WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the first five episodes of Young Justice: Phantoms, streaming now on HBO Max.
Empathizing with characters is what can make a show a transcendent experience, and Young Justice proves that more than most superhero cartoons. While Young Justice has plenty of deep cut DC lore, heart-pumping action and cool one-liners, the real strength of the show is in the emotional resonance of its characters.
Its latest episode delves into the heart-wrenching grief of Artemis Crock, the hero known as Tigress who already lost the love of her life, Wally West. In the wake of Superboy's death, she goes through the grieving process all over again, and Young Justice does a remarkable job portraying just how deep that hurt can run.
When the series began, many of the founding members of the team were carefree superhero sidekicks looking to make their own way in the world. No member was as charismatic or full of optimism as Wally West, the speedster known as Kid Flash. Although, he was initially at odds with his teammate, Artemis, the two were involved in a deep romance by Young Justice's second season. That is why it came as such a gut punch when Wally sacrificed his life to save the world.
Though many fans speculated that Wally would return through the enigmatic means of the Speed Force, Young Justice's third season seemed to settle the issue when it spent a full episode focusing on Artemis coming to terms with her grief. The latest episode then shows how well Artemis collected herself, happily teaching students while fighting crime as Tigress, but she's shattered all over again with the news of Superboy's death.
Seemingly slain during his mission to Mars, Superboy's death is felt through Artemis fully. She's sloppy in her crime fighting, her demeanor in the classroom suffers, and at one point, tears overwhelm her while driving. She remarks on how she feels she is going through this all over again after dealing with Wally, and her empathy for Superboy's bereaved fiancée, Miss Martian, reminds her of her own pain when she was in the same position. Superboy's death matters, and its ripple effects on the surrounding cast lend it weight and consequence few other superhero shows manage to achieve.
Superhero deaths have a history of sensationalism and impermanence in comics, but Young Justice is wise to steer clear of that in adapting its material. Even as Young Justice builds up the possibility that Superboy will return, it respects the maturity and realism of its characters enough to know that for them the death is every bit as real as it would be for anyone else. Rather than feeling cheapened, the touching private moments with Artemis hold something in them that any viewer familiar with grief can relate to.
These are the kinds of moments where Young Justice shines. Even with such an ambitious world and a massive cast, the latest episode takes time to spend intimate moments with someone at the heart of the story that helps establish the stakes for the audience. As Artemis seeks to save her sister, Cheshire, viewers can continue through the arc rooting for her and fearing for the possible failure of her mission.
Rather than just being pure adventure and escapism, Young Justice takes its audience seriously enough to show them something that reflects on their own lives. The fact that it does so amidst a story of immortals and super-trained ninja assassins just makes it all the better.
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