Mild Mannered Reviews - Young Justice Comic Books
Young Justice: Targets #4
Scheduled to arrive in stores: October 25, 2022Cover date: December 2022
"Foreign Affairs"
Writer: Greg Weisman
Artist: Christopher Jones
Cover: Christopher Jones and Jason Wright
Variant Covers: Paul Renaud and Meghan Hetrick
Reviewed by: Tony Parker
Click to enlarge
At The Outsider's base, Oracle, Nightwing, Robin and Cyborg report in on their findings, informing the team that the mining company in Krastmala had found something big, something that Perdita, Green Arrow and Black Canary agreed to keep secret and exchange (seeing as the latter two were the former's oldest friends in the Justice League). However, the intel has somehow been leaked, and the heroes believe Luthor to be behind it. While Ray Palmer/The Atom and Karen Beecher/Bumblebee run tests to find out what exactly Perdita had that was so important, The Outsiders decide to go to Luthor's factory in Bialya, due to the Justice League not being allowed in there.
With some help from Cyborg, The Outsiders head to the factory. Stargirl asks Beast Boy if he's really able to stage his comeback in such a personal mission to him, but Gar promises that he's focused only on saving Perdita, and not on their personal history. Meanwhile, at Royal Memorial Hospital, Lian Nguyen-Harper and Paula Crock arrive to visit 'Uncle Ollie' and the others, Lian hoping to comfort Oliver.
At Madinat Altharwati, Bialya, The Outsiders (Beast Boy, Superboy, Wonder Girl and Stargirl) attack the robot guards. Terra, stating that every second spent outside risks Perdita further, urges the rest to go inside the factory while she handles the guards outside.
Entering the factory, the team find Onslaught (Devastation, Mammoth, Shimmer, and new member and failed Superboy clone Match) guarding the facilities, and a fight ensues. Outside, Terra realizes she needs backup, and calls the other team members (Static, Blue Beetle, Forager, Windfall, Livewire, and Bart Allen/Kid Flash) to help her fight the robots.
While Stargirl takes on Shimmer, Wondergirl takes on Devastation, Beast Boy takes on Mammoth, and Superboy struggles with Match, Oracle reports to Superboy about Ray and Karen's findings, and they spell bad news. Perdita was carrying some form of Kryptonite. As Match faints, Superboy finds himself face to face with Juan Cordero...
Metallo...
Meanwhile, Lian tells 'Uncle Ollie' the fourth memory of the day Perdita lost her father, a story that already has a known ending. In the flashback, Oliver takes an arrow to the ankle, Perdita bandages him, and the two are attacked by Merlyn and Joe Henchy. While Henchy gets taken out, Merlyn is face to face with the two heroes, threatening to kill them both...
To Be Continued...
Story - 3: THIS is a far better middle act issue than the previous! While it's not extraordinary by any means, this issue keeps its focus watertight on what matters right now (The Outsiders attacking Luthor's factory) and actually provides us with more than one piece of information without it taking all story to find out. Now we know Kryptonite plays a large role in this whole affair, and that Perdita was carrying it, hence why she was really kidnapped.
This issue also just has more emotional moments too. Gar is trying his best to put his feelings aside for Perdita, his talk with Stargirl calling back to Issue 1, Lian visiting 'Uncle Ollie' in the hospital was a nice feels moment, and Ollie and Perdita's continued bonding in the flashbacks serves well to explain the bond they shared, so deep that Perdita would only tell them about the Kryptonite.
It's not all amazing, much of this issue devolves into action, but seeing as it's all well paced, not empty of dialogue, and at least interesting (I enjoyed the cavalry moment and Stargirl and Wonder Girls fight sequences), I can say that while once more, there isn't that much to say, it's a solid issue, at the very least managing to keep the story going rather than pausing like last time. Here's to hoping for some more character study next time, though!
Art - 3: Nothing standout this time, it all looks really decent, but nothing truly spectacular, excepting the red tin in the factory and the lovely cavalry splash page.
Cover Art - 3: Solid cover, definitely cool looking and full of action, good poses too! The choice to bath it in morning light when the fight was at night and not at an American city is a tad odd, but regardless it works.
Variant Cover Art - 2: Movie tie in covers usually offset me, and this one is for "Black Adam," featuring Hawkman and Doctor Fate. While it's a little odd, one can argue Fate has played a decently large role in Young Justice, so it's not too bad. Still, nothing to write home about, even if it is quite shiny.
