Alex (or Aldrius) writes...

Arc 2 of YJ ramble:

So I think Artemis's arc is the (very general) consensus for "favourite arc" and I think that has a lot to do with the fact that it's a fairly grounded arc which focuses largely on the The Team (tm) as it exists now, and focuses on a Light scheme, which is very sort of classic and familiar for this show.

One thing I want to mention structurally is how this episode has A, B, C and D plots. But unlike a traditional TV structure where we sort of dip into these plots inbetween one another, all four of these plots are happening at the same time in the same scenes. Let's say the four plots are Artemis/Onyx/Cassanda (Savage, henceforth known as Savage), the Artemis/Cheshire story, then Barbara/Cassandra (Cain, henceforth known as Cain), then Lady Shiva/Cain. All of which are all kind of taking place in the same spaces with the same narrative line. I think this structure is cool, I think it's kinda new, and I really like seeing new things and not just the same structure every time. But I think it was also a bit messy unfortunately. There's a lot of emotional payoffs in this arc, and they work *well*, they were good for sure but I wanted to be blown away by them.

I think it's cool and unique, but I also found it a bit overwhelming because it made it harder to kind of parse things (which for me was a recurring problem this season). It's harder to kind of get at the core or the heart of the story when there's four stories going on at once. Effectively it *feels* like the Cheshire/Artemis stuff should kind of be the core of things, but there's so much going on at once it's kind of hard to be as impacted emotionally. It was interesting to see the tone and presentation of the season 1 scenes contrasted with the season 4 stuff. I'm not sure the additional scenes added much necessarily, but there was some cool stuff to see. It added detail (and stuff like Jade giving Artemis a small piece of their Vietnamese heritage was nice) but I'm not sure if it added meaning? Does that distinction make sense?

I do kinda feel like this story could have been a 3 episode arc maybe, or at least a little tighter, a little more focused. There's a big dramatic battle between Shiva and Cain at the end of episode 3, but that's not really even the stories' climax, and I feel like I've never really had a chance to get to know either of these characters, so while the fight itself was awesome, and I like a lot of the concepts here I wish it had come together in a bigger way. I mentioned this in my arc 1 ramble; where I feel like delineating these stories and making them into more separate full stories somehow might have worked better. We wouldn't be dealing with Onyx, Cheshire, Artemis, Cain and Barbara all in one scene together, and this Cain-Shiva story could have had a bit more breathing room.

That's just my opinion, though. To be clear. I recognize that for sure.

Cheshire in particular, I felt like her characterization wasn't quite as strong here as it has been in past seasons. She's obviously a very damaged person, but she usually doesn't let that show in quite the same way she did here. The scenes are a bit wordier, there's more explanations for things. Which is all very necessary when these storylines are happening in the way they are. I don't wanna sound like I'm just ragging on stuff either, so I will say, I still love Kelly Hu, I love her design, and I loved the way she interacted with the other league assassins (her former team) if anything I wish there was more of that and that was a bigger part of the story. I think that was the main thing I missed with Cheshire here, was the sassiness, she was a little too melancholic for my taste. Still enjoyed the character a lot, though.

One thing I think I maybe missed was why did Barbara take such an interest in Cain/Orphan? Considering the wound she took for the sake of Cain's... soul, basically. It just seemed like a bold move for a girl she doesn't seem to know. I'm smart enough to understand that it's entirely possible Barbara and the league and whoever had a file on Cain, and Barbara felt sorry for her, or felt that she could be something else and that doesn't need to necessarily be spelled out, but it sort of felt like there was something missing there maybe.

I LOVE the new take on the Oracle story, though. Which I've never particularly liked (always seemed too sensational), and I like that Barbara lost her legs doing something heroic in the line of duty, rather than just being another Joker victim. And I really loved the connection between Oracle and Orphan.

Also speaking of the Joker, I thought this characterization was a lot stronger than the one from season 1. The Joker was funnier, but he also seemed more deranged. Bigger energy, which I think is always a better direction to take the Joker in. At the end of the day he is a clown. Leave 'em laughing.

As always the logistical aspects of the plot are *immaculate* and I think the skill with which Greg writes these caper plots is so underappreciated. The detail of Onyx creating confusion which made Savage less suspicious was something I picked up on immediately. (Basically the question goes from being "IS Cassandra Savage a spy?" to "Is Cassandra Savage OR Onyx *the* spy?") And so I felt very smart when Shiva mentioned it later in the arc. The glamour charm aspect was also very cool. I didn't REALLY believe that Cassandra Savage was punished by her father; Vandal is just too practical to make someone less capable. Too wasteful.

