Young Justice: Outsiders – "Early Warning"

Director: Vinton Hueck
Writer: Greg Weisman

Our story picks up a couple of weeks after the Outsiders' big success in Maine. We start with a report from Courtney Whitmore (a young TV personality who calls herself Stargirl, but doesn't seem to actually be the Stargirl we know from the comics). She briefly mentions some of the Outsiders' exploits, but doesn't go into detail, choosing instead to highlight how popular the group has become. On December 21, Beast Boy, Geo-Force, Wonder Girl and Static Shock rescue a bunch of meta-teens from Klarion the Witch Boy. They couldn't have done it without a lot of help from Zatanna (above) who kept her presence hidden so the world wouldn't see a Justice League member on an unauthorized mission.

We don't know why Kid Flash and Blue Beetle weren't there until the very end of the episode, when the Outsiders bring the rescued teens to the Meta-Human Youth Center in Taos at 16:51 MST. Bart, Jaime, and Eduardo greet the team in their street clothes. Virgil excitedly tells them they missed a great one, before catching himself and offering condolences. Bart doesn't say anything, but gives Virgil a hug. So, although it was never explicitly stated, it appears that Bart's guardian, Joan Garrick, has died.

Eduardo says he, Bart and Jaime were talking after the funeral, and he has decided that he needs to join the Outsiders now. He says the kids at the youth center need to see "one of their own" out doing good, and Gar heartily agrees. He calls for a vote and Eduardo is unanimously and enthusiastically welcomed onto the team.




Sometimes the cost-cutting measures of the show become annoyingly apparent. Like having everybody always wear the same clothes. Or not bringing in certain voice actors for an episode. Bart didn't say anything here, which was completely out of character. Even if he was mourning Joan's death, he'd still say something to Virgil. And he'd especially say something about Eduardo joining the team. But even more frustrating was how the entire funeral of Joan was never shown or directly mentioned. I mean, we're meant to assume she died, but it's never confirmed. I know this show has a ton of characters and way too many plot lines for its own good, but some things are big enough to warrant a little more attention. And funerals are one of those things.

Next time, we'll continue Young Justice: Outsiders.