In DC and Marvel’s comedian guide worlds, the idea of time and getting old is principally nonexistent till it must matter, like for a selected AU. For the numerous diversifications that includes these heroes, animated or in any other case, that very same ethos largely holds true: these characters exist in a nebulous house the place they’ve actually had experiences which have helped them develop as folks, simply don’t ask how lengthy these adventures have been going, or particularly how previous anybody is. Time doesn’t matter till it must matter, and even that may be shaky at greatest.

For HBO Max’s (previously Cartoon Network’s) Young Justice, time is vital to the sequence in a couple of methods. Every episode has time stamps, and every season opens with a soar ahead in time that helps widen the scope of the present’s world, along with placing the present’s universe within the relative current of our present world. Rather than dance round time or preserve its characters eternally younger, Justice has its characters age, with a few of them both approaching younger maturity or already having households of their very own.

For the present season, Phantoms, that point is weighing on the surviving members of season one who served because the present’s core forged—Nightwing (previously Robin), Tigress (Artemis), Miss Martian, Superboy, Zatanna, Rocket, and Aquaman (Kaldur’ahm, the Aqualad who took his mentor’s mantle in the beginning of season three). As a end result, Phantoms is extra reflective in comparison with the sooner seasons, and when io9 spoke to showrunners Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti about this, each males felt that now was the time for the characters to look again on their tumultuous, action-packed lives. “For the original team, they’ve been at this for a decade,” acknowledged Weisman. “As we broke the season down, it felt natural that this would really be about the core characters looking back on their lives and really feel that passage of time.”

Previously, seasons of Young Justice would have one steady overarching story, however Phantoms is split into smaller arcs the place a selected character from the unique forged is given a handful of episodes devoted to themselves, together with a villain to face and a small supporting forged of different heroes to affix in on the enjoyable. Each arc has a special vibe and tone; the season started with Miss Martian, Superboy, and Beast Boy investigating a homicide on Mars; Zatanna’s arc closed out the primary half of the season and targeted on DC’s magical pantheon, together with the Lords of Order and Chaos, and Doctor Fate throughout a sequence of escalating apocalyptic occasions. Now again from vacation break, the just-concluded arc targeted on Kaldur in Atlantis throughout a sudden assault by Ocean Master, adopted by the sudden arrival of Vandal Savage’s grandson Arion, the unique ruler of Atlantis when it was beforehand above floor.

Kaldur’s arc finally shifted to him and a staff of Atlantean heroes occurring a Raiders-esque artifact hunt, however the large level of the story was to place a highlight on the previous Aqualad and his incapability to concentrate on his emotional well-being. Like his mates, he’s had his fair proportion of stresses, comparable to having management foisted on him a number of instances, and later selecting to go deep undercover along with his father Black Manta earlier than preventing and imprisoning him. But the character’s all the time pushed forward for the sake of saving the world, and as we be taught via flashbacks, it’s how he saved his household afloat rising up. Artemis stated again in season two that Kaldur had a “very messed up head,” and this arc sees his family members—significantly his boyfriend Wyynde—grow to be extra open of their wishes for him to take day off because the stress of all the pieces is clearly affecting him.

This week’s episode, “Leviathan Wakes,” serves because the nearer to Kaldur’s story, and was written by his voice actor, Khary Payton. Though the episode serves because the voice actor’s first official writing credit score, he and Weisman wrote a script for a derivative sequence referred to as “Black Manta’s Celebrity Hot Tub,” whereby the villain (additionally voiced by Payton) had a Conan-esque discuss present that includes characters from Young Justice, like Blue Beetle and Black Lightning (he’s, you guessed it, additionally voiced by Payton). With Payton writing for the sequence correct, each males praised him for efficiently managing to nail the present’s tone. “He was in the writers room with us [Greg and Brandon], plus fellow arc writer Mae Catt from the beginning,” revealed Weisman. “A director for a particular episode would also be there in the room, and Khary didn’t really need any help or guidance from us.”

Young Justice’s exploration into its characters’ psychological well being first took form in its first season with the episode “Disordered.” Following the occasions of the earlier episode, whereby the then-teen heroes all wound up traumatized after a psychic coaching train, Black Canary sat every of them down for a therapy session. Exploring the psyche of the present’s characters has “always been a part of the plan,” stated Vietti, and one of many methods the present is exclusive amongst different superhero sequence. In regards to Phantoms placing a better emphasis on this via not simply Kaldur’s arc, however a season-long storyline involving Beast Boy not prepared to handle his personal trauma, Weisman revealed how this happened. In the interval the place Outsiders had completed manufacturing and a renewal for season 4 hadn’t been given but, he was a part of a panel at a con the place a veteran with PTSD requested why there weren’t many exhibits that actually mirror his expertise. Thus, the subject has been given a better focus within the present than in earlier seasons. Beyond Beast Boy and Kaldur, Superboy finds himself in a limbo between life and dying, and making an attempt to maintain a grip on his sanity whereas looking for a approach again to the mortal airplane. Even villains like Ocean Master are reckoning with what’s occurred to them once they have been members (or pawns) of Vandal Savage’s supervillain cabal dubbed the Light.

Everyone has good psychological well being days and dangerous psychological well being days, and the identical is true for superheroes. It’s for that purpose that, like with Beast Boy’s season-long battle with PTSD, Kaldur nonetheless has the emotional journey forward of him. “Wakes” ends on him taking a break from heroism, with Arthur and former teammate Lagoon Boy taking up in his absence. (All three will now share the Aquaman title going ahead.) For the episode’s post-credits stinger, Kaldur finds himself lastly prepared to confess that he’s not OK. It was vital, stated each males, for the arc to not conclude on him being magically cured of his tendency to self-sacrifice. “Not everything gets wrapped up in a neat little bow after 30 minutes,” stated Vietti. “It’s not true to life, and M’gann had to learn that lesson back in season one… we wanted to do right by our characters.”

New episodes of Young Justice: Phantoms premiere Thursdays on HBO Max.

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