Variant Cover Art - 3: A nice, almost anime-esque cover featuring two of the book's prominent characters, Wonder Girl and Stargirl, so no complaints there. Really like the purple hue.
Mild Mannered Reviews
2022
Note: Except for digital first releases, the month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.January 2022
- Batman/Superman: Authority Special #1
- Action Comics #1036
- Action Comics #1037
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #5
- Superman '78 #3 [of 6]
- Superman '78 #4 [of 6]
- Superman vs. Lobo #2 [of 3]
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #5 [of 8]
- Justice League #69
- Justice League: Last Ride #7
- Justice League Infinity #5
- Justice League Incarnate #1 [of 5]
- DC vs. Vampires #2 [of 12]
- Dark Knights of Steel #1
- Action Comics #1038
- Superman: Son of Kal-El 2021 Annual #1
- Superman '78 #5 [of 6]
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #6 [of 8]
- World of Krypton #1 [of 6]
- Justice League #70
- Justice League Infinity #6
- Justice League Incarnate #2 [of 5]
- DC vs. Vampires #3 [of 12]
- Dark Knights of Steel #2
March 2022
- Action Comics #1039
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #6
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #7
- Superman/Robin Special #1
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #7 [of 8]
- Justice League #71
- Justice League Infinity #7
- Justice League Incarnate #3 [of 5]
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #1 [of 6]
- Superman '78 #6 [of 6]
- World of Krypton #2 [of 6]
- Dark Knights of Steel #3
- DC vs. Vampires #4
- Action Comics #1040
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #8
- Nightwing #89
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #8 [of 8]
- Justice League 2022 Annual #1
- Justice League #72
- Justice League Incarnate #4 [of 5]
- World of Krypton #3 [of 6]
- Dark Knights of Steel #4
- DC vs. Vampires #5
- Action Comics #1041
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #9
- Superman vs. Lobo #3 [of 3]
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #1
- Justice League #73
- Justice League #74
- Justice League Incarnate #5 [of 5]
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #2 [of 6]
- World of Krypton #4 [of 6]
- Dark Knights of Steel #5
- DC vs. Vampires #6
- Action Comics #1042
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #10
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #2
- Justice League #75
- Earth-Prime #2 - Superman and Lois
- World of Krypton #5 [of 6]
- Dark Knights of Steel #6
- Action Comics #1043
- Action Comics Annual 2022 #1
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #11
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #3
- Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #3 [of 6]
- World of Krypton #6 [of 6]
- Jurassic League #1
- Action Comics #1044
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #12
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #4
- Justice League #75 (Special Edition)
- Dark Crisis #1
- Multiversity: Teen Justice #1
- Dark Knights of Steel #7
- Jurassic League #2
- Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen's Boss, Perry White #1 (One Shot)
- Dark Crisis: Young Justice #1
- Earth-Prime #6: Hero's Twilight
- Action Comics #1045
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #13
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #5
- Superman: Space Age #1
- Dark Crisis #2
- Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League - Superman #1
- Dark Crisis: Young Justice #2
- Multiversity: Teen Justice #2
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #4 [of 6]
- DC vs. Vampires #7
- Jurassic League #3
- DC: Mech #1
- Young Justice: Targets #1
- Action Comics #1046
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #14
- Superman: Warworld Apocalypse #1
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #6
- Dark Crisis #3
- Dark Crisis: Young Justice #3
- DC's Saved by the Belle Reve #1
- Multiversity: Teen Justice #3
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #5 [of 6]
- DC vs. Vampires #8
- Jurassic League #4
- DC: Mech #2
- Young Justice: Targets #2
- Action Comics #1047
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #15
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #7
- Superman: Space Age #2
- Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4
- Dark Crisis: Young Justice #4
- Multiversity: Teen Justice #4
- Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #6 [of 6]
- Dark Knights of Steel: Tales from the Three Kingdoms #1 (One Shot)
- DC vs. Vampires #9
- Jurassic League #5
- DC: Mech #3
- Young Justice: Targets #3
- Superman: Son of Kal-El #16
- Action Comics #1048
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest #8
- Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5
- Dark Crisis: Young Justice #5
- Multiversity: Teen Justice #5
- DC vs. Vampires #10
- Jurassic League #6
- DC: Mech #4
- DC's Terrors Through Time #1 (One Shot)
- Young Justice: Targets #4
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