequences are an "I Hate Hawkgirl" chat room on the internet.
"Young Justice" knew what it was doing from the word go. Yes, there were times when I was frustrated with it, particularly early on, but it was a slow burn. The seeds were being planted. I was wondering how Red Arrow being the traitor was going to work, and in retrospect, boom, it was there since the pilot. There is not a single episode you can take out of the entire season without really losing something. It would be like removing a chapter from a novel, and that's what the first season of "Young Justice" is: an animated novel. While it did take me a while to warm up to some of the characters, hell it took some of the characters a while to warm up to each other, or in some cases warm up to themselves. But, in the end, it all came together beautifully and we got the best DC series since "Batman the Animated Series."
But how does the episode itself stack up? Pretty damn well. It's sidekick against mentor, and some of us discover whether Freud was right. I was wondering how The Team would be able to take on the League and defeat them in a manner that was credible, and they did it... thanks to the Starro Tech taking 0.16 nano-seconds to control the host, long enough for Red Tornado to arrange to save The Team. From there, it's a series of twists and turns, and all those months conducting stealth black-ops missions really would have paid off.
Vandal Savage was in top form here as we learn what his motivation is for all of this. He believes in survival of the fittest, and as the Justice League preserves the status quo, they also slow down the evolution and development of the human race. The truth of the matter is this, he is not wrong. Evolution is come about through conflict. The United States split the atom to end the second world war. The United State went to the moon to beat the the Russians there. With eternal peace, with an eternal status quo, there is no reason to go anywhere. No reason to develop. Vandal Savage has been around for fifty thousand years, he's seen every human accomplishment, and probably had a hand in at least a few. He wants us to become a galactic power, and in a universe where aliens are known to exist, he's not wrong. Weakness can lead one open to invasion (see what I did there?). However none of this makes him the good guy, far from it. What is the price of the strength he wants to give us? Our freedom. But, I think this is a great motivation and plan for Vandal Savage... and much better than the Bond villain with a gimmick from "Justice League" and "Justice League: Doom." The latter especially, where his plan there was to kill off half of the human race, deprive technology to the other half so the survivors would depend on him and make him ruler. I prefer a Vandal Savage who sees the big picture, not one who is short sighted enough to think the plan from "Doom" is a good idea. This guy is the perfect arch-enemy for The Team... an ancient, immortal against young heroes.
Red Arrow? That poor kid. Yes, he may be a clone, he may be biologically eighteen years old, but eighteen is still a kid. He was probably the biggest victim out of anybody. While he was obnoxious and disrespectful at times, he still wanted to be a hero. He still wanted to do the right thing. He couldn't help what he was, what he was programmed to do. On top of all this, he learns that he is not who he thought he was. But he wants to do the right thing, and find the original Speedy. Speaking of whom, that shot where we see the Light clearing out of Cadmus and we see the original Speedy on ice, missing an arm... talk about high octane nightmare fuel. What did the Light do to him.....
... and it really stops to make you think that this is what the Light would have done to Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad in the pilot.
But, this episode is really about The Team, and this was their finest showing to date. They saved the League and handed The Light a real defeat (or did they?). Superboy finally bonded with Superman, and it looks like Superman will finally become the mentor that Superboy needed. Kid Flash and Artemis finally kiss at midnight, and I was even more amused by Zatanna pulling Robin into a kiss.
I will say that if any member of the Team got the short end of the stick, development wise, this season, it was Aqualad. But, we're now at New Year's. Queen Mera is due in February, and Ocean Master/Prince Orm is still at large, as is Black Manta. I suspect Aqualad's real shining moments are yet to come.
I suspected that the Light would survive this season as an organization, and I'm glad they did. Things should get really interesting now that the League and The Team know that the Light exists. But even worse, six of the League members are missing sixteen hours while under Savage's control. What did they do? Whatever it was, even in defeat, the Light accomplished something and I suspect the consequences will be dire... because in all great stories, actions have consequences.
Bring on the invasion!
Greg responds...
You know, I appreciate all the kind words about YJ, but I don't really see the point in denigrating another show here in this forum. One doesn't have to rag on JLU, in order to praise YJ - or even in order to review it. It seems neither here nor there.
Finister2 writes...
1) Why did Haly lie to Faraday regarding his troupe's whereabouts?
2) Why did Intergang want to create a black hole in Geneva?
3) Where did Lex Luthor, Queen Bee, and Sportsmaster want to take Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis from Santa Prisca?
4) How long ago was Roy Harper cloned?
5) Was the Zeta-Beam portal in Star City in "Insecurity" a deliberate cultural reference to the TARDIS in Doctor Who.
Greg responds...
1. He was protecting (in a fatherly way) his people.
2. They wanted to test the tech.
3. Du-Pars. For pancakes.
4. Three years prior, give or take.
5. Uh huh.
Finister2 writes...
1) Were the ice-villains really behind the snow storm?
2) Why did Queen Bee want to unite Qurac and Bialya?
3) Why were Hal Jordan and John Stewart so adamant to cut short any discussion on Guy Gardner's induction in the Justice League?
4) What happened to Genomorph City after Cadmus found it?
5) Why did Black Spider want to kill Bernell Jones?
Greg responds...
1. "Behind it"? No. Vertigo was behind it. But they created it.
2. To gain power.
3. They're not fond of his... style.
4. It was co-opted into Cadmus.
5. He was hired to.
Finister2 writes...
1) How is Professor Ivo capable of eluding telepathic probing?
2) Are Harm's scars self-inflicted
3) Were was Wotan held between his arrest and liberation?
