As usual, Cartoon Network establishes an excellently written superhero series both adults and children can enjoy. In this case, the young heroes are not only allowed to experience real pain and emotions of growing up, but to actually 'grow up' physically in the process. Even the Superman clone 'Superboy' who's growth stopped at his late teens was allowed to mature mentally.
After watching the series finale (be advised, there will be spoilers), the bad guys for the most part are either completely defeated or have been pushed back far enough to engage in new machinations against the Justice League. Typically, with all that in mind Cartoon Network has cancelled the series.
The finale shows how certain characters lose cherished friends and lovers (wow, they did that in a kid's show?) But also show how new relationships are formed as new members replenish the ranks. I particularly liked how Black Lightning and Virgil Hawkins (later to become 'Static') were teamed for a mission and upon its success, Lightning offered to mentor the young hero. Now that the show is cancelled, we'll never get to see that relationship develop.
One thing that always bothered me about this show was how when everyone was 'hooking up' as the team developed, no female member of the team even cast a glance at 'Aqua Lad'. Other than having a whack name, he was the prime pick of Aquaman to represent Atlantis. When it came time to lead the initial version of the team it was he not Robin, the Batman chose (forget he whupped everyone on the team including the Martian and the Kryptonian clone!) Not to mention he was the most mature member of the team. So a teenaged boy who's tall, handsome, athletic and is the leader of a team isn't attractive to young females? You aren't if you're black apparently.
Only once was any mention by a female YJ team member as having an interest in Aqua Lad and that was when Icon's partner Rocket first joined. However, no effort was made to even show anything ever happened on that front. It was even suggested that she instead went out with Robin/Nightwing at a later time. Hell even Aqua Lad's 'own kind' (he's half human/atlantean) couldn't bring themselves to pick him as the atlantean girl he loved picked the guy Aqua Lad beat to get the top spot (damn a brother can't get props even for winning?)
What I thought was equally illogical was at the end how the character Artemis after spending years in hiding with 'Calder' (Aqua Lad) immediately jumped back into the arms of her junior high sweetheart 'Kid Flash' like nothing happened and then picked up with his younger successor after he was killed. So you mean to say that spending years with Calder in hostile territory as his 'right hand girl', no intimate relationship was cultivated? Really? Hell, even the Martian became lovers with a full-blooded Atlantean though he looked like a green 'pufferfish'
If being a 'black male' is so repellent to females of all species, how did Calder's Atlantean Mother succumb to the charms of his supervillain father 'The Black Manta'? (and no he didn't rape her or shoot her with a 'knock-up' dart!) In fact, the only other brother in YJ who was able to hook up was Guardian yet he was a big whiny *&^% who nearly drove his paramour Bumble Bee away. I guess Calder had to pay for Jon Stewart's (Green Lantern) ability to hook up with human and alien females everywhere he went in the universe (the only male in DC Universe who rivals Batman....) I guess Stewart used up all his 'attraction potential'. 'Sorry bruh', but only one brother at a time can get the girls in this universe....' Oh and all the Native American, Asian and Hispanic dudes in the show, yall ^!**@#$ don't get so much as a nibble!
Other than that, the series will be missed. Too bad there isn't another outlet on cable with the depth of viewership and pockets CN has so we could get shows of its caliber on and keep them on a while longer.
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