Friday, April 27, 2012

Season Two

Hey, folks. Been awhile. Been busy makin' a show. But things are winding down now. Greg and I are reviewing the last storyboards and designs for the last episode of Season 2 right now. Once that's complete my work load will be considerably lighter which means I might actually get to post on this blog a little more. We'll see.

Young Justice Season 2 begins airing tomorrow morning! We are very excited to share with you what we've been cooking up. We hope you'll be pleasantly surprised- unless you've been poking around the internet, discovering leaks and spoiling the surprises for yourself. Spoiled or not, I hope you enjoy watching the official premiere of Young Justice Invasion as much as we enjoyed making it.


The above image that many of you have already seen around online was the first pitch art I created back when Greg and I were pitching our Season 2 ideas to our bosses. It was really only meant to be rough pitch art but everybody seemed to like it so I polished it up a bit with the help of Peter Girardi and the next thing I know I'm seeing the image in packs of playing cards at San Diego Comic Con. At the time I drew this our cast had not been finalized and, of course, character designs were far from final.  I'm sure many of you guessed Robin and Blue Beetle from their distinctive silhouettes. That's Wonder Girl in the foreground. The rest I will leave to your imagination. Maybe at the end of the second season I'll fill you in on who they're supposed to be and why we did or didn't include them in the show.

Greg and I chatted about Season 2 with some really cool websites that have been kind enough to post about Young Justice. If you'd like to read about our thoughts on Season 2 then check out the links below. Some of our quote credits got reversed in a couple of the articles (a common occurrence in phone interviews) but you'll get some juicy behind the scenes info from us none the less.

IGN   MTV   USA TODAY   KSITE

28 comments:

  1. Brandon, you and Greg (and Phil--those character designs are perfect!) have really crafted a superior work here. When the big reveal in the past two episodes hearkened all the way back to what I had thought was a throwaway line in the first episode ("Born that way.") I was completely blown away. The interwoven arcs gel perfectly. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really hope you guys get season 3 based on just watching the premiere. The episode felt much more substantially distinct and it had me intrigued.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I watched the new episode and I'm afraid to say it underwhelmed me. I'm not at all happy with the way season 2 started. A five year jump is just wrong. The original Team was the best and I'm very upset that you changed the entire dynamic of the show as soon as the first season was over. There is too much change when everything was working so well before. Please find a way to go back to the way things were. This new team is not at all up to par with the original. I am begging you, as a fan of the show, please go back to the way it used to be.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jim and Anonymous #1: Thank you!

    Anonymous #2: I'm glad you're a fan of the show and I'm sorry you didn't like the new direction in the first episode of season 2. But I hope that you'll hang in there and continue watching. If we earned your trust in season 1 then I think we'll continue to uphold that trust in season 2. Just give season 2 a few more episodes to play out before you decide. It's worth it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Brandon,

    Just wanted to pass by and congratulate you for your amazing work with Young Justice.

    Great start for season 2. Can't wait for next saturday.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Brandon. I enjoyed Happy New Year. As a big JSA fan, I like the concept of constantly changing and evolving rosters. I look forward to
    new characters and info on the five-year gap, especially why the core Team is split up.

    I am especially curious about why Dick wants to lead the Team instead of graduating to the League; if M'gann and Connor were also invited to join the League at some point; and, most importantly (well, semi-importantly), if Wolf is now officially considered a full Team member.