4) Why is Artemis not a cat person?
5) What is Vandal Savage's history with Flash?
Greg responds...
1. Much the way Bane did.
2. Depends which scars you mean.
3. Ask Nabu.
4. It was a sardonic reference to Cheshire.
5. They've conflicted.
Finister2 writes...
1) Why did Queen Bee want Robin taken in alive in "Bereft"?
2) What caused strife between Professor Ojo and Icicle Jr.?
3) How did the Riddler manage to escape Belle Reve in "Terrors"?
4) Who assembled the Injustice League personally?
5) Did the real T.O. Morrow act on his own initiative to destroy the Justice Society of America, or did he do it at someone else's behest?
Greg responds...
1. Think of Speedy as a cautionary tale.
2. Bad shrimp.
3. That would be telling.
4. Vertigo.
5. His own initiative.
Finister2 writes...
1) What was Wotan's sun blotting distraction for?
2) Are Blockbuster and Mammoth's mutations reversible?
3) How did Ivo fake his death?
4) Why did the Light want to steal Intel form STAR Labs and Wayne Tech?
5) Why did the Ocean-Master attack Aquaman in "Downtime"'s flashback?
Greg responds...
1. To keep the League away from Cadmus, mostly.
2. Nope.
3. Does it matter? If it does, it's a story for another day.
4. Why do you think?
5. To kill him.
Miss Martian writes...
Why couldnt Miss Martian capture Starro on the minds of Batman and RT?
Greg responds...
"Capture"? I don't understand this question.
Reaper writes...
In the season 1 finale, Robin said that starro tech could control 4 kinds of aliens. The Justice League has only 3 kinds alien species; a Kryptonian, a Martian, and Thanagarians. And Atlantians don't count because they are from earth. What was the 4th type of alien he was referring to?
Greg responds...
You're forgetting Icon.
Rebel writes...
Okay, here's hoping my post won't be deleted this time. To avoid posting about multiple topics in one post, I'll be leaving out the white martian stuff and just posting about Doctor Fate. This'll be more of a ramble with my thoughts and suspicions followed by some numbered questions.
What I've been curious to find out is more information about the nature of Nabu / Doctor Fate. Specifically, about what Nabu and Kent Nelson's relationship was like back when Kent Nelson was Doctor Fate. In the show, Kent Nelson says something about how it's been 60something years since he put on the helmet. That line, plus the fact that Kent Nelson had a wife, would seem to suggest that he was frequently putting the helmet on and taking it off during his tenure as Doctor Fate, which would suggest that Nabu / Doctor Fate liked Kent Nelson and trusted him not to abandon the helmet. And in "Denial" Nabu says something about the 60 years of the helmet not being put on made him feel isolated. This suggests to me that prior to that 60-year isolation, Nabu trusted humans to put the helmet on and take it off as Doctor Fate was needed. But after that time period, he no longer trusts humans to put the helmet on after it's been taken off, which is why it was so difficult to get Doctor Fate to relinquish control of Wally, Aqualad, and then Zatanna. In a way, there's a sort of mutual trust involved. The human has to trust Nabu to take the helmet off when Doctor Fate is not directly needed. But Nabu has to trust the human to put the helmet back ON and not leave him all alone forever.
Anyway, time for questions.
1. So, what was Nabu and Kent Nelson's relationship like? Did they trust each other? Are my suspicions about their relationship correct?
2. What made Kent Nelson stop wearing the helmet? My suspicion is that something went wrong in their relationship, which is why he ended up wearing the half-helmet that he made. But maybe it's something much less dramatic than that.
3. If it's true that Nabu has lost his faith that humans can be trusted to re-don the helmet from time to time to give him something to do so he can feel useful, do you think this faith can be regained? In other words, do you think Nabu could ever "heal" so to speak?
4. While Nabu is more-or-less one of the "good guys" in the sense that he does heroic acts, that shouldn't justify coercing a member of the Justice League into giving up his freedom, so why hasn't anybody on the Justice League tried to get that helmet off of Zatara?
5. I doubt Nabu really *wants* to enslave anybody but I think his desire to not be left alone and isolated outweighs that. Do you think this is correct? Would Nabu be happiest if he had a partner who would frequently put the helmet back on and take it off, or is he happiest being in constant control of his host?
???? Thanks for your answers Greg! If there's any additional light you'd like to shed on Nabu beyond the scope of my questions, feel free!
Greg responds...
1. Generally, yes.
2. SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.
3. SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.
4. Who says they haven't?
5a. I think that's part of it, but not a part he'd readily admit to. In his 'mind', he MUST maintain Doctor Fate in order to safeguard the world from Chaos.
5b. I don't think he ever LIKES being powerless.
Anonymous writes...
Would you please post a list of all of the episode titles for Invasion (or at least the first 10-13, if you're reluctant to post any more)?
Greg responds...
Nope. Sorry.
Reiena Grayson writes...
I wanted to comment about the disgruntled (former) fan.
I think you did the right think changing the limit on the question. I read some of them and well, I could answer those, just common sense. I think Ask Greg is great and a wonderful way to know how your shows touch the fans.
Okay subject change:
ROY WAS THE MOLE!!!!! I did not see that coming until last week,I was sure it was Conner, M'gann, and Artemis. Can't wait for today's finale and next week starting Young Justice INVASION. I've been a fan of DC Comic Shows and movies since I was 7, so I'm about to hit my 20 year anniversary. I hope there's a season three of Young Justice.
