Young Justice: Outsiders Part 2 Review: The Team Returns, So Try to Stay Whelmed

After more than five years off the air, Young Justice fans are accustomed to waiting. But the series finally has finally returned thanks to the DC Universe streaming platform, offering more adventures for the Team and the Justice League as they attempt to stop both the Light and Apokolips.

The previous stretch of episodes that led to the mid-season finale continued to increase the stakes, exposing the source behind the metahuman trafficking ring while also introducing new a new traitor. Fans of the series shouldn't expect Young Justice: Outsiders to slow down, nor should they expect a drop in quality.

The animation still doesn't seem as fluid as the first two seasons, but the familiar and brilliant character designs really come to life for the action sequences. Each fight is well choreographed, the powers are depicted with vibrance, and they make clever use of the team-based conflicts. The sequences are inventive and rely more on clever perspective movements instead of jump cuts.

Young Justice: Outsiders continues to balance scope and scale, exploring the DC Universe on both in the streets and in the cosmos. The first episode shows the Justice League exploring a threat in outer space that leads to a direct confrontation with the New Gods, picking up on the threat of Granny Goodness immediately after the mid-season finale's big reveal.

Green Lantern Guy Gardner joins Wonder Woman and Superman, among others, on this mission, which provides a great reason to bring up the amazing voice acting on the series. Troy Baker, who regularly portrays Geo-Force, is a major highlight as Guy. Danica McKellar, Jesse McCartney, Nolan North, and Khary Payton continue to set the bar for their acting as the main characters, and Baker does well in fulfilling tertiary roles.

Stephanie Lemelin has one of the most intriguing arcs in these episodes, and it's one that might not sit well with some of the die hard fans of the series. The development of her relationship with William Harper (remember, the new name for the clone of Roy Harper) might seem under developed, but actually it's built gradually throughout this season — which leads to both the biggest strength and weakness of Young Justice.

Some of the series' best moments come from the interpersonal relationships and how well the characters play off each other, guided by their talented voice actors. Artemis fighting with her mother, Halo exploring her identity, and the casual attempts to stay "whelmed" provide for heartfelt and humorous moments.

These may leave you wanting more because Young Justice continues to expand its focus, much like in the aforementioned Justice League mission that serves as the focus of the midseason premiere. You might be wanting more of the classic Team, but instead you're with Hawkgirl and Hawkman taking a trip to Thanagar.

If you enjoy seeing Young Justice for its continued exploration of the entire DC Universe, this will be right up your alley. You get a glimpse of Hawkworld, more of the New Gods, an expanded role for Beast Boy, the return of Black Manta and many other forgotten characters. This comes at the expense of focus on the core characters we know and love, who continue to play prominent roles but still get a limited spotlight as the scope swells.

Fans of the series shouldn't worry because Young Justice: Outsiders quickly builds off of the strong first half, beginning to unravel the mystery and put the Team on a collision course with the villains. After another absence, this time much shorter, it's great to have the Team back.

Rating: 4 out of 5

New episodes of Young Justice: Outsiders premiere every Tuesday on DC Universe.