Review: Young Justice "Independence Day" & "Fireworks"

Well, there's a lot to talk about from these two episodes, so let's do it in order.

Characters

Justice Leaguers
The Justice Leaguers are exactly what you'd expect, which makes it easy for the show to introduce them quickly. First and foremost, they're professional. They take their job seriously, and they're overall reluctant to admit the sidekicks into the League proper. This makes sense, as their youngs wards are their responsibility. They don't want their sidekicks in life-threatening situations unless they're absolutely ready. And the kids needed to prove that they were, snatching that chance at the first opportunity. Except for...

Speedy
Yep, Speedy ragequit. It makes sense. He appears to be the oldest, so he'd have the most to prove. Besides, he's probably got some pent up range from having to wear that doofy hat. We'll get a better grasp on this bitter character in later episodes.

Robin
He's the quintessential Robin. The cheerful foil to Batman's grimdark,  Robin injects some youthful energy and tech savvy into the team dynamic. His genuine cheer is similar to, but different from...

Kid Flash
...who's a bit more snarky, sarcastic, skirt-chasing. Robin's youthful exuberance, Kid Flash embodies hyperactivity and the extroverted need to cover up insecurity. He's probably the most powerful member of the team, what with his superspeed abilities. Coming in a close second is...

Aqualad
This version, Khaldur'ahm, was invented specifically for this show, but was adapted into the comics in Geoff Johns' Brightest Day event. He's cool, calm, collected, and can create weapons out of water. He seems like a natural team leader, which is to be expected by someone trained by the king of Atlantis. He certainly has the most experience fighting. Without that, he'd soon be overshadowed by...

Superboy
Angry at the world, but understandably so. While some don't like the angry Superboy, it does make sense for the character at this point in his life. All his life (which is only a few weeks), he's been a slave of the will of others. Thanks to the sidekicks, he refuses to take orders ever again. Not from his friends, his enemies, and not even from Batman.

All of these characters (and more) will be fleshed out over the course of the series, but this two-parter establishes them quickly in their respective beginning segments, and hits the ground running.

Plot
Simple and straightforward, and yet it builds up so much. We see the sidekicks in their element, then out of it as they investigate a case they're not supposed to. We run into numerous characters along the way, and they're all introduced organically from the plot.

The whole Genomorph plight is hit or miss. If you don't care about these freaks of science, then the episode loses some punch. Luckily, the character interactions and the sidekicks' plot is exciting, tense, and quite enjoyable.

Animation
Amazing. 'Nuff said. But if I had to say more, I'd say that it kept the spirit of the DCAU while improving definition, detail, and personalized each character design very well. For example, Robin's costume was redesigned with movement in mind, while Kid Flash got impact padding.

Final Thoughts
A great start. The heroes and the villains are set up well, the story is engaging, funny, and tense, and it's an excellent first chapter to the Young Justice epic. Every single episode after this one is influenced by these events. All in all, an excellent start to an excellent series. I look forward to Recapping and Reviewing more!

On a more personal note, thank you all for staying with me for this long! 25,000 views. Wow. I literally could not have done it with out you all. I'll see you all here for 50,000!