Young Justice (1998) #1 - Supergirl Homage ~ Comics Live Updates

Count me among those folks who were thrilled when Brian Michael Bendis announced his Wonder Comics imprint and Young Justice #1 specifically.

I am a fan of classic Conner. I am a fan of Cassie. And I am a huge fan of Amethyst. So knowing they were coming back, in a way that makes sense and that honors those characters, tickled me. I was on board. And the first issue didn't disappoint. It was a rollicking good time with the reintroduction (somehow) of these classic versions of the Young Justice characters with a big dollop of Gemworld on top. Bendis and artist Patrick Gleason are solidly on their game.

I have always wondered why I didn't collect the first Young Justice series from 1998. I was in the middle of residency and I wasn't reading an extended pull list. That probably explains it best. Somehow it slipped by. What makes this doubly amusing is that I was all in on Peter David's Supergirl book which was still on the shelves at the time. Back then, I tended to try anything David wrote.

But like the current run, this team consisted of Conner, Tim, and Bart. Others would join shortly afterwards.

I was reading reading the Waid Flash which occasionally had Impulse crossover. I had read the early Kesel Superboy stuff too. But somehow it missed this.

I recently ran across some of the issues in the bargain bins and grabbed a handful, including the old Young Justice #1. I was surprised to find a Supergirl moment tucked in it.

The book opens with the three main characters having dreams where they imagine themselves in the predicaments and lives of the other characters Peter David was famous for or was currently writing.

So we see Superboy sporting flame wings and Superman talking about a 'holier than thou' attitude. That is clearly a funny take on the Supergirl book.

Supergirl #25 was on the stands when YJ #1 was released. That was just 4 months after the Supergirl flame wings made an appearance in her title. It was just as she was starting to unravel her origins as an Earth Angel formed by the merging of two.

Pretty funny.

We also see Robin with a batarang hand, consistent with Aquaman's hook hand. And we see Impulse hulking out, appropriate given David had a long run on that title.

I suppose at some point I'll need to get to the three-part crossover between Supergirl and Young Justice from the late 90s.

But let me talk up the current Young Justice a bit more.