Last thing before I close this out. LOVE the job you did on Dick Grayson, Robin's been my fav since I was 7, and this one, I really love. With the hacking, and the cackle that was great but add in his messing with the english language and it's even better. Thank you for the show and keep up the good work.
Greg responds...
Thank you very much!
Ben writes...
superboy and icicle jr understood each other and got along well in prison,
so i was wondering how do superboy and icicle jr feel about each other after the events in belle reve?
does jr only commit crimes to get his fathers approval or does he enjoy it as well?
Greg responds...
I think Junior bears a grudge. Superboy's feelings are probably more nuanced.
Junior's a bit of a psychopath.
maskedmax writes...
I noticed that you you used atomic skull in the injustice league episode, my question is which atomic skull is this, Albert Michaels or Joseph Martin?
Greg responds...
Michaels.
Guy Gardner writes...
Hi! I'm sure it'll be a while before you get to it, but I wanted to get this in now.
First off, I want to say that I'm a huge fan of the show. I'm a massive DC Comics guy who started off watching the animated Batman and expanded out from there, and no show has gotten me as pumped as this one has me. Also like the music on the new trailer; reminds me a lot of Alien/Aliens/Prometheus, which makes sense considering you guys are going out into space. Hopefully these questions will be quick, easy to answer, and aren't asking you to give anything away prematurely.
1) From the comic and the show, we know that there are still some JSA members running around and that they do have contact with JLA members. Were these members consulted/give advice on the formation of the League and how it was structured, or was this a completely internal thing?
2) We already know that Atlantis is a constitutional monarchy. So do they have a Parliament or Senate based around the various City-States you mentioned in the comic book? I know it's a rather dorky question, but the depth (no pun intended) you've given this version of Atlantis makes me interested.
3) Probably the question that is closest to a spoiler, and I hate asking it... but I just have to. We see an image of Blue Devil for a few seconds in "Agendas", and attached to his belt on the left side is what looks like a law enforcement badge. Am I correct in that assertion? I won't ask for any more beyond that.
4) When the other Lanterns said "No" regarding Guy Gardner, was it because of his good looks, his chiseled abs, or because they knew his ring-slinging skills would make them obsolete? All of the above is an absolutely acceptable answer.
Thanks, and I look forward to the new season!
Greg responds...
1. It was mostly "internal". But of course, the League was at least in part inspired by the Justice Society of America. And since Barry and Jay are such good friends, it was natural to seek advice.
2. Each Polis is represented in a governmental body.
3. You're correct.
4. I'll stick with "Um."
Kendall Jones writes...
Does Topo have six or eight tentacles? He has six in Down Time, but eight in issue fourteen.
Greg responds...
He has fourteen actually, but sometimes he hides a few. Yeah, that's the ticket.
Anonymous writes...
I’m guessing Superman might not be married to Lois Lane on Earth-16 just yet (it's probably still too early), but do they have feelings for each other at this point in time (or at least they’re starting to)?
Greg responds...
SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.
Fluttershy writes...
Hey Greg before asking my question I would like to praise your exellent characterization on the show. I have become fan of characters i would have ignored otherwise thanks to you (miss martian, superboy artemis Aqualad) Sure you didn't invent them but yo made them actually interesting for the casual viewer imo.
I have only have two question this time, regarding the Zeta beam portal
Due to the fact that it's technology is able to recognize the heroes (ex recognized superman 01), could that technology be abused to identify the heroe's out of their customs and their secret identities?
Is there a failsafe for that technology not to be stolen and be used to find for instance batman's secret identity?
Thanks for your time
Greg responds...
Actually, I did help invent our Aqualad, but why quibble when you're saying such nice things?!
1. In theory, but so could fingerprints or any retinal scan.
2. Of course.
Tomato writes...
So, this is not really a question, so much as a statement, one that a lot of people may not like me for, but whatever. As someone who has been reading Ask Greg, who currently has his own question in the queue, and who loves pretty much every show you've made: If this section has become an unnecessary burden on you, if it no longer holds any value or fun, you need to stop. I'm not saying you need to close the section down or anything, but if it comes down to a choice between you taking a step back for a month or so or letting things get so out of hand here that you shut it down permanently, then take a step back. Those of us who are loyal, truly loyal, to you and your shows will wait, and those that aren't can go off and whine elsewhere.
Truthfully, I don't think I've ever seen a creator involved with his or her fan base to this extent. It says a lot not only that you take the time to answer our questions, but that you WON'T answer all of them. It shows that you care enough to let us experience the narrative the way it's supposed to be experienced, even if we'd rather worm our way around it.
So yeah, if you need to, let the moderators handle things for the time being. They might have to skip over a few questions here and there, but they've already proven capable of typing "SPOILER REQUEST, NO COMMENT" and really, that's 90% of the answers you give right now anyway >P
Greg responds...
Thanks for the support. I think - generally - we've found a happy medium. The plan is to reopen the site's posting function toward the end of the month when our new episode (#208 "Satisfaction") premieres. Unfortunately, there's little chance I'll have gotten through the remaining 673 questions by then - so the backlog will increase. But whatchagonnado, right?
Matthew writes...
Not a question just a comment. I found those long posts with tons of questions annoying as get all so I was glad about your decision to ban more then ten questions. Often, half the questions were things that you already answered (not that I haven't repeated a question once or twice.) So not everyone is disgruntled about this.
Greg responds...
Thanks.
Anonymous writes...
I only have one question to ask... sort of.
1. How did you come up with Kaldur's character, going beyond his design and parental origin?
2. Did you originally envision him as calm and collected as he has been seen in the show, or did you have any other ideas regarding his personality?
