American animated series Young Justice is considered one of the best superhero series ever made. Contrary to its title which suggests that it is an adaptation of Peter David, Todd Dezago, and Todd Nauck’s comic series, the TV series is an original story, set in the DC Universe. It primarily explores the adventures of teenage and young adult superheroes.
Created by Brandon Vietti and Greg Weisman, the series features numerous young heroes such as Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis. There are many other animated series based on DC characters, but what sets this one apart is the fact that the creators also intend to give an insight into the mental health of these saviors.
So much so, that there are multiple episodes in the series that focus on different mental health issues. Moreover, it is not just the creators who are invested in helping raise awareness about mental care with the series.
Young Justice Voice Actor Wrote One of the Best Episodes of Season 4
Young Justice premiered in November 2010, and grew to critical acclaim for its original, mature, and complex storytelling. The success spawned three more seasons. The series was initially canceled after two seasons. In 2016, Warner Bros. Animation picked it up for a third season subtitled Outsiders (via DC).
The fourth season followed soon after the third season. In the seventeenth episode of the fourth season, all the exhaustion from shouldering the responsibilities of Aquaman catches up to Kaldur’ahm.
Kaldur’s mental stress is well depicted in the episode, and there is more than just the creators to thank for it as Aqualad voice actor Khary Payton wrote it. In an interview with CBR, Greg Weisman said:
“Khary is so invested in the character of Kaldur. He helped us, without a doubt, create and bring [the character] to life. He just had so many ideas for Kaldur and where it would go and that kind of thing. He did a really terrific job with the script, as we knew he would.”
One of the major themes of the season was checking back in with the original members of the team since it has been ten years since its formation.
Kaldur’ahm’s Mental Health Was Paid Attention To in Young Justice Season 4
Released post-Bruce Timm‘s shows Justice League, and Batman: The Animated Series, the show often sees superheroes retire and pass on their legacy to the new generation. In the same fashion, Arthur Curry passes on his title to his son Kaldur’ahm, better known as Aqualad. Throughout the fourth season, viewers see how tired and stressed Kaldur has been, but refuses to back down from his responsibilities.
This eventually took a toll on Kaldur. However, unlike other superhero series, this show did not brush it under the rug. At the end of the episode, Kaldur leaves his Aquaman duties temporarily to seek counseling from the league’s psychiatrist, Black Canary, to confront his grief.
Young Justice Season 4 is available for streaming on Max.