    Hope the rest of this season's episodes are as great as this one!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Brandon. Watched Happy New Year and came away with mixed feelings. I loved the new editions, but as has already been stated on the blog, really enjoyed the first season lineup. The first season was just incredibly fun to watch. Undoubtedly starting to make up for the cancellation of Justice League Unlimited. I too also hope you guys will get a third season. As creative as you are...I don't think it would be a problem to take the show in another direction.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Season 2 started off great!!! I hope we see Superboy in the 90s costume with the sunglasses. I liked the Halloween episode form last season with that little nod to that costume in it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The first episode of season 2 was amazing and I liked the new characters. I definetly think that you guys deserve a third season and that you'll get one. The first season was the best and so was the original team. I really hope you didn't kill off any of the original six. They were fun to watch and I loved their dynamic. Can't wait for the rest of the season!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Just saw the first episode of season 2. I liked Nightwing and the growth of the team. Superboy being my favorite, I absolutely hated that him and MM broke up and Miss Martian-Lagoon Boy (a very very irritating character even if he wasnt smootching MM) was going on. Beast boy is just about as irritating, but understand he has fans. Cassie's personality seemed a little off, dint think she was so gungho (I am probably the one person on earth hoping for donna troy also). Barbara was cool, as well as bumble bee. Seeing how you guys delivered the best episodes of an animated series ever to me in season 1 ep 25 & 26, I will stick around 3-4 more episodes with faith that you fish fry Lagoon Boy at some point. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Mr. Vietti,
    First off, I would just like to congratulate you and Greg on an amazing series. I think it is by any and all standards the best show on television. You two and the entire crew of Young Justice have done just a spectacular job.
    Second, I wanted to tell you that I absolutely LOVED season one. I watched every episode over and over and over and over again, still willing to watch it again, and I counted down the days to the next episode. I talked about the show non-stop, and it became the highlight of my week. Even that is a poor description of how in love I was with the show.
    And I still am. I am excited for season two, and I thought it was important to let you know that although some people are upset with the time-jump, you still have plenty of fans - myself included - who will always love the show and who trust you guys enough to know you'll do an amazing job, no matter what year it is, or who the characters are.
    You've earned our faith, and I, among many others, will always look forward to the show, and will always be a devoted and die hard fan.
    And I personally feel that all those 'ex-fans,' who decided to give up on it after ONE EPISODE of a second season, are just plain stupid. The show is amazing, end of discussion, and some of us will always support you guys.
    Finally, I was curious as to if there currently is, or ever will be, a person, or group of people, that we could contact to strongly advise giving you a third season (and hopefully many more).
    Thanks for a phenomenal show,
    Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you so much for the five year jump. It works so much better for me to see Nightwing in the role he was born to be in. Wonder Girl is without question the best addition. Her and batgirl working together was magic!

    Im dying to see what has become of Kid Flash (I assume he is now the flash?) and aqualad. One of the characters on the poster is clearly a speedster Bart as impulse, maybe. Keep doing great work!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sarah

    Dont speak for everybody, especially as you kiss up, many of us love the show and will give it time to develop due to our faith in what has been seen in the past, however, I myself am hurt over some of the changes, and I can see why others (my girlfriend who loves Sup/MM and my best friend who is going where is wally/artemis) who have invested almost a year into 8 characters and their relationships between them that was wonderfully closed in the last two episodes, to be left fielded in this first episode. Our job is not to condescend these people, just to continue watching and hopefully bring them back to the fold later. Not all of us have your majesticlly wonderful blind faith.

    ReplyDelete
  14. The five year gap feels like a stab on the back, it’s like a new show. After seeing every episode from season one we were emotionally attached to each character, we invested so much time on them and yet on the second season’s premier the most interesting characters Kid Flash, Aqua Lad and Artemis didn’t even make the cut, as if they didn’t exist, no mention what so ever.
    The new roster of characters makes the team feel way too big and out of place, how is character development going to happen since this season has fewer episodes than the last one? One of the key aspects of last season was character development which worked so well.
    And the new characters don’t appeal too much, Blue Beetle seems to appear on every show as if DC wants people to like him a likeable character which is a fail and clearly appears to steal Kid Flash’s spot light with jokes (and we get it his Hispanic but him speaking Spanglish is annoying), while Lagoon Boy and beast boy don’t fit in the team.
    I really hope this season gets back on track or else it’s off my list.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I know many people say the five year gap was cruel, i kind of disagree, because technically i get to see the comic canon roster. Not that i i didn't like your season one appointments, i just missed Tim (the robin i grew up with) and i felt his lack of appearances in the DCAU was a bad thing. After watching the first episode i am even more addicted XD
    i have to admit i adore the take on blue beetle and beast boy, both for me for a long time had been foil characters, but it seems like this show might redeem them for me.
    As for people who were heart over the loss of their favorite ships, i don't mean to be mean to them, but did they expect, an MM/SB wedding?
    this series seems to have catered for them somewhat, with the SB/MM tension, I'm sure you guys will give them what they want, but mainly because they seem to be holding their viewership hostage :P
    Btw this is late, but great job handling a cartoon DC franchise, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited were ok, but this just blew it clear out of the water XD

