Before Cartoon Network and DC Universe’s cult-favorite animated TV show… before Brian Michael Bendis’ Wonder Comics relaunch… came Peter David and Todd Nauck’s DC Comics title Young Justice.
These young heroes, not quite ready for the Justice League (or even the Teen Titans, for that matter), began with the trio of Superboy, Robin, and Impulse. Very quickly however, the team grew with the likes of Wonder Girl, Arrowette, and Secret. In some wase taking back the idea of the original Teen Titans as second-generation heroes but with a twist, Young Justice stood out on the shelves then – earning an Eisner Award even – and has been revived again to stand out today.
With more time than ever to revisit favorite comic book runs and re-connect with those that did them, Newsarama called up Peter David to take a trip down memory lane and into the world of Young Justice. The writer discussed how he jumped onboard the concept after it was already started, his reasoning behind adding more female characters to the roster, and went inside memorable moments such as Arrowette quitting the team and Wonder Girl being voted leader.
Newsarama: Peter, what went into creating this title? How did you jump aboard?
Peter David: I didn’t create it. Once again, as with Supergirl, it was offered to another writer: the one who wrote the story that introduced Secret, Todd Dezago. But he wasn’t interested in doing the ongoing series, and I guess DC saw me as the go-to guy for series that other people don’t want to write. Come to think of it, that’s how I got the gig on Incredible Hulk too. Guess it’s nice to be everybody’s second or last choice.
Nrama: As long as they call you, right?
Once you came onboard, how did you pick out the roster for the team?
David: The original roster was selected for me. It was going to be called Young Justice and featuring Robin, Superboy, and Impulse.
The problem as that I quickly discovered I had trouble relating to the boys, which is odd considering I spent years being a teen boy myself. But the fact was that, as an adult, I was much more accustomed to dealing with teen girls, since I had three (now four) daughters.
So by the fourth issue I introduced three females into the book: I brought back Secret (which was natural), and included Arrowette and Wonder Girl. That was when the series really took off, because I found it much easier to relate to the boys when I was depicting them through the eyes of the girls.
Nrama: One of my favorite things about your run is seeing how the characters gradually grew into becoming their own superheroes. I especially enjoyed seeing Cassie grow from this shy girl into a leader – later becoming leader of the Teen Titans. What went into that development?
David: Actually, credit where credit is due: Her being leader was the fans’ decision, not mine.
We had the election and then invited the fans to vote for leader, and by a fairly narrow margin, they chose Wonder Girl. That’s why I had to end the voting issue on a cliffhanger; when I got done writing it, I had no idea who the fans were going to install as the team leader. Took a few months to get that sorted out.
Nrama: Which character do you feel grew the most during their time on the team?
David: Probably a tie between Wonder Girl and Secret. Wonder Girl began as this hero-worshipping fan girl and evolved into the spokeswoman and teen leader. Secret was this dead waif who slowly became totally evil, was ready to destroy the world, was talked out of it, and was restored to life.
Nrama: Heroes rarely retire or at least stay retired, what went into deciding Arrowette should hang up her bow and arrow? Why do you think it’s important to see heroes follow through on their retirement?
David: I developed the story “Unstrung” first, and then realized that when I had her snap and fire the arrow, she’d crossed a line. I had two choices: Either change my mind so that she doesn’t do it, or have her do it and then deal with the consequences.
I wound up having a sit down with then-editors Paul Levitz and Mike Carlin and I said, “What if we have her decided to just quit? Can I do that? Just take Arrowette off the board and make it stick? Not just bring her back in three months?” Mike kinda shrugged and said, “One less archer in the DCU. I’ve no problem with it.”
Fans were sure Arrowette would return, but instead I had Cissie remain an active character in the book, just not as a superhero. One of the running themes of the book was that they weren’t defined by their costumes; Cissie proved it.
Nrama: This title also developed the iconic dynamic between Bart, Cassie, Conner, and Tim – what went into creating that friendship?
David: It just sort of grew out of the stories and the situations that they were in. First and foremost, Young Justice was all about characterization. They all had very specific points of view, and sometimes they merged and sometimes they clashed, which is exactly how teens are. The camping out issue was a very important one; it was the first time that the entire group was able to just relax with each other and learn more about each of them.
Nrama: How do you feel about the title being relaunched for the Wonder Comics line? Have you read Brian Michael Bendis’ take?
David: I have. It’s not bad. It’s not my take on it, but that’s fine. It’s great to see the title back in action.
Nrama: Would you like to return to these characters one day?
David: Aside from the animated series, it’s unlikely since I’m an exclusively Marvel guy now.