Young Justice #6: Seven Crises Finale

The conclusion to Bendis’ first Young Justice arc “Seven Crises” is finally here. Does it live up to fan’s rather lofty expectations or better yet, exceed them?

The answer is…maybe, but probably not. That doesn’t mean this is a bad comic book though. In fact, by all measures Young Justice #6 is an excellent book. It brings closure to the arc in a satisfying way, which isn’t always guaranteed with Bendis’ preferred long format method of storytelling. The artistic direction has remained absolutely gorgeous all throughout the arc, and issue #6 provides some excellent opportunities for the creative team to showcase these great characters.

But it also emphasizes the awkward structure of the story so far. We get rapid origin stories for Teen Lantern and Jinny Hex with a completed backstory for Superboy, but it all feels like information we should have already been given before this moment. Instead of the escape from Gemworld receiving the main focus, the reunification of the Young Justice team becomes the highlight. While this is definitely exciting, it’s also undermined by the cliffhanger ending that sent the team off to an unknown destination.

It is in these discrepancies that my own reaction to issue #6 becomes split. It is full of information that I’ve been wanting since the first issue, but it comes at a time when the current story demands other answers as well.

Despite these problems, this issue manages to hit enough right notes to still be really enjoyable. Bendis and company haven’t lost sight of the heart of Young Justice and it shows. Having Superboy back is monumental, but his time on Gemworld has been complicated and emotional. The team’s dynamics are already interesting, but his full-time addition brings something unique to the table. Plus, we get badass moments like him punching a literal castle in the face!

Fans of Young Justice will find a lot to enjoy out of this issue and the entire “Seven Crises” arc. Unfortunately, it just never becomes the epic story that it really could have been. Here’s to hoping it only continues to get better into the next arc!