Darkest
Original Airdate – October 6th, 2012
Black Manta has a new mission for his son – a mission that should prove once and for all exactly whose side Aqualad is on!
Written by Jon Weisman
Directed by Mel Zwyer
Review by GregX
Media by Warner Bros. Animation
Additional Images
Additional HD Images
Review:
“I always wanted, expected to-to grow up and become him. And the hero bit, I’m still all in. But that thing inside of him, that thing that drives him to sacrifice everything for the sake of his mission, that’s not me. I don’t want to be the Batman anymore.”
– Richard Grayson, “Disordered”I suppose the question is, have Dick Grayson, Kaldur, and Artemis Crock become what they fight against? Does doing what is necessary supersede doing what is right? I am reminded of Michael Corleone’s quote: “it’s dangerous to be an honest man.”
The series has really grown up in its sophomore season. Things have gotten darker and a lot more serious, and it makes sense since our main cast have grown up. The world is no longer black and white, not that it was before, but “Darkness” really hammers that in. I don’t know what was colder, Kaldur threatening to blow up Mount Justice, or him ordering Artemis to do it… and Artemis actually doing it. I know why they did it, and while some might say “it’s just a mountain” it’s still a cold act while fighting a war. Beast Boy was watching “Hello Megan” before Kaldur and his team invaded and those tapes have been incinerated. They were probably all Gar had left of his mom. But “Hello Megan” tapes aren’t going to defeat the Light and stop the invasion now, are they?
As we go forward, not only is Nightwing becoming more like Batman than he wanted to, it seems like he and his “conspiracy” are becoming more like the Light than they would ever want to be. Four people, with a vision for victory, conspiring together, using everyone around them like pawns to achieve the greater good. They have become much like the Light. The key differences there are that Nightwing’s team, let’s call them “The Dark” for now wish to save the world from people who are clearly villains and an invasion. Of course, Vandal Savage seeks to save mankind from the League’s coddling and speed up our evolution to become a galactic superpower. So both groups have their reasons and their excuses, and while we know how far Savage is willing to go to achieve his vision, what happens when “The Dark” need to make an even larger sacrifice in order to stop the invasion? I guess we’ll soon see. My favorite scene had to be when Wally confronted Dick at the Hall of Justice and just about lost it with him. Is Wally right? Absolutely. What’s right and what’s necessary are clashing and I can’t get enough of it.
The episode was excellent, as “Invasion” has consistently been. I’ve mentioned it before, but so far I’ve enjoyed the second season more than the first. I really like where this is going, and the season has managed to repeatedly surprise me. I realize this is darker than most animated superhero fare, but I enjoy this sort of thing. “Secrets and Lies” hasn’t gone away, and more so than in season one, this really feels like black-ops. Thank you for not playing it safe, and I can’t wait for next week.
[ Back to Reviews ]
The World’s Finest and all original content on this site – copyright, The World’s Finest.
Contact us and share your thoughts on social media via Twitter and Facebook pages!
Check out WF video content at The World’s Finest’s YouTube channel!