3. When you were planning the show, was he one of the first characters you started 'fleshing out', so to speak?
Greg responds...
1. I'm not exactly sure what you're asking here. It was a fairly organic process. We knew we wanted Aqualad in the show, but we wanted to increase the series' diversity, and with Garth dead in the DC Universe of the time, the void seemed to offer an opportunity to create someone new - AND simultaneously give us the chance to demonstrate "the road not taken" aspect of our Earth-16 parallel universe. We also wanted to establish Atlantis' combination of sorcery-based technology and give "Aqua-Lad" (which literally means Water-Boy) a unique power and devices (i.e. his water-bearers), which we thought would compliment the rest of the group. We based his physicality on Michael Phelps, and his costuming on a combination of Garth's original uniform and the kind of swimming 'suit' that Olympians were using back in 2004 and 2008.
2. He was always going to be the calm and quiet leader.
3. One of the first six, certainly.
Ms. Spoiler writes...
Hey Greg, just say the new invasion promo and while I'm happy to see all these fresh faces I was kinda hoping we would see Donna Troy as wondergirl, not Cassie Sandsmark. So, I was wondering why did you choose Cassie or Donna?
Greg responds...
Given enough episodes and/or issues - not to mention a certain game, it'll all be clear eventually.
Hugin writes...
Hey, huge fan of the show. It's probably the only thing that gets me out of bed on Saturdays.
You've clearly been pushing Wally and Artemis together since Denial, with the "Spitfire" comment, and while it's been clear that Wally has an interest in Artemis, I can't honestly see why she'd reciprocate. Could you elaborate a bit on what aspects of her character and what actions on Wally's part you think would make her interested in him?
Greg responds...
ASKED AND ANSWERED. (Seriously, you didn't see that someone had almost word-for-word preceded you on this question?)
Anonymous writes...
1. How old is Brom Stikk?
2. How old is Count Vertigo?
3. How old is Ultra-Humanite?
4. How old is Uncle Dudley?
5. How old is Wilcox?
Greg responds...
As of the end of Season One:
1. Brom is 51.
2. The Count is 36.
3. Depends on which body-part you're referring to. But issue #19 of our companion comic should give you a better idea.
4. ASKED AND ANSWERED.
5. Wilcox the Correction's Officer? I have no idea. Keep in mind, he was just C.O. #1 (or whatever) in the script. He was named by Jerome Moore, I believe.
Anonymous writes...
1. How old is Mal Duncan?
2. How old is Wildcat?
3. How old is Blue Devil?
4. How old is Serling Roquette?
5. How old is Alan Scott?
Greg responds...
As of the end of Season One:
1. Mal is 17.
2. Ted Grant is 92.
3. Blue Devil is 26.
4. Serling is 23.
5. I'm neither confirming nor denying that Alan is still alive.
Garfeild Logan writes...
Why have the color of my eyes changed after I got a blood transfusion?
Greg responds...
Why do you think?
Anonymous writes...
Is it me or is Robin getting taller as the series progresses?
Greg responds...
If we're only talking Season One - it's probably you. But of course he DID get much taller as the series progressed into Season Two.
Harmony writes...
I'd like to ask how Robin's signature cackle came about. Was his laugh something that was pre-planned, or did Jesse McCartney just randomly laugh like that one day and you realized you HAD to put it in?
Greg responds...
It was described in the bible, and it was in the audition script.
Badgermushroom writes...
Mr Weisman,
You are a busy man so I will get to the point. Here are a couple of question that as far as I can tell have not been asked yet:
1) Am I correct in thinking that a lot (if not most) of the actions scenes in Young Justice take place in the evening/nightime/otherwise dark places? If so, is this for atmosphere, or just so the kids can be heroes and still go to school?
2) Phil Bourassa's art style is really refreshing, I'm very glad to see it in YJ and also movies like "Justice League: Doom". Is there any particular name for Phil's style (like e.g. Bruce Timm's "dark deco" style used in the old Batman cartoons) or is it just "Phil's style"?
Questions over, sycophancy now, feel free to skip if you are busy.
Thank you and the whole Young Justice team for the excellent work on this show. I've been enjoying very much watching the characters and storylines develop, and I love seeing how all the strands are now coming together (final episode will air tomorrow as I write this). As someone with only a passing knowledge of the superhero genre, I can say that this show really has someone for all viewers, not just the hard-core aficionados. I wish you all continuing success with the show!
-BM
Greg responds...
1. A little from column A, a little from column B. But also columns C & D: keep in mind that a lot of nefarious activities take place after dark, and a covert team makes good use of the cover of night.
2. Shrug. I dunno. This is the first time I've heard Timm's style dubbed something specific. I mean the entire Batman series was certainly Dark Deco, I suppose, and certainly Bruce's work fits and inspires that, but there's nothing that screams 'deco' (or even dark) to me about his character designs in a vacuum. But what do I know? Anyway, Phil's stuff is Phil's stuff. His style, as you put it is just "Phil's style". It's more realistic than, say, Cheeks'. But I'm not too big on labels.
3. Thanks!
Shazam writes...
1) Was there a single event that caused the formation of the Justice League in this universe such as the invasion see in the Justice League cartoon show, or did they form just to get more good done?
2)Does the general public know about the sidekicks? Like are "Batman and Robin" known as being the "Dynamic Duo" or are the sidekicks kept more secretive compared to their famous mentors?
Greg responds...
