With Phantoms, Young Justice proves it’s still the best animated show

Young Justice: Phantoms started strong, introducing its “arc” approach by presenting a self-contained storyline starring Miss Martian, Superboy, and Beast Boy. Spread across four episodes, the plot concerns Conner and M’Gann’s trip to Mars in preparation for their upcoming nuptials. The arc revisited the Mars storyline that began as early as season 1 by bringing back M’Gann’s evil brother, Ma’alefa’ak, and going deeper than ever into the racial conflict between Green and White Martians.

The show’s social commentary was clumsy at times, but its intention was clear and honest. Above all, it never felt like preaching; Young Justice has always found a way to seamlessly integrate race issues into its larger story, and the Mars plot is perfect proof. By intertwining them with M’Gann and Conner’s relationship, Phantoms successfully built a socially conscious story that never feels unnecessary or gratuitous. The arc ends with Conner’s apparent death (it’s later revealed he was trapped in the Phantom Zone), opening the door for what is, objectively speaking, the best arc in the season.

In terms of execution, Artemis’ four-episode arc is Phantoms‘ crowning achievement. The storyline deals with Artemis’ lingering issues with her estranged sister, Jade, while exploring themes of grief, family, duty, and legacy. In just four episodes, Young Justice provides a satisfying conclusion for Artemis and Jade’s storyline, which began in season 1, and sets up the next chapter in their journey, leaving things open-ended without feeling incomplete. Artemis’ arc is Young Justice at its best, showcasing its strengths — emotionally resonant storytelling, high stakes, unparalleled character development, elegant animation, thrilling action — in service of a poignant narrative that uses its characters to their fullest extent.

Artemis’ arc features a carousel of fan-favorite returning characters — Will, Roy, Orphan, Barbara, Lady Shiva, Cassandra Savage, Ra’s al Ghul, Sensei, Jason — and uses them intelligently, allowing them a chance to shine without ever pulling focus, thus creating the season’s best dynamic. The arc’s use of literary references was also a stroke of genius, adding unexpected depth to its compelling central character. Artemis has long been one of the most complex and layered figures in Young Justice, and her arc in Phantoms cements her as arguably the show’s best character.

With its first two chapters, Phantoms reminded audiences why it’s such a fascinating show. It found new layers to its already three-dimensional characters, exploring new facets of their stories while still moving the cogs of its larger storytelling machine. Few animated shows — indeed, few shows come close to the level of detail and understanding of their characters that Young Justice has. The Artemis/Jade and Conner/M’Gann’s relationships are perfect examples of the rich narrative that the show excels at, exploring deeply humane and relatable themes without becoming an after-school special. The heights these two arcs reached were unparalleled, but they only made what came next all the more jarring.

Unfortunately, Zatanna’s arc began showing signs of the same weakness that would plague the second half of the season. By shifting focus from richly personal stories full of gravitas to long-term and massive worldbuilding, Phantoms betrayed its initial setup. Zatanna and Kaldur’s arcs sidelined them, showing more interest in the antagonists and supporting players. Klarion, Fate, and Child stole the attention from Zatanna, and Aquaman was arguably the lead in Kaldur’s episodes. The choice seems all the more insulting considering Zatanna and Kaldur were two of the show’s most prominent characters in season 1 and became less prominent in seasons 2 and 3. Phantoms was their chance to come back to the spotlight. To see them outshined in their own stories was disappointing.

Still, at least Zatanna and Kaldur received some character development. Rocket, a familiar character who was never quite a lead before, received an arc of her own, but it was hers in name only. Playing what can only be described as a supporting role in a story about everything but her, Rocket’s episodes focused on everything from the New Gods to Lor-Zod, even finding time to give Forager a love story. Yet, Rocket remained benched, with the show only providing minimal development to her story.

It’s unbelievable that the show failed Rocket so astoundingly; we’re talking about a Black woman co-parenting her autistic child while trying to live up to her role as a Justice League member. The storylines literally write themselves, and the fact Phantoms chose to focus on Forager, of all characters, goes beyond the bizarre.

Calling Dick Grayson the lead of Young Justice might be a reach, but the character’s popularity and importance to the show’s success are undeniable. Dick acted as the de facto lead of seasons 2 and 3; logically, many expected him to play a prominent role in Phantoms, and his arc coming last also hinted at his importance. Alas, the powers behind Young Justice had other plans.

To say Dick got sidelined would be an understatement. He spoke only a handful of times throughout his five episodes, had no character development, and served mainly as a plot device to bring the team back together. Indeed, the last five episodes were all about Superboy, whose prolonged stay in the Phantom Zone framed the season’s main storyline. It makes sense that Superboy would play a crucial role in Phantoms; he is an incredible character in his own right, received valuable development during his arc, and is weighty enough to support an entire season around him — plus, it’s always a delight to hear Nolan North. But does his development matter more than Dick’s or Raquel’s? The show seemed to think so.

Showcasing Superboy is a perfectly valid choice, and no fan would’ve complained; he deserves the spotlight. But Phantoms initially offered something different, a promise of individual arcs centered around each of the show’s main characters. It delivered marvelously with Superboy, M’Gann, and Artemis, but failed with all others; there’s no other way to put it.

It’s not like the finished product was bad. On the contrary, the Zod storyline was powerful — a tad clichéd, but Zod is an inherently clichéd character in most of his adaptations. Once one comes to terms with what is and lets go of what could’ve been, Phantoms is another piece of enthralling, energetic, and driven television, continuing Young Justice‘s efforts to push the boundaries of what an animated show can and should be. But after a three-year absence and many unfulfilled promises, the result tasted more bittersweet than ever.