Comic Review: Young Justice #17 (2019-)

Young Justice #17 

DC Comics

Writer: Brian Micheal Bendis

Artists: Scott Godlewski and Gabe Eltaeb

Young Justice has long teetered on the “pretty good” line, always threatening to topple either into greatness or mediocrity. However, it never quite takes the leap in either direction and instead delivers consistently solid fun. This issue decides to throw down the gauntlet and double down on its strengths, catapulting itself onto the positive end of the balance beam.

This is the issue I’ve wanted from the beginning. The plot finally slows down from it’s manic, unstoppable pace and allows the characters to breathe. The plot is literally cleaning up the destruction from a story that didn’t even take place in this book, but it works. It allows Bendis to focus on his strengths; character and dialogue. There’s little to no punching, yet the back-and-forth is action-packed enough to carry the issue.

We get to see the young heroes interact with their mentors in meaningful ways that we haven’t seen yet. Bart, as usual, remains the character most receptive to Bendis’ voice. His scenes with Conner and Tim pack the usual punch, but it’s his conversation with Barry that shines. It’s quick, but it’s a long-overdue meeting that feels right.

Additionally, Tim gets to have his own chat with Batman. We, however, don’t get to hear the words. Through some strong storytelling from the artist, the message is still clear, and it’s a moment that wonderfully demonstrates the different relationships these heroes hold with their mentors. They all have their own histories and means of communicating, some just do so more efficiently than others.

Scott Godlewski, who I was before unfamiliar with, does a fine job picking up where Jon Timms left off. His style is similar, and as such is similarly suited to the book’s tone. He does a great job making an issue that boils down to a series of conversations visually interesting with plenty of things happening in the backgrounds as well as on the characters’ faces. I have one quibble though; his depiction of Tim’s hair is ridiculous. It’s an Ultimate Peter Parker-level bad haircut.

If I had one criticism of the story, it would be the same that I’ve held since the very beginning. Bendis insists on exploring how the DC Universe has been altered and how everything is off because of it. I get it, things are weird right now, but I don’t think staring that fact in the face is the way to rectify it. It’s better to tell a story that feels natural instead of simply commenting on the strange continuity. Perhaps it would work if this felt like it was building to some kind of resolution, but it seems the rest of DC has moved on. I think it’s time Bendis did too, as I doubt editorial has any plans to allow him to resolve it himself.

Young Justice #17 is one of the finest issues of the series. It takes a break from the giant stakes and speedster-level pace and lets the characters carry the story. It’s exactly the kind of issue that is Bendis’ known specialty, and guest artist Scott Godlewski does a great job at selling the type of story that should be antithetical to good comics. Of course, Bendis still can’t seem to shake this meta-commentary of the DC Universe and what a mess it is, and I think we could all do without that. Still, I hope to see more issues like this one going forward.