    Cheers
    Zammy

    P.S. Please consider some TimxKara, should you introduce supergirl \(*V*)/

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous

    Both of your accusations are inaccurate, and based on misperceptions.
    Firstly, the idea of ‘kissing up,’ is ridiculous. I don’t know what you could possibly have imagined that I might have gained from such an act, but I confidently assure you that whatever your misguided ideas of my intentions, this is not why I said what I did. I spoke my high opinion of the show, and did not exaggerate it in any sense. If you think that I did, than you were incorrect in thinking so.

    Secondly, I did not try to ‘speak for everybody,’ and I at no point implied that this was my goal. I was voicing my opinion of the time-leap, which I know for a fact is shared by others, and was speaking for us alone. Why you thought I meant to speak for you, your girlfriend, your best friend, or any other person who did not share this opinion is beyond me.

    Thirdly, I was also not attempting to be condescending towards those who felt hurt by the changes, but were willing to give the second season some time. I feel that this is a perfectly understandable and reasonable choice. Those who I feel are being foolish, are those who have made a drastic change in their opinion of the show. Some fans (whom I also know for a fact to exist) have gone from being absolutely in love with the show to violently hating it in the span of time between April 21st and April 28th, and have now vowed to never watch Young Justice again, solely because of the episode ‘Happy New Year.’ This seems to me a rash and silly decision, and I wished to point this out.

    Fourthly, I would not call my belief in the show ‘majestically blind faith.’ The producers have earned my trust with a spectacular first season and I will always love the show, just as much as I have from day one. Whether you do or don’t is your choice. However, after such criticism from others on the subject of the time leap, I felt it important that the producers know that that is not the only opinion out there.

    Finally, please work on your grammar, learn how to proofread, or find someone to do it for you before your next post.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Brandon,
    I really like the show! I am 16 years old girl and at first I just watch it to see one of my favorite hero; Wally. I was really surprise how I could relate to it. A lot of Cartoons are usually made for the younger viewer but Young Justice could be for anyone!

    I read the Young Justice comic series from the late 90s and I fell in love with Bart. I know you won’t tell anyone if you will add Bart or anything like that. But I do hope you guys will. Having Tim, Bart and Connor the original members that would be amazing.
    You guys at DC do some amazing work! And I think the new season is off to a great start! I hope to see Wally soon! I have been dyeing to find out what has happen to him in the past five years!

    Thank you for making this such a good TV show!

    Michaela

    ReplyDelete
  18. there was a leaked image of a young justice invasion set of batgirl and batman with the oval emblem. So with mattel cancelling, does that mean we will never see that come to stores? I was really hoping to get that batman figure...

    ReplyDelete
  19. Season Two is amazing. I bet you your ratings go up. There is a lot of interest in it from comic fans now. You and Greg are really writing an intelligent well paced show. There are a lot of twists and I am so glad to see you are not shying from taking on real complex themes. People change when they grow up and they are not kids anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm not quite used to the new format yet, but I think the jump is interesting so far. Yes, the team is different and I am hoping for the return of some of the "older" characters: Kid Flash, Artemis, ROY, and Aqualad.
    On the other hand, I distinctly remember reading about a big shake up with another DC teen team a (really) long while back where new characters were introduced, the fanbase was mad and then it became a huge hit. Anyone ever heard of the New Teen Titans?

