Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Young Justice Blu-ray Movie Review

Don't be so quick to dismiss young heroes...

DC has yet to claim the Connected Cinematic Universe crown from Marvel, yet remains the reigning king of animated productions. Its animated series and films are only now beginning to converge, but each television show and original movie, for better or worse, has exceled at creating a smartly crafted, fully realized DC universe all its own. Which brings us to Young Justice (2010-13), a terrific two-season series that had it all. Great characters, thrilling superheroics, sharp writing and surprises in every episode. Its failing wasn't even its own. That failing falls on the shoulders of Cartoon Network, which unceremoniously cancelled the show in its prime, officially citing... no specific reason for abruptly offing its lovingly animated comic-born crowd pleaser. Low ratings? Budgetary challenges? Scheduling conflicts? Newer, better series on the horizon? DC's fault? CN's shortsightedness? No. Yes. Maybe? What we do know is that one minute Young Justice was fighting the good fight; the next minute it was being shuffled off to CN's animated graveyard, much to the dismay of its all-ages audience.

That doesn't mean Young Justice is dead and gone, though. While its bold, lineup-changing second season (Invasion) lays the groundwork for storylines and subplots that were never resolved or brought to fruition, the series has found life on DVD and now Blu-ray (courtesy of Warner Archive), expanding its fanbase despite the fact that there's no hope of CN or Warner Animation producing further episodes. (Plans for a proposed third season via Kickstarter were summarily rejected.) But what exists still exists, and there's no reason to avoid Young Justice simply because it doesn't offer a proper ending. Comicbook characters are perpetually being re-adapted and reimagined for various projects. One of the joys of a DC animated series, cancelled or no, is watching its creators work, delivering action, team-ups, cameos and high concept adventure that has yet to be embraced in the DC Cinematic Universe. The sky's the limit in DC's animated properties, and Young Justice takes full advantage of the DCU sandbox, focusing on a ragtag band of emotionally complex young crime fighters who are every bit as interesting, engaging and, yep, iconic as the adult heroes they're working so hard to impress and emulate.

• Independence Day: Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash are invited to join the Justice League, but soon discover they are to be treated as junior members. When the League leaves to handle a major threat to the Earth, the three teenagers decide to investigate a fire at Cadmus Laboratories... and discover a conspiracy to create a clone of Superman.
• Fireworks: After their capture by Cadmus security forces, Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash have only one hope of escape: the mysterious Superman clone, which must choose his loyalties.
• Welcome to Happy Harbor: Speedy refuses to join the team, causing the others to question whether the League takes them seriously. The emergence of a new villain, Mr. Twister, forces them to band together and determine if they can work together... while trying to survive.
• Drop-Zone: Batman sends the Young Justice team to a Caribbean island to discover why shipments of an illegal drug, Venom, have halted. The team discovers that the drug's creator, Bane, has been defeated by Kobra and his cult of followers. Kobra is planning to create a superior version of Venom, and the team must discover who he plans to sell it to, and stop both villains.
• Schooled: Angry over Superman's continuing rejection of him, Superboy refuses to train with the team. When Young Justice accompany android parts across the country, the parts are stolen and Superboy goes off on his own to recover them... and faces the Justice League's most powerful opponent.
• Infiltrator: Green Arrow has his niece, Artemis, join Young Justice. The team has to learn to accept their new teammate in short order, as the League of Shadows launch an assault with a nanotech Fog capable of stealing high-tech data files. To stop Serling from developing a counteragent, the Shadows send their top assassin, Cheshire, to kill the scientist.
• Denial: The team volunteers to help track down Kent Nelson, the guardian of the Helm of Fate. They discover that two villainous sorcerers have abducted Nelson and plan to use him to enter the Tower of Fate and steal the Helm. The ultimate struggle comes down to Kid Flash... who doesn't believe in magic.
• Downtime: While the rest of Young Justice enjoys some well-deserved downtime, Aqualad returns to Atlantis to consider whether to continue as team leader or pursue his personal affairs... while a supervillain launches an attack on the underwater city.
• Bereft: Young Justice finds themselves stranded in the Bialyan desert with no memory of the last six months of their lives, or of each other. Miss Martian is the only one who can telepathically locate her teammates and restore their memories, and discover what their mission really was.
• Targets: In Taipei, Red Arrow attempts to prevent the League of Shadows from disrupting a peace conference. When he gets in over his head, he calls in Aqualad for assistance. Meanwhile, Superboy and Miss Martian have their first day of high school.
• Terrors: To determine who is bringing a group of ice-based villains together in one place, Batman has Miss Martian and Superboy go undercover at Belle Reve Penitentiary, posing as twin teen villains, to find out what's going on.
• Homefront: Robin and Artemis are forced to save their super-powered teammates when two attackers launch an assault on Mount Justice.
• Alpha Males: Young Justice fractures from within when they learn that Aqualad held back the knowledge that someone on the team was a mole. While they deal with their internal issues, the teen heroes are put under the supervision of Captain Marvel and sent to India to deal with an outbreak of animal attacks.
• Revelation: The Injustice League attacks cities across the world with giant plants and demands $10 billion to stop. While the Justice League attacks the plants and distracts the villains, Batman sends Young Justice in to stop the command signal being sent from the villains' headquarters.
• Humanity: Young Justice finally decides to ignore the League's orders and track down their mentor, Red Tornado, to determine whether he is truly a traitor or not. They get an assist from Zatanna, a teenage sorceress and daughter of a League member.
• Failsafe: When an alien armada attacks Earth and wipes out the Justice League, only Young Justice stands between the planet and annihilation.
• Disordered: While the team deals with the aftermath of Miss Martian's telepathic attack, Superboy goes out with Sphere and finds its original owners: the Forever People of New Genesis, who want their technology back.
• Secrets: While the team deals with the aftermath of Miss Martian's telepathic attack, Superboy goes out with Sphere and finds its original owners: the Forever People of New Genesis, who want their technology back.
• Misplaced: Everyone on Earth age 18 or older disappears, leaving Young Justice to try and deal with the worldwide chaos and find the source of the magic spell responsible. Meanwhile... the Justice League tries to cope with a world where everyone younger than 18 has disappeared, deal with the worldwide chaos, and find the source of the magic spell responsible.
• Coldhearted: On his birthday, Kid Flash looks forward to celebrating with his friends, getting a kiss from Miss Martian, and going on the team's first mission with the Justice League. However, he finds himself sidelined on a mission to deliver a donor heart, only to discover that a super-villain intends to see that Kid Flash fails in his delivery.
• Image: On a mission to Qurac, Miss Martian must face her greatest fear when the villainous Psimon telepathically forces her reveal her true form.
• Agendas: While the Justice League votes on new members, Superboy is approached by Lex Luthor to investigate Cadmus and determine what has happened to missing genomorphs. However, Superboy soon discovers something far more sinister is going on.
• Insecurity: Red Arrow joins Young Justice, putting Artemis on the defensive given her history. When the team goes on a mission to track down Sportsmaster, her lack of confidence undermines the team's efforts.
• Performance: Robin takes the team on a personal mission to clear a circus owner of charges made against him when his circus appears in towns where technology has been stolen. Meanwhile, Red Arrow tries to identify the mole within the team and Superboy continues to use the power enhancers given to him by his biological father, Lex Luthor.
• Usual Suspects: While the Justice League inducts its newest members, Young Justice trails Cheshire to reacquire the missing briefcase... and learns exactly who the moles in their team are.
• Auld Acquaintance: Young Justice learns the true identity of the mole and must battle the Justice League itself when Vandal Savage and Klarion the Witch Boy make their move.

