“Another Freak”
Writer: Mae Catt
Director: Mel Zwyer
Starring: Troy Baker, Jeff Bennett, Zehra Fazel, Stephanie Lemelin, Jesse McCartney, Danica McKellar, Nolan North, Beth Payne, Khary Payton, Zeno Robinson, Jason Spisak
EDITOR’S NOTE: Potential Spoilers Ahead!
Witness the tragic and emotional birth of Cyborg. And Violet and Forager attend high school.
Father of the Year?
What is it with Young Justice and neglective fathers? Season One’s top prize went to Clark Kent, then Black Manta took top honors in Season Two. In the running this season are Vandal Savage and Silas Stone. It’s nice to have positive father figures like Dick Grayson, even if he didn’t ask for the job. He asks Brion “Are you a man perpetually looking backward to what he’s lost, or a man looking forward to what he might become?”
A Very Graphic Origin
Victor Stone’s tragic tale has been played out in live-action and animation. Young Justice: Outsiders has taken that tale and multiplied it by 12. It has always frustrated me how live-action properties do not utilize the work of animation show-runners properly. Hector Navarro said that this was one of his favorite iterations of Cyborg’s origin, and I have to agree. From the explosion to the grafting of Vic’s body with the Father Box, this origin story has surpassed all others.
The Name Game
I love how Young Justice: Outsiders pokes fun at itself, yet still manages to deliver epic storytelling. The series also recycled a theme from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – name recognition (“Martha,” anyone?). In “Exceptional Human Beings” Violet chooses the last name of “Harper” – the same surname used by Jim (Guardian), Will (Red Arrow), and Roy (Arsenal). “Harper” is also the first name of one “Harper Row.” Those with a keen eye know that this is the identity of DC Comics’ Bluebird. Harper, Violet, and Fred have a moment that unites them based on a name and their own uniqueness.
Conclusion
I do not mind the amount of Batman proteges (past, present, and potential future) in this season, but I am not sure how others feel about it. For my money, you can throw Bat-mite and Duke Thomas in also. Overall, the episode does a superb job of retelling Victor Stone’s origin, while unveiling more of Halo’s emerging powers.