Also Artemis's characterization here is cool. I love that she's just got... a boyfriend. A nice guy she met. No star crossed romance, no repressed passion coming out as bickering. He's just a nice guy, and she's not sure she wants her sister to meet him yet. I love the normalcy of it. It's also just nice to see her moving on from Wally.

The whole conclusion on Infinity Island was interesting. Onyx felt a bit out of place just because again there was so much going on, but the themes of tradition, doing better, generational trauma stuff, that was all great.

I've never been too clear on this version of Ra's Al Ghul. Traditionally Ra's is either an environmental extremist, an anti-crime extremist or an anarchist extremist, or all of the above. But none of those seem to really fit this version of Ra's, who worked with the Light, and cooperated with an oppressive dictator and a technocratic businessman (both of whom seem like they SHOULD be ideological opposites to Ra's, but that's hardly a given I suppose, especially given that the Light is aware of the intergalactic community at large).

So I just don't know if I really understand what this version at least of Ra's is all about. He's usually a voice of reason in the big Light scenes. I kinda wish I understood more about him, I suppose, but there is just so much to cover so maybe that's unfair.

But all that is to say, is that what worked for me about this arc works *really* well. It's not necessarily *my* favourite of the season, I think it was really strong and fittingly nostalgic.

Suzie writes...

What’s your favourite storyline focusing on Conner and M'gann's relationship from each season?
Season 1 - The Beginning
Season 2 - The Break Up
Season 3 - Engagement
Season 4 - Marriage/Seperation
Which is your favourite and why do you like it. Supermartian is my OTP of Young Justice and I love their romance, but I would love to know what is your favourite storyline. Thank you for giving me one of my all time favourite couples EVER!!!!

Hafiz writes...

What is Kru-El's exact relationship to Superman and What's his story?

Steven writes...

In #20 of the young justice comics did mgann established a mind link with Marie

Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman,

Out of curiosity, in the Earth-16 universe, is Superman's belief in the existence of Santa Claus about the same level as that of his DCAU (Earth-12) counterpart?

Anonymous writes...

When you say religion is a part of many people's lives, and that's why you decided to put it in the show (young justice), I really disagree. I wouldn't object if that was all, but I think you went too far by showing actual prayers being recited like we were in church.
For example, sex is part of many people's lives (right ?) but you can talk about it without showing people doing it.
Why going into extreme with religion ? Why not simply put a symbol hanging at some character's neck and have him or her say : I'm muslim or I'm catholic and I like it?

Anonymous writes...

I thought you had owned up to the mistakes you made with Halo…isn’t that why you hired MPAC in the first place, because you noticed the fan backlash and realized you needed to do better moving forward? Why are you all of a sudden doubling down on the bad choices you made and refusing to take accountability?

Anonymous writes...

How old were M'gann's parents when they first met?
What year did they get married?

Anonymous writes...

Hello Greg, I have a few questions regarding the designations in the show.

1. Is there a specific person who updates all the designations in the JL computer? We learnt from S3 that Dick created the G series designation by hacking the Justice League computer, so does that mean everyone who has access to the JL Computer is able to update and create new designations or are only a select few allowed to do so?
1b. If so, who are able to do so if you are willing to list them?

Questions regarding the designation series created in S3:
2. Was there a reason Dick Grayson decided to use the letter G for his team’s designation?

3. Was there a reason Batman decided to use the letter Z for his team’s designation?

Verdragon writes...

So what was the Manhattan Clan's reaction to seeing 4th of July or New Years' fireworks for the first time after reawakening from their thousand year slumber? I'd imagine it'd be pretty jarring for them to bust out of their stone forms at sunset to find the sky full of loud bursts of bright colors.

Suzie writes...

With all the time travel plots you've done where a hero from the future travels to the past to prevent a disaster/tragedy have you ever thought about what if one of our heroes traveled to the future?

Anonymous writes...

1. What is Ice’s real name?
2. What is Metamorpho’s real name?
3. What is Hardware’s real name?
4. Is Ray Palmer’s full name Raymond Palmer?

Fellipe writes...

In Young Justice Outsiders, are Bart Allen and Eduardo dating?

Secret writes...

Aside from Lucas and Icicle Jr who else cried during the wedding because M'gann and Conner's vows were ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL?!?!? Did anyone from the original team cry!!! IT WAS THE BEST WEDDING EVER!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!

Anonymous writes...

In the first season the Watchtower was more brighter, but why after season 1 the lightning becomes more darker?