1. Yes, as revealed in Season Two.
2. Five sidekicks were known. In order: Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash and Rocket. The rest are not known.
Elaine writes...
1. I've noticed that the beginning credits to the show have been replaced with a logo to allow more time for the DCU shorts. If this hadn't been the case, would you guys have incorporated permanent scenes of Zatanna and Rocket in the beginning credits?
2. Being teenage superheros that fight crime mostly during odd hours of the night or going on long undercover missions, how do they continuously come up with excuses for missing school so often or for such long periods of time? It's pretty suspicious.
Greg responds...
1. Hmmm. I like to think so. But it's moot now.
2. If you look at the length of their missions, they're probably missing less school than you think. A lot of them fit into a single weekend. And it's only suspicious because you can make the connection. No one at their various schools is going to see an Wally's occasional absence as proof that he's Kid Flash. Ditto for Dick Grayson - and I'll even stretch that to include Raquel Ervin. And keep in mind, the general public doesn't even know that Superboy, Miss Martian, "Artemis" and "Zatanna" exist. Plus Aqualad and Red Arrow are not in school anymore.
Anonymous writes...
I've read on the internet that Earth-16 was chosen for the setting of Young Justice because, in the eyes of the public, superheroes are considered to be a relatively recent phenomenon. Is the reason they are considered as such is because the long period of time that passed between the retirement of the JSA and the emergence of the JLA caused the public to forget (with the passage of time) what superheroes were like?
Greg responds...
Well, "forget" is a strong word. But they stopped being familiar - even in the media.
kelly k writes...
is robin interested in dating Zatanna or barbara?
Greg responds...
At what point in time are we talking?
J writes...
In Usual Supects when Superboy was dimounting the supercycle on Santa Prisca there was a small thing on his arm that looked like the shield he used against Mammoth was this an error?(assuming i'm correct that is)
Greg responds...
I don't think you are. But I guess I'd have to look again to be positive. However, the shield's were almost always covered by his shirtsleeve, so it seems unlikely.
Kenzey writes...
Hello,
In preparation for the season finale I've been rewatching the show from the beginning, and I have a question about Misplaced.
How did the Riddler get involved with the Light?
Was he recruited by the Light or did he seek them out?
Thanks for taking the time and keep up the amazing work. :)
Greg responds...
1. How did ANY of the villains get involved?
2. Recruited.
3. You're welcome.
TippyToe Zombie writes...
Do you think that the fact that Gargoyles is now being shown on Disney XD may be a step closer to getting one or more of the Gargoyles Spin-Offs.
Greg responds...
You make it sound like this is a new thing. It's not. Gargoyles has NEVER been off the air. It went from new episodes in syndication to new episodes on ABC to reruns on USA to reruns on ToonDisney to reruns on Disney XD.
Battle Beast writes...
Greg:
I've told you this a couple of times, but I wanted to tell you again. It was the first time I saw "The Mirror," and Brooklyn uttered THE line: "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
At the time, 1995, I was only 12 and hardly knew what Shakespeare was, but the line... the name of the play... it stuck with me forever.
Because of you, and Michael, and Brynne, and the other writers... I owe my love of Shakespeare. Can't thank you enough!
My favorite of the Bard's works is, of course, "Dream" but, of the 18 or so of his works I have seen, I happen to love "the Tempest," and "Titus Andronicus" as well.
I got to see "Dream" again last night, for the third time, and again, I laughed myself silly.
I remember asking you if you'd ever seen the play, and you said "Many times."
I was just wondering, which of the Bard's plays is your favorite?
Once again, thank you for opening up a new world for me.
Greg responds...
I've answered this before, so you can check the archives for more details, but I don't have one favorite play. I like many, many of them, and even like bits in plays that I don't love entirely. And I'm always open to see a new production of ANY of Shakespeare's works.
But I'm very glad that we were able to inspire a love of Shakespeare in you. It's very gratifying.
Anonymous writes...
How would Batman and Commissioner James Gordon react if someone made a rude, crude sitcom which satires and parodies low income residents of Gotham City who are living in public housing?
Greg responds...
I feel like you're trying to make a point here that I'm missing.
In any case, readers familiar with this site know I'm not too interested in discussing hypotheticals.
smartaxe writes...
Hi Greg,
I hadn't heard much about this version of Queen Bee before watching YJ, but she's definitely intrigued me. I'm based in Egypt at the moment, and the idea of a female dictator in the Middle East is a really interesting one, rife with possibilities.
A couple questions:
1. Is she a Muslim?
2a. How do her powers work? Does she issue commands telepathically, or does she need to speak to someone to control him (or her)?
2b. Am I correct in assuming that her powers are based on sexual attraction to some degree? (ie. does a person need to be attracted to women in order to be susceptable to her control?)
Thanks for your time!
Greg responds...
1. Probably.
2a. It's not a telepathic power. It's chemical.
2b. Yeah.
Anonymous writes...
Does Queen Bee know any combat skills whatsoever because she seems like the easiest villain to beat?
Greg responds...
Her powers and abilities aren't particularly physical. But I wouldn't call her 'easy to beat'. Particularly if you're a heterosexual human male.
Jordan writes...
Hey Greg! Young Justice is amazing, you are doing the best work of your career (long time Gargoyles fan here.)
I know that both the YJ comic book and TV show can be enjoyed on their own (and enjoying them I am!), but I'm wondering if just for the fun of it you've thrown in any subtle nods to the events of the comic book on the air?
Now as for my next 34 questions...Just kidding!
Thanks!
Greg responds...
