Young Justice #8 Faces Their Evil Twins
by Tony Thornley
Several years ago, the DC Universe was invaded by an evil mirror of the Justice League. Ever since then, the exact status of the Crime Syndicate has mostly been unknown. However, Young Justice #8 gives us some big clues as to exactly what’s happening with the Syndicate and their home on Earth-3…
Brian Michael Bendis, John Timms, Gabe Eltaeb, and Wes Abbott put the team face to face with their evil selves.
On Earth-3, Young Justice trades blows with their evil selves- Amaxon Thunder, Luthor-El, Drake, Speed Zone, Hack and Jinny Hex (yep). Thankfully, an unexpected ally gives them the help they need to overcome the villains. However, that does them no good unless they can find their way home…
Bendis does a lot to make this story work. Though the plot is a pretty standard superhero trope- heroes fight their evil counterparts- his script makes it stand out beyond the trope. That’s largely due to his great grasp on the characters, as he does so much with both the kids on their own and as a group. His Superboy and Robin continue to be the best part of the book, and his takes on Wonder Girl and Impulse have greatly improved since the beginning of the series.
However, the evil twins really don’t have anything to set themselves apart. Their origins are slightly different, and so are their designs (which are very well done by Timms and Eltaeb). Beyond that though, they’re largely just mean and immoral versions of the leads.
Another strength of the issue is absolutely Timms and Eltaeb’s work on the art. Timms uses an exaggerated style for his action that makes everything seem in motion. Since the story is incredibly fast-paced and action packed, he choices make for a thrilling read. Eltaeb’s colors are mostly very bright, but he is able to use darker colors in the backgrounds and atmosphere to help set the scene and mood in this dark mirror of the DCU.
It’s not a perfect story, but it’s definitely a lot of fun. Things can only look up for the team from here.
Young Justice #8 is available now from DC Comics.