Anonymous writes...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but to kill Vandal, it would suffice to put him an inhibitor collar and to kill him right after that (which any speedster could do in seconds).
And same question for the new gods, can they immortality be removed with a collar too ? Or does it just work on some species (meta-humans, kryptonians, martians...) and not on others ?
Thank you !

Anonymous writes...

Hello Greg, I have been a big fan of the show since it first came out but I had two questions about M’gann and Connors wedding.

1) Why was Mal wearing the Guardian costume when everyone at the wedding knows his secret identity and not just wearing a tux.

2) Why was Mal, Wendy and Marvin sitting in the last row on the bride side instead sitting closer to the front since they have known each other for as long as 10 years compared to other heroes that they know.

Dylan writes...

Hey Greg, first off I just wanted to say you and the YJ team kicked it out of the ballpark with phantoms. But I was curious, since Krypton was significantly more technologically advanced than Earth (before its destruction) what with them being interstellar and inventing the phantom zone projector, did the Kryptonians employ a zeta network?
After all Earth was able to create one with significantly less advanced technology and the only feasible in-universe alternative is boom tubes, which are restricted to New Genesis, Apokolips and their allies (since you need a mother/father box for).

Matt Itelson writes...

Been meaning to ask: how'd you cast Quei Tann as Fury?

Aprotny writes...

Hi Greg!
Thank you for continuing to answer our questions. I never thought a Season would surpass my love of Season One, but Season Four is now tied with it! It was so good.
My questions are related to the Magic School Bus.
1) does it have a name besides Magic School Bus?
2) what do you think the kids who were stuck in it thought when they saw it on tv in the Metropolis battle?
3) Did the Trolowags give it sentience, or is it just a flying school bus that had previously traveled through time now?
4) (not related to school bus) you’ve previously said you planned through Season 5 as of Season 1. At some point, I believe you said you’d planned through Season 7. How many seasons have you planned at this point?

Thank you for you and your entire team’s hard work at pumping out this product. Season four’s representation had me gushing and recommending it to everyone. I’m really looking forward to the tie in comics when they arrive in comic stores near me! (They’ll probably be out by the time you answer this)

Anonymous writes...

boggles my mind how you get multiple muslim women telling you they were personally offended by halo and you have the audacity to argue with them that you know better. you, the man who didn’t even realize there was an issue with killing a woc graphically over and over, thinks he knows more about media representation than an actual muslim woman? oh wait, one woman said it was ok. with that logic, because trump has some black supporters, he can’t be racist.

Suzie writes...

1. What year did Barbara and Jason start dating?
2. What year did they break up?
3. Since Barbara got back with her ex was Jason referring to Dick?

Mar writes...

Considering that Raquel was one of M'gann's bridesmaids, and that Amistad was there, is there any reason why Noble didn't attend Conner and M'gann's wedding?

Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman,

I made a mistake in an earlier posting in regards to asking about a Freddy Freeman's full name in the Earth-16 universe. Here is the correct version of the question: Is his full name Frederick Christopher "Freddy" Freeman?

Dmoney writes...

Since the Red hooded ninja is Jason Todd what impact will he have and would that impact the Bat family

Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman,

As of the time of this posting, it has been revealed on the internet that a new DC Comics character will be introduced in the third issue of "Dark Crisis." Nothing is currently known about this character other than the fact is that her codename is "Red Canary." It has been speculated that the secret identity of this character is likely Cynthia "Sin" Lance, a character from the pre-Flashpoint DC Comics continuity (New Earth) who was adopted by Black Canary; but nothing has been officially confirmed at this point in time. My question to you is if you will ever consider eventually introducing the Earth-16 version of Red Canary; depending if her character is good/impressionable enough in the comics...?

Paul writes...

Hi Greg!

You've previously revealed that Wonder Girl joined the Team in October of Team Year Five. Which month of Team Year Five did Tempest/Garth leave the Team?

Anonymous writes...

1. If you don’t like to be “told what to do” then why did you even seek out mpac in season 4? Just to have them validate you so the fanbase would back off? What if they hadn’t been on board with what you’d planned for Halo, would you have changed it or did what you wanted to do anyway?
2. Do you truly believe just because you’re doing sci-fi that your show is incapable of falling into stereotypes? Have you heard of the non-human non-binary trope? Pretty much exclusive to sci or fantasy.
3. Do you not care that many of your Muslim female fans felt like the reveal that Gabrielle was dead the whole time was a slap in the face to those who thought they’d finally gotten a superhero that looks like them? Do you even know what that feels like?
4. Do you understand that there are multiple white heroes, and thus some of them being aliens is not really a big deal, whereas there are no other Arab hijabi heroes besides Halo, and that’s what makes it a problem? Also, don’t you think her being a dead body is a little different than Superman being an alien?