It's all symbiotic, but keep in mind that the show has a MUCH, MUCH longer lead time than the comic does.
But we've included characters like the Terror Twins in the comic before including them in the show.
no.1 batfan writes...
Let me just say right now that Usual Suspects has become my absolute favorite episode of this show, and not just because of the fantastic fight scenes or the reveal of the mole, but the fact that the team voluntarily revealed their secrets to each other. I especially liked seeing that the longer Miss Martian, Superboy, and Artemis kept their secrets, the worse things got for them, and only by revealing their secrets did things get better for them. My question is what made you and everyone else involved decide to have their secrets revealed to the team in this way, compared to say someone like Cheshire, Queen Bee, or Lex Luthor reveal them?
Greg responds...
This was always our plan. It's almost intentionally anti-climactic. Secrets are a HUGE deal to those keeping them, but often are bigger in a person's mind than they are in reality.
Paul writes...
Since Red Arrow was the mole and appeared to be under mind control (given his confusion at the end of Usual Suspects), was he instructed by the mind control to place Miss Martian under suspicion in Secrets?
If so, does this mean that the tale he supposedly heard about M'gann having stowed away on J'onn's ship was just a lie concocted by Roy?
Greg responds...
1. By now, hopefully, you know the answer.
2. No. That would have been too easy a lie to check. It's true.
Red Robin writes...
I'm a bit curious about Dick Grayson's training prior to becoming Robin. I'm not sure if you're ever planning to do an "origin" type episode for him, so I understand if you can't answer some of these questions due to spoilers. I've also looked through the archive, and I didn't see these questions asked, but if they were I appologies.
1. How long after adopting Dick, did Bruce wait before revealing his identity as Batman? Or did Dick find it out for himself?
2. How long did Bruce train Dick before allowing him to become Robin.
3. Who came up with using a Robin for Dick's hero identity in this continuity? Bruce or Dick or Dick's parents? (In some continuities the Grayson's nicknamed Dick "robin" due to him being born on the first of spring).
4. In the original Young Justice comic, the team were rather resentful towards Robin (Tim Drake) for keeping his identity secret from them, under Batman's orders. Does the animated Young Justice team (with the obvious exception of Wally) feel the same way towards Robin (Dick Grayson)?
Greg responds...
1. NO COMMENT.
2. NO COMMENT.
3. NO COMMENT.
4. It's largely a non-issue.
Niedzwiedz writes...
This is not a question. It is simple statement about Usual Suspects. I' a talkative person - I never shut up. But after the ending of that episode in a group of friends I was silent for a good few minutes. It was not the sleeper agent reveal - which I guessed. It wasn't Red Arrow as mole - I didn't guessed that (to be honest I don't recall anything in particular hinting at him), but I'm paranoid so I considered him. I was silent because of simple fact, how utterly freighting was a scene of taken watchtower. It is quite a common trope among the writers - big guns are mind controlled, weaker heroes have to deal with it. But most of the time I'm not emotionally invested, because even if all logic dictates otherwise, underdogs will somehow win. But I always liked how in Gargoyles and Spectacular you portrait shifting of different powers and long term conflict. I know you will treat it seriously - the Light will not do something incredibly stupid. And for the first time since Dollhouse, I'm concerned with possibility that the good guys (who I grew to like and I'm rooting for), already lost. And simple "Yes. Yes you were" was somehow really disturbing. Sorry to waste your time on comments without questions... but wow. I was concerned that YJ are lost momentum, but I think I have to rewatch everything in 1-2 sittings to get better feel of it. That was one of the best episodes of the series â€" the fact that team acted responsible about their secrets only adds to the value. And the best thing - I will get to watch final episode around midnight of my birthday. It is like bonus gift. Now I just wait for DVDs.
Regards
Niedzwiedz
Greg responds...
Thank you. And never apologize for praising us. We're all praise-whores, believe me.
Derek writes...
Really more a comment than a question. As a reader of this site I prefer a smaller amount of questions per entry anyway. It makes them easier to search if a question has been asked previously about a character or storyline. It also makes the archives more pointed towards a particular topic.
Greg responds...
Agreed.
Jeff writes...
Mr. Weisman,
I absolutely love Young Justice! Thank you for all of your extraordinary work. My questions pertain to "Usual Suspects."
1) During the ambush, the Riddler seemed to imply that its purpose was because the Light wanted to kill the Team or somehow prevent them from continuing to operate. If this were truly the case, why would the Light do this if they thought that they had Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis in their pocket and could utilize them?
2) Did Cheshire intentionally leave the suitcase behind in order for it to be delivered into the League or was it just an accident?
3) What was the Light planning to do with Artemis, Miss Martian, and Superboy at Santa Prisca?
4) I can really relate to Miss Martian as a character. Therefore, I am curious to know if had Aqualad and Superboy not been present when she revealed her true form, then would the rest of the Team have accepted her at that moment? They didn't exactly seem supportive when she revealed it.
Greg responds...
1. I don't think you can believe everything that was said. But if they had killed off a few of the uncompromised members, no one on the Light would have been crying.
2. The former.
3. Test their loyalty, for starters. They all failed.
4. I think so. You need to fairly give them a second or two to process the visual. You'd seen it before. They hadn't. And it's fairly shocking.
jim munro writes...
About the Atlantean in #15 (okay, the preview of #15...)
1. What does it mean?
2. Why is it in Atlantean? Didn't the last issue (and this one too) establish that all speech was in Atlantean and translated into English?
3. Kaldur'ahm's name is spelled "KALDURAM", without the H and without the '. Is the name in a Shayerisian dialect or something?