Young Justice Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Like other Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray releases of DC animated series, Young Justice's Season One and Season Two BD collections (dubbed Young Justice and Young Justice: Invasion) feature strong 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentations with only the smallest of issues; namely minor banding and infrequent pixilation, both of which trace back to the original animation. Neither proves to be a serious distraction, even with an abundance of night missions and shadowy adventures, and each one actually makes fewer appearances than in other DCU animated movies and series. Moreover, each presentation boast burst after burst of vibrant color, able-bodied primaries, inky black levels and striking contrast. (Even with the series' palette being on the dark end of the DCU spectrum.) Detail is excellent as well, with crisp line art that's free of ringing. Integrated CG elements -- vehicles, space ships, magical hexes, and other computer generated touches -- are used sparingly but are still prone to slight aliasing, as are the finest lines, but none of it becomes problematic and all of it, again, is a part of the original animation. Bottom line, both seasons of Young Justice look as good as they conceivably could. Fans will be more than pleased with the results.

Young Justice Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Both seasons of Young Justice offer a solid DTS-HD Master Audio stereo track. Six-channel 5.1 mixes would have been better suited to the comicbook action and thrills, no doubt, but the lack of low-end and rear speaker support doesn't spoil everything the series' sound design gets right. Dialogue is clear, intelligible and perfectly prioritized, effects and explosions make a decidedly decent impact, and music is balanced nicely with the rest of the soundscape. Remarkable? No, but underwhelming? Not at all.

Young Justice Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Like other WAC releases of DC animated television series, the 2-disc Blu-ray edition of Young Justice: Season One doesn't include any special features.

Young Justice Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Young Justice died an untimely death, but while it lived, what a show it was. It wasn't perfect, but like the best DCU animated series it knows its characters, knows its universe, and knows what makes both work. Exciting, entertaining and unexpectedly dramatic, it combines storytelling prowess with impressive animation that shouldn't be dismissed. Heroes like Superman and Batman may only be minor supporting characters, but with leads like Superboy, Robin and the rest of the team, it hardly matters. Thankfully, Warner's Blu-ray releases of Season One and Season Two (Invasion) aren't disappointing in the least. There aren't any special features, but strong AV presentations make it easy to add Young Justice to your collection.