Anonymous writes...

Why did Lobo kill his clone?

Matt Itelson writes...

Do you have a favorite Justice Kid from Young Justice: Phantoms?

Jonny Kent
Damian
Lian Harper
Amistad Ervin
Artur

Steve Hockensmith writes...

Who's your favorite Young Justice main antagonist?

Season 1- Vandal Savage
Season 2- Black Beetle
Season 3- Granny Goodness
Season 4- General Zod

Anonymous writes...

Was the decision to make Kaldur'ahm queer in any way inspired by Phil Jimenez coming out about his relationship with Neal Pozner in his dedication to him at the end of his Tempest miniseries?

Anonymous writes...

Why do you think youre qualified to write about things like race religion and sexuality when youre very obviously not informed about any of those topics? You dont even seem to understand the basic concept of why certain tropes are harmful

Eds17 writes...

1. Is Madame Xanadu a sorceress like Zatanna?

2. Is 'Nimue Inwudu' her real name or another alias. I ask because in the comics she is the Nimue from Athurian Legend.

3. Can Zatanna do the same things as Madame Xanadu?

4. I thought Khalid, Traci and Mary each having their own niche when using magic was interesting but kind of sprawling. Do they all have the potential to do the same kinds of magic?

5. Does heaven and he'll exist or is it more of a 'overworld' and 'underworld' situation.

Anonymous writes...

1. What happened to Bio-Ship after the wedding? Did she go back to Mars to finally live out her retirement?
2. Why did Bio-Ship decide to retire and is it part of her lifespan? Does this mean her decision to retire also mean that her life is nearing its end?

Anonymous writes...

Aside from Supermartian have any of the other YJ romances ever break up during the time skip like Mal and Karen or Dick and Barbara?

Buket_478 writes...

Hello Mr. Weisman
I'm a big fan of the Young Justice show and enjoyed watching the first two seasons of the show.Season 4 was much better than season 3. I'm so glad Miss Martian and Superboy got married. It's nice to see the original team members in the foreground. I'm so glad to see Zatanna and Rocket in particular.
Only the most disturbing thing in Young Justice was that Violet and Harper were together. Like all the other followers, I also find the Violet and Harper relationship wrong in terms of Islam.
But maybe you have heard such a comment before, but I still want to express my opinion. There are those who find the Violet and Brion relationship wrong because although Violet wasn't her choice, she was resurrected in this deceased teenage girl's body and was technically a newborn, just learning about emotions and being human.For Brion, the situation was even worse and traumatic. His sister was kidnapped, his family died, and he was expelled by his twin brother, the king of the country for which he sacrificed everything.Violet and Brion relationship seems rushed and wrong in that respect but in a way I found watching Violet and Brion relationship more real, intimate and romantic and although most people don't respect each other's opinions these days, Brion respects Violet and was really nice. I hope Brion and Violet They get back together like Superboy and Miss Martian.Harper Row is a member of the already known Batman family and it would probably be nice to see her as Bluebird if she came out in season 5 but I didn't like the Harper Row done by Young Justice and frankly, in season 3 episode 18, even though Violet said she had a boyfriend, Harper kissed her and Frankly, this Harper left a bad impression.These days, people change, evolve, so do people's minds so I don't know how people in the world view relationships in general but I don't think you can kiss someone who says they're having an affair and this show rewards Harper by bringing Harper and Violet together and makes cheating seem so normal But cheating is not a good thing if the relationship between Violet and Harper was made to support LGBT, I think there are LGBT relationships in this show already. Violet and Harper's relationship seems very strained.
Although this is an imaginary series, you have made it realistic enough to criticize it, especially by talking about religious issues with this season 4 and making it according to adults with the third season. Of course, it's a matter of preference whether to watch it or not. I'm sorry, Mr. Weisman, but when you put on a show that appeals to everyone, you have to respect people's thoughts and opinions because no matter how much the show has sprung from your imagination and the work of your teammates, the show has to be watched and demanded by people to keep it going.
By the way, English is not my native language. I used translate to write. I apologize if there was a mistake.

Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg, I think it's so cool you voice the characters Lucas Carr and Ultra-Humanite on YJ!

1) Are they among your most favorite/most interesting characters from the DC Universe?

2) As a producer, did you feel you could choose to voice a character and be directly involved in the show?

