Young Justice, Vol. 1 (A Madman Re-Read)

Cartoon Network's Young Justice. Has there been a better animated series based on the DC Universe in the past 15 years? Loosely based on the Peter David led comic series from 1998, the show was a natural progression of the Batman: The Animated Series universe of shows. The artwork was different. But in terms of the quality of stories involving not just DC's A-level tiered heroes but really obscure characters like Lagoon Boy and Queen Bee, Young Justice could not be beat. 

When a comic adaptation is based on a cartoon these days, the formula now is to swipe images from the TV show directly, add word bubbles and present it as a comic. When I encounter books such as this, I feel gypped. Mostly, because I've already encountered these stories prior. To not use original artwork felt even more like an insult to readers expecting all-new material. True, a series like Young Justice which is comprised less of one-and-done stories and instead serialized over the whole season, is harder to turn into a comic book without spoiling the TV show. Yet, I think Art Franco and Baltazar did an amazing job keeping continuity without ruining the show or feeling like I had already seen the material before!

So why did I read this book again? Well, when I read it in 2017, I didn't own the book. Instead, I got it at my local library and, of course had to return it. By finding it again for a good deal, I was compelled to give it another read. 7 years and the quality just hasn't changed one bit. 

Artwork that looked like the show without being direct rips from the screen. Great stories that capture the spirit of the show without feeling like watching a paper repeat. Now if only I could find the remaining 3 volumes (or 24 some odd issues) to get the whole story. Unfortunately, my library only has volume 1 and it's darn near impossible to find floppies in good condition for the cheap.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.