Greg responds...
1. Kaldur says: "Queen Mera!" Mera says: "Kaldur'ahm! I need you!" Later, Ocean-Master casts a spell in Ancient Atlantean, which basically translates as "Cleanse the Unclean!" Finally, Superboy tries to translate the word "Kryptonian".
2. The style of the lettering indicates what's in actual English, what's translated Atlantean and what's not. Each issue needs to re-set up its parameters. Until page three, what you're seeing in English IS in English, and what you're seeing in Atlantean IS in Atlantean. Then starting on page three, panel two, you can see where we start showing translated Atlantean - as indicated by the caption.
3. And I don't know about the preview, but in the final version I've got sitting open in front of me here, the apostrophe is there in Kaldur'ahm. The 'h' is missing, but in Atlantean, it's implied by the pronunciation. The 'h' only becomes necessary when transliterating the name into English to make sure that it's pronounced correctly - i.e. so that the last syllable rhymes with "calm" as opposed to with 'damn'.
Vertigo writes...
Hi greg
I have noticed Joker has only appeared in one episode and hasn't been mentioned since.Do you guys have a reason for not using him more or was it because (no offense) his poor reception by SOME fans?
Thanks
Greg responds...
It had NOTHING to do with any poor reception by SOME fans. You have to understand that EVERYTHING was set long before ANY episodes aired. Joker - a Batman villain - was only ever slated to appear that one time in the first season. He didn't fit anywhere else.
And we love our version of the Joker. LOVE.
Anonymous writes...
1. Besides being a butler for the Wayne family, what else is known about Alfred’s early life before he became a butler?
2. In the film Batman Begins, there was a line spoken by Rachel Dawes, a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne. I can’t remember the exact words, but I think she said, “It’s not about who we are, but what we do that defines us.†Given what happened on “Usual Suspects,†was the lesson you wanted us to learn from that episode was loosely based on that quote from the movie?
Greg responds...
1. Plenty.
2. It wasn't at all based on the movie quote - which I'd completely forgotten - though the sentiment was similar. (It's not like that's a new lesson in pop culture. For example, Gandalf says a more memorable version - to me, at least - of the same thing to Frodo in "The Fellowship of the Ring".)
Trevor writes...
1. In this article from October 2010 (http://io9.com/5662361/the-creators-of-green-lantern-and-young-justice-drop-major-spoilers-about-dcs-new-tv-shows), it was stated "the villains will however be making their own covert ops young superhero team to counteract Young Justice." What team was the article talking about, the Injustice League, Riddler's team at the start of "Usual Suspects," or was the article in error?
2. In this Ask Greg reply (http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=921), you stated season one's 179 name characters included some who were cut such as Catherine Cobert. Of the number of characters cut, were any of them also characters that have only appeared in the tie-in comic?
3. On November 18, 2011, the master timeline for Young Justice was at 185 pages. How many pages is it at currently?
Greg responds...
1. I honestly don't remember what got said vs. what was written in the article, but I think Brandon and I were referring to stuff we were germinating for Season Two. For example, our take on the Fearsome Five (Psimon, Mammoth, Shimmer, Devastation and Icicle Jr.) did appear in Season Two. And there's more to come.
2. Uh... maybe. I can't remember.
3. It's currently 201 pages long. And I need to update it this week.
Anonymous writes...
You said before that there isn't any recorded, on camera footage of the voice actors for Young Justice. Why did you record behind the scenes stuff for The Spectacular Spider-Man but not for Young Justice?
Greg responds...
The Sony folks recorded stuff and encouraged us to record stuff on Spidey. Then they didn't use any of it.
No one at Warners ever claimed they were going to use that kind of footage, and none was recorded or requested.
I'll leave it to you to decide which scenario is most frustrating.
Harmony writes...
1. Does Kaldur, and by extension Orin, need to keep in regular contact with water, or they'll dry out or get sick or whatever?
2. When Kaldur comes on land and uses his lungs, does it feel normal and natural like when humans use their lungs, or is it harder for him?
Greg responds...
1. Yes, but not like hourly (as in the old days) or anything like that.
2. He uses his lungs under the water too. He just fills them with oxygen manufactured by his gills, not sucked in through his nose or mouth. (Or maybe I'm wrong. I'm not a pseudo-scientist, I just work with pseudo-science on T.V.)
Anonymous writes...
I asked before if Kaldur and Garth hung out at all in between Downtime and Auld Acquaintance, but I also meant to say 'not counting issues 14 and 15 of the companion comic book'. So did they?
Greg responds...
Yes.
Shayaan Karimi writes...
Sorry for the multiple posts, but i didn't want to risk asking too many questions in one post.
1.)Do the team help each other out with schoolwork or compete with grades? Wally's really good with science, but do any of the others have subjects they're really good at?
Thats it, thanks in advance Mr.Weisman!
Greg responds...
I'm sure, they all help when asked. And different kids are good at different subjects, with considerable overlap.
Marvelman writes...
Hi. Someone else requested a video of Jason and Stephanie performing Wally and Artemis. I'd like to second that! They are soooo funny. I realize that it is too late to do this for the season 2 DVD, but do you think it would be possible to produce something like this as a special feature for a season 3 DVD? (Obviously, I am assuming there will be a third season.)
Greg responds...
They don't seem to be putting too many extras on DVDs these days, I'm afraid. In any case, it's not up to me.
Kerry Johnson writes...