3) As Lucas Carr, did you want to act as a guide for the heroes and comment on behalf of the fandom sometimes?

4) As Ultra-Humanite, I know his voice sounds a little different from your voice, did you make some adjustments through technology or could you do it yourself?

Dawson writes...

I'm going to ask 3 questions and the latter two have nothing to do with but I just want your opinion:
1. When are Starfire and Raven gonna show up?
2. What do you think of "The Boys"?
3. what do you think of "Invincible?"

Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman,

Are the following relationships listed below correct in the Earth-16 universe?

Yuga Khan (real name Zonuz) (Darkseid's father)
Heggra (Darkseid's mother)
Darkseid (real name Uxas)
Suli (Darkseid's 1st wife, Kalibak's mother)
Kalibak (Darkseid's 1st son)
Tigra (Darkseid's 2nd wife, Orion's mother)
Orion (Darkseid's 2nd son)
Unnamed woman (Darkseid's 3rd wife, Grayven's mother)
Grayven (Darskeid's 3rd son)

Please note that I did NOT include Darkseid's possible relationships with the Earth-16 versions of Highfather and Highmother because there have been multiple continuity changes in the mainstream DC Comics universe since the beginning of the New 52 up to the present.

Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman,

In the Earth-16 universe, Kalibak, Grayven, and Orion are paternal half-brothers due to them having the same father (Darkseid), correct?

Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman,

I made a mistake in a previous posting in regards to one of my questions; here is the correct version of that question:

Is the full name of Dick Grayson's father John Frederick Grayson?

Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman,

1. In the comics, there two different versions for the full name of Dick Grayson's mother prior to her being married to Dick Grayson's father (John Grayson):

A. In pre-Flashpoint DC Comics continuity (New Earth), her full name is Mary Elizabeth Loyd.

B. In post-Flashpoint DC Comics continuity, her full name is Marie Lloyd.

Which full name is the correct version in the Earth-16 universe?

2. Is the full name of Dick Grayson's father John Fredrick Grayson?

Anonymous writes...

Mr. Weisman,

I may be out of line by making this suggestion to you, but whatever Season 5 storyline you have planned for Mary Bromfield, I honestly don't think that she should be redeemed so easily by the end of that season, and that she should be shown refusing to take responsibility for whatever wrongs she commits as Black Mary and should instead continue to blame those whom she feels have "wronged/betrayed" her even after she is stopped/defeated. If you do it this way, it would make her situation similar/parallel to that of the Gargoyles characters Demona and Jon Canmore/John Castaway.

Suzie writes...

How has it been for Conner since he was finally freed from the Phantom Zone and returned home. Obviously it might not be so easy. Yes he is back with his friends and family and more importantly M'gann and they are finally married, but he has got to be struggling. How has it been for him to be reajusting being back home, back with the Outsiders and all the changes that have occurred during the 6 months he was trapped? Is he getting therapy from Black Canary? Is he talking to M'gann about what he went through? Plus his job and just everything. It's a big adjustment I can't even imagine what he's going through.

Marvelman writes...

I'm glad Icicle Jr. was at the wedding. It wouldn't have been the same without him, but it does raise some questions. Clark Kent was Connor's best man. Anybody with a half a brain is going to figure out that Clark Kent is Superman. Is that what the Connor was counting on? That Cameron is just too dumb to make the connection? Or, did he just not care? Or, is it for some other reason?

Anonymous writes...

When Green Arrow "blindsided" Kaldur and resigned from the Justice League, Black Canary was upset by his decision of leaving her in the dark. Did both heroes ever make up after he and Batman Inc. rejoined the League?

Hmm writes...

Blake you know you'll have your answer in a year right ?

Blake writes...

Hi Greg I'm currently working on a new and upcoming animated series project about a vigilante/anti-hero but I have a bit of a problem which is how can I write an original origin story that hasn't been done before?

How can I write good and effective dialogue for my characters for my new and upcoming animated series project of mine?

Anonymous writes...

1. What did Martian Manhunter think when he learned Miss Martian was abusing her powers?
2. Did Miss Martian receive any sort of formal punishment from the Justice League or the Team when they discovered she was abusing her powers?
3. Does everyone (Justice League, Team and Outsiders) know the truth about why Miss Martian and Superboy were broken up in season 2 or do only their closest friends like the original team as well as family know the truth about what happened between them?
4. In Alienated after witnessing what she did tp the Kroletean, did Batman and Martian Manhunter begin to suspect Miss Martian was abusing and if so why didn't either of them confront her about it before leaving for Rimbor?