Young Justice #13 – Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker, Writers; Michael Avon Oeming, Mike Grell, John Timms, Artists; Gabe Eltaeb, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 9/10
Ray: After a year of stories and the addition of a new cowriter in David Walker, Young Justice #13 feels like it finally achieves its goal and becomes the definitive teen hero book in the DCU.
This jam-packed and often chaotic issue unites several plotlines and brings two iconic artists in for a guest shot. That would be Michael Avon Oeming and Mike Grell, who team up to bring the world of Skartaris to life. When we last left off, Conner Kent had been betrayed by STAR Labs and sent into the multiverse once again – this time landing in the famous realm of the Warlord. He’s having a bit of a freakout, but this time he has a mentor who’s been there in the form of Travis Morgan, who explains how he came to Skartaris and built a life for himself there, while Warlord creator Mike Grell illustrates the flashback segments of the world he invented. Both Oeming and Grell do a good job with the fantastical world, and the dialogue is among the best of the series.
Back on Earth, things start moving with the four-book teen superhero team-up that brought the Wonder Twins, Naomi, and Summer and Miguel to work with the core Young Justice team recently. I’m not sure if Walker is the secret sauce or not, but this issue does better with Bart Allen than any of the previous ones. The chaotic, impulsive actions combined with a subtle hyper-focus to do good reminds me a lot of the work Waid and PAD did with the character in his early years.
I wish Cassie had more focus in this run – she seems like the one member of the team still not fully getting to step into her own. But the end of the issue introduces a quartet of teen heroes – some new, some dating back to the original Young Justice run from the 1990s – that makes me think this book is getting the freedom it needs to take over this corner of the DCU in full. For the first time in a long time, it feels like the teen heroes of the DCU have a clear direction and a strong voice guiding their team.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