Hi again. I'm excited for season 2 and can't wait to see the season finale (in English, I'll admit to spoiling it for myself). Sorry for repeats/dumb questions/clogging up the line wit mass questions (apology for past grievances). Mostly artist quality questions.
1. Do you have any say over the character designs while they're being made, or just the final cut?
2. How long does it take to design a character for a show, and do some people take longer to design than others based on things like gender or if they're a hero or villain?
3. Bourassa's designs for most of the JLA have been carried over into many projects, including Young Justice, so would a design for a villain be carried from another project?
4. I love the designs for everyone on Young Justice, particularly Klarion, the Brain and Queen Bee. The Brain looks so unique from any other version, Queen Bee's outfit looks perfect, and Klarion looks way better than in the DCAU. Hell, he looks kind of sexy to me.
We're both a little disturbed by that last one, aren't we? Keep doing the good work, send by boundless praise to every artist on the show, and I'll seek some clearly needed help.
Greg responds...
1. I have input at every stage.
2. This is more of a question for Phil. I'm sure he'll be thrilled that I'm linking his site: http://philbourassa.deviantart.com/?rnrd=7885
3. Nothing's been 'carried over'. Sometimes, Phil makes a similar choice from a previous project. But every character in YJ was designed for YJ.
4. Will do. Thanks.
Marvelman writes...
Is it possible Young Justice could be continued in the comic book or OAVs if the show is ever cancelled?
Greg responds...
Anything's possible.
HellyeahYJ writes...
Appart from Wolf, does any member of the team have a pet?
Greg responds...
Superboy has two pets: Wolf and Sphere. Miss Martian has Beast Boy: does that count? ;)
BHZ writes...
1-Has Garth ever been to the Surface?
2- Do the Atlanteans know the Amazons, since they share some myths?
I guess half of season 2 will have aired by the time you get to this question,
I hope a season 3 has already been announced!
Greg responds...
1. As of when?
2. Aquaman knows Wonder Woman, at least.
kitty writes...
1- Are you a fan of the x-men and if you are who´s your favourite character,writer and story arc?
Greg responds...
1. I'm a fan of the X-Men, but I haven't read anything recently - except Joss Whedon's run. I loved the original Lee/Kirby stuff, of course, and Roy Thomas' work with various artists, and I was really hooked on the Claremont/Byrne stuff.
Wonderfulakari writes...
So which companies have the greatest profit/influence, Lexcorp, Wayneindustries or what even Ollie runs.
Greg responds...
Ollie has no company - he's always just on this side of being broke - and he would tell you that means HE is winning.
Paul writes...
1) Will there be another pack of cards available at the July comic-on this year, this time with other characters on them like say Hawkman, John Stewart, Blue Beetle etc?
2) On the off chance that the new intro for Young Justice: Invasion is shortened for time by Cartooon Network like they're doing with the season 1intro at the moment, can you let us know the running time of the full Invasion intro please? Is it 20 seconds long?
3) In the time between Downtime and Auld Acquaintance, did Kaldur hang out with Garth at all?
Greg responds...
1. I wish, but no.
2. We never did a long version for Season Two.
3. Yes. (Have you picked up our companion comic?)
Anonymous writes...
1) Did Wonder Girl (Donna Troy) become available for use before "Usual Suspects" was written?
2) If so, why did you decide to make Rocket the 8th member instead?
3) Was Rocket mainly added for ethnic diversity? I know you'e fan of Rocket and Icon as well, but was diversity the main reason?
4a) Any particular reason why you felt that as many as 3 of the Team's members needed to have evil fathers (or an evil donor, in Luthor's case)?
4b) What made you opt to go the 'rough background/from a broken home' route with Artemis when you could have just done so with Aqualad (who is also descended from a criminal)? Doing so would have created more variety in the characters' backgrounds. Apologies if this question comes across as rude, I do like Artemis but I feel that her saga could have been covered by Aqualad (aside from the love interest for Wally bit lol.)
Greg responds...
1. I don't remember the exact date, but she became available AFTER we had already set the entire first season.
2. Rocket was ALWAYS planned to be the NINTH member from day one, which is why we seeded her in a handful of times in earlier episodes.
3. Diversity was a reason, but it was pretty far down on the list. As you mentioned, I always liked Rocket and liked what she could bring to the Team in those last couple episodes.
4a. Honestly, it just worked out that way. We actually de-evil'd Wally's dad back to his pre-Millennium good dad state.
4b. We weren't trying to 'COVER' beats like it's some kind of checklist. We wanted the AQUALAD you've seen on the show, the one with a solid parental childhood who had been one of the big four teen sidekicks. (The fact that we've since learned that he's Black Manta's son, doesn't change the guy you knew in Season One, who believed his father was Calvin Durham.) Likewise, we wanted the ARTEMIS you saw on the series, with the background we gave her. We didn't need and weren't looking to combine these elements into one character to service some pre-ordained needs in as few characters as possible. The whole process is WAY more organic than that.
Tyler Reznik writes...
Hello again, Mr. Weisman. My questions today relate to Ra's al Ghul and the League of Shadows.
1. Has Ra's ever been an assassin himself, or does he merely command them?
2. Did Ra's found the League of Shadows?
3. Whether Ra's founded the group or not, when was the League of Shadows founded?
4. When did Cheshire join the League of Shadows?
5. You've identified Talia's mother as a woman named Melisande. Was/is she also Ra's' wife?
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, and those of many others. It is much appreciated.
Greg responds...
1. He's killed people, if that's what you're asking.
2. Yes.
3. I haven't pinpointed a date, but it was a long time ago.
4. SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.
5. Yes.
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