    ReplyDelete
  21. My hats off to you guys. This show is amazing. What you guys are doing with this show is something that the fellas over at the comics side of DC only wish they had the courage and creativity to do with the New 52. Seriously, you guys should take over the "Young Justice" line of teen hero books over there before they all get cancelled. Unlike some others I like what you guys have done with the 5 year jump. Although it would have been nice "living" these experiences out with the characters as they happened, finding out about the changes in the way we are is refreshing and has brought about a new sense of "anything really can happen" to this "world". For what it's worth, I really do hope Aqualad has gone to the dark side and this isn't some sort of "deep cover" ploy. And thank you for your guys interpretation of Nightwing. He hasn't been written this well since the Perez/ Wolfman New Teen Titans days. Keep up the good work.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Is that guy Speedy? It can be because his arm has a strange thing like a Robotical Arm.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I'm with those who dislike the time skip. I've been watching young justice since it premiered in 2010 (quite some time ago), and I always thought the highlight of the first season was its great character development. What really made me care for these heroes (and the show) was seeing how they related to each team member and how they managed to work as a team. After 5 episodes of the second season I find myself unable to care for the new characters (we don't really know them, their relatioships, and how they work as a team - as opposed to the first season, which got me caring for those characters in just 2 episodes) and the old characters have changed so much we don't really know them anymore either... I also extremely dislike the fact that they aren't one team anymore, they're a bunch of superheroes who alternate on taking numerous missions. Some have said that this time skip is only temporary, and I truly hope so, but I think chances are that its permanent. But that's just me. I really hope that you guys get a third season, because despite my general unfondness of the second season and the time skip so far, I can appreciate the effort put into it. After all, you and Mr. Weisman really did manage to give us an incredible first season, and we should be thankful just for that.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Now that Bart is involved it feels like the team is complete. But Wally shouldnt be phased out like this. His arc of gaining the mantle of the Flash should happen preferably through tragedy. And Bart should be the one to help him do it. Also Tim should get more airtime. While deaths shouldnt be handled lightly comic canon deaths like those of Jason and possibly one of the senior heroes will lead to more maturity in the young guns. So atleast one major on screen death if not now then at the season climax. Hope you guys get the go ahead for more seasons.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Have to say I loved the first season and was counting the days until season 2 started. After the first episode I was very confused about the big time skip and all the new members and the SB/MM split. Now that we're into it a few weeks I am much happier with the old team back in action! Kudos on the Aqualad double agent idea by the way and Nightwing is cool! Now on to the not feeling the aster. I, like many I'm sure are wondering why put so much time last season into building the story line on SB/MM when you just tore it apart on the first show of this season? I mean I really like Artemis and Kid, but they just aren't the ones I would have picked for the lasting relationship on the show. My friends and I all agree that SB/MM are a super hot pairing and shouldn't be messed with. I can only hope that you guys have something awesome up your sleeves and I'm sure you do. My main request is to please bring back my old team, put SB/MM back together and let Conner develop his powers and kick Lagoon boy's butt!! I hate him. Not too much to ask right? I've read a lot of fanfic lately and a lot of them seem to want SB/MM back together. Not that you guys read that stuff. Just saying, SB is one of my favorites of all time and I'd really like to see him develop with good ole dad's influence and become a seriously feared hero. With his green lady at his side.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Amazing, Amazing, Amazing!! Thats all i can say about this season. I truly hope there is a season 3, you just cant find quality writing like this in other shows. Thank you for bringing back my saturday morning cartoons. =)

    ReplyDelete
  27. In season 3, Zatanna and Dick NEED to have an episode to themselves, both of them are trying to find a way to bring back Zatarra from Dr. Fate. It could be a good buddy cop episode

    P.S. You know Dick is badass as hell when he's in a room with many members of the league, but he's still in charge, and the most intimidating one there. 

    ReplyDelete