The primary footage for Young Justice: Outsiders lastly debuted at this yr’s San Diego Comedian-Con. The debut footage has been anticipated for 5 years, ever since DC Nation’s Young Justice animated collection was not renewed for a 3rd season.

The present has lengthy been thought of a fan favourite, and its revival almost six years after its final episode aired is harking back to Samurai Jack returning to Grownup Swim for its last season — in addition to the latest announcement that Star Wars: The Clone Wars is returning. Every one represents a belated victory for animated exhibits that have been cancelled earlier than their fundamental arcs resolved.

5 years after it completed airing, Young Justice nonetheless has an ardent fanbase, excited for the long-awaited third season. However what was it about Young Justice that introduced it again?

What’s Young Justice?

Young Justice aired on Cartoon Community’s DC Nation block from 2011 to 2013, and was produced by Brandon Vietti (Batman: Below the Red Hood and Jackie Chan Adventures) and Greg Weisman (Gargoyles and Star Wars Rebels). Airing alongside Inexperienced Lantern: The Animated Collection, the superhero team-up present adopted within the heels of the beloved Teen Titans animated collection.

It adopted the lives of a gaggle of teenage sidekicks, whom have been delegated as a covert ops staff by the Justice League, as they tried to show themselves as heroes and cope with their very own struggles. By way of DC continuity, Young Justice occurred in a universe separate from the principle timeline, permitting for various interpretations of present characters (an aged-down Zatanna, as an example) and the introduction of recent ones. There was additionally a tie-in comedian collection with artwork by Christopher Jones, which centered on occasions that occurred in between episodes.

The collection was praised for dealing with mature and sophisticated storylines, and through its airing, was one of many highest-rated exhibits on Cartoon Community. It garnered a robust fan neighborhood, which rallied collectively following the present’s cancellation.

What precisely was the present about?

Although it shared the identical identify with a comic book collection, the animated Young Justice has many variations from it in tone and line-up. Within the first season, which premiered in 2011, Superboy, Dick Grayson’s Robin, Wally West’s Child Flash, and Miss Martian have been joined by Aqualad and Artemis — two characters loosely impressed by their DC Comics namesakes, however with completely different origins and backstories.

This model of Aqualad was not the standard Garth, however as a substitute Kaldur’ahm, an unique character revealed to be the son of Black Manta. Artemis Crock initially was the minor villainess Tigress within the comics. Whereas Young Justice’s model of the character shared the identical parentage (daughter of minor villains Huntress and Sportsmaster), she was additionally Inexperienced Arrow’s protege and bore some similarity to Arowette (Cissie King-Jones, who could be launched in a cameo within the second season).

Zatanna and Artemis on a missionDC Leisure / Warner Brothers Animation

In a while within the first season, Red Arrow, Rocket and an aged-down Zatanna joined the staff.

The primary season adopted this lineup of the staff, dealing with heavier, overarching plot strains and lighter teenage moments equally nicely. In accordance with Weisman, the themes of the primary season are “secrets and techniques and lies, and likewise independence.” The younger superheroes navigate their secret identities and forge their very own paths within the shadows of their mentors, whereas combating a secretive group of villains often called the Mild.

Among the heroes in Season 2DC Leisure / Warner Brothers Animation

The second season — Young Justice: Invasion — premiered in 2012 and skipped forward 5 years, introducing a number of recent characters, together with Barbara Gordon’s Batgirl, Tim Drake’s Robin, Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle, Cassie Sandsmark’s Wondergirl, Beast Boy and Bumble Bee. The characters from the primary season have been current, some nonetheless affiliated with the staff and others adopted completely different paths. With out revealing an excessive amount of, the second season handled an incoming invasion by a mysterious alien race often called the Attain, and ended on a cliffhanger with the loss of life of a serious character and the revelation of an omnipotent villain within the final episode.

After which the present obtained pulled off the air.

Why did it get canceled?

After two seasons, the present was not picked up for a 3rd season, regardless of excessive scores. Whereas a rumor persevered that the cancellation was because of the present’s excessive feminine viewership, Weisman confirmed in a podcast that it was truly due to low gross sales of the present’s tie-in toy line from Mattel. Taking up Young Justice’s DC Nation time slot was the extra light-hearted, simply marketable Teen Titans Go!

When the cancellation was introduced, followers rallied, writing up petitions to maintain the present alive — whether or not on Cartoon Community or a streaming service, like Netflix. DC Comics, nevertheless, merely instructed followers to understand the episodes that that they had left, which elicited a destructive on-line response. Warner Brothers cancelled a fan-run crowdfunded marketing campaign to make a 3rd season.

How did it come again?

Even with preliminary dismissal from DC and Warner Brothers, fan efforts to carry again the collection persevered. The hashtag #RenewYoungJustice periodically trended on social media. In February 2016, Weisman hinted at the potential for a revival in a tweet, the place he urged followers to purchase the Blu-Ray and DVD-sets. A rumor began that Netflix was contemplating reviving the collection if sufficient viewers watched it and a brand new hashtag (#KeepBingingYJ) emerged in that point.

The present’s voice actors expressed curiosity in returning, and in June 2016, Weisman commented in regards to the “very actual” chance of Young Justice returning. The hashtags continued, rumors about conferences flew round, until lastly in November of that very same yr, Young Justice season three was formally introduced.

“The love that followers have had for Young Justice, and their rallying cry for extra episodes, has all the time resonated with us,” stated Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Digital Collection in a press launch. ”We’re excited to carry the present again for this loyal fanbase and to supply a possibility for brand new viewers to find this glorious collection.”

What now?

Since then, there have been periodic updates earlier than at the moment’s large reveal. Season 3 shall be known as Young Justice: Outsiders. The brand new characters revealed to be on the staff are revealed to be Stephanie Brown’s Spoiler, Arowette, Forager from New Gods and Girl 13.

“We wished to discover this world we constructed over the primary two seasons by way of the eyes of characters who aren’t sidekicks and aren’t born to be heroes,” Vietti stated within the San Diego Comedian-Con version of TV Information. “It’s a couple of completely different group of youngsters who have been growing powers and didn’t know what they wished to do in life, and the way they see the world. It offers our first- and second-season characters the chance to step into the lives of those outsiders and assist information them to a greater future.”

For followers throughout Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit and different social media, this newest season comes after years of campaigns, rumors and extended ready. All that ready has lastly paid off — and we are able to’t wait to return to our favourite staff of heroes and see what this belated season has in retailer.

Young Justice: Outsiders shall be accessible on DC’s new streaming platform, DC Universe, and can premiere in 2019. The primary two seasons shall be accessible with the discharge of DC Universe