Missed Connections- Young Justice and Brightest Day

After watching last week's episode of Young Justice, "Downtime" that focused primarily on Aqualad/Kaldur in his home of Atlantis-- I couldn't help but think of the many concepts/moments in the bi-weekly comic Brightest Day-- that has brought the whole cast of the Aquaman fam out of obscurity and back into the forefront of the DCU continuity. 

First off props, where they are due to Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Eddie Berganza, Pat Gleason, Doug Mahnke, Joe Prado and Pete Tomasi who were the major think-tank on all things Blackest Night that led to Brightest Day-- reigning in the emergence of Aquaman, Mera and eventually bringing Jackson Hyde/Aqualad to the DCU.  Though I initially believed that it was the world of comics that influenced the animation on use of the new Aqualad, it was actually the other way around.  Alright so that point is clarified.  

Back to the show, when Aqualad returned to Atlantis as ordered by Batman (which was easily the most jaw-dropping awesomeness of an opening sequence yet) all that was communicated was the native tongue of Atlantean.

This suggests Kaldor's animated origins starting in the ocean as where in the books, he is raised in New Mexico by his foster parents.  Straight
fascinated by the introduction of how the wave/water manipulation used by Garth, Tula, Aqualad and Mera is magic-based and not some inherent quality of all Atlanteans.  Though I was never much of a reader of Aquaman books before Blackest Night and Brightest Day, so oblivious I am (Yoda speak for the day).

High points of "Downtime" like Brightest Day (emphasis on AquaWar, issues 19 & 20) are Mera and Black Manta period.

Mera possesses the OH-MAH-GAW moment when she helps to save her Kingdom from the attack on Atlantis via Black Manta and his death squad by creating a giant Kraken to take em all out.  In Brightest Day, Mera consumes her sister- Siren, Black Manta and her fellow Xebelians by going biblical Moses stylee and dropping the whole damn ocean on em.

As for Manta, he is Darth Vader of the DCU.  From his big helmet, distinctive baritone voice and being the evil father of the new hope of Atlantis, Aqualad-- Black Manta goes down as one of Geoff Johns illest retcons evar.  Wonder why they didn't refresh his duds in the books like they busted em right here?  
Oh and how can we not bring up the obvious...Aqualad gets his style tips from one of the greatest action heroes of Hollywood- Mr. Wesley Snipes.

                        Aqualad's blondie look in Young Justice                     Aqualad's dreads from Brightest Day


This Friday's new episode is titled "Bereft."  The team finds itself wandering the desert of Bialya with no memory of the last six months... or of each other. Only Miss Martian can restore their minds and figure out what happened, but is she too late to save Superboy?

Like every episode we have seen so far-- highlighting a major villian from the Justice League-- hope for an appearance of the not so friendly neighbors of Bialya, Black Adam, Isis or even Osiris to be featured as the main baddie.



This post was written by:
big O