Not familiar with Young Justice or whatever the hell “Gemworld” is? Me neither - nor is it a problem as Brian Bendis’ 8725th new DC title (this month - there’s gotta be like 5000 clones of this guy in a giant underground bunker somewhere writing all these comics!) is surprisingly accessible for newcomers given that its premise seems aimed at established fans.
I remember seeing a title years ago called something like Amethyst that was one of the final titles to appear in DC’s doomed New 52 lineup (I expect it sucked like most of that line) so I’m familiar with Gemworld from name only. But it appears to be a jewel-themed Dune-esque kinda place with warring houses in a fantasy setting with futuristic elements. And it turns out some of the rulers of these houses are dicks, like Lord Opal who decides to invade Earth to have a word with Superman - who isn’t there. But you know who is? Young Justice!
They are: Superboy/Conner Kent (a clone of Superman and Lex Luthor), Robin/Tim Drake, Impulse/Bart Allen (Flash from the future), Wonder Girl/Cassie Sandsmark, and Princess Amethyst, she of a glowing purple sword. The new additions are Jonah Hex’s descendant Jinny Hex (who’s apparently also a fixture in Bendis’ 3857th DC title Batman: Universe which I still need to check out) and the very cornily-named Teen Lantern, a young black girl genius who’s somehow managed to hack into a Green Lantern power battery and harness its powers. She’s totally not at all like Ironheart/Riri Williams because she’s a few years younger.
I’m wary of Bendis’ team books because they’re usually his weakest so I was pleasantly taken aback to find the first half of the book to be really enjoyable. The team comes together in an entertaining, energetic way, reflective of young people, the action is fun, and, perhaps most impressively, Bendis is able to create a nostalgia for these characters reuniting even in someone like me who’s never read Young Justice before.
Some of the characters’ backstories are handled well like Cassie and Conner’s, and Tim Drake and Stephanie Brown make such a sweet couple. Splitting up the team initially was a good choice as they feel more vulnerable but things stagnate once they’re all together and therefore unstoppable. Mostly because they all need to catch each other up on what’s been going on so things grind to a complete halt towards the end as they literally stand around expositing. All of which comes off as rushed, clumsy and boring too.
Gemworld politics is not interesting, not to mention convoluted, and, like too many Bendis books, this one suffers from a wafer-thin plot to begin with which then gets abandoned and replaced with endless go-nowhere dialogue. The book closes out with the uninspired and cliched “punch the big bad together” - come on, really, still?
Young Justice, Volume 1: Gemworld isn’t bad - it’s certainly not as dull as Bendis’ Superman books, though his non-superhero DC stuff over at his creator-owned imprint Jinxworld remains the place to find the guy’s best work. And speaking of imprints, Young Justice is the flagship title for DC’s latest imprint Wonder Comics, which has other Bendis-curated titles like Naomi, Wonder Twins and Dial H for Hero in the lineup. After this decent start, I’m intrigued to try the rest.
It’s ok. Bendis may fall back on stereotypical plot elements and bad habits (voluminous dialogue) but he’s so experienced at this point that he can even make them feel less stale and somewhat exciting with his skill. I really liked the energy and characters and the book definitely has its moments. Fun at times, dreary at others, I’m still glad to have picked up Young Justice and I’ll probably be back for the second book!
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