What If...

It’s time to update my Pinned Post with the new art - so welcome to The Gallery. I’ve done a lot of digital doodles recently and I’m open to doing more - if you have any characters you’d like to see drawn then I’m Open to Suggestions - just drop me a comment on this post or my askbox is always open and I'll keep them in mind for the next drawing.

ALSO, I’ll add here that I’m unable to respond/make comments on posts - including my own - so if you would like to hear my response to anything in particular then I suggest dropping me an ask instead and I’ll get back to you. If you don’t mind no response then stick with comments/replies and know I read them all. (I honestly don’t know why I can’t comment on replies - I’ve tried and they just don’t send on anything - so I’ve given up trying.)

ANYWAY, I’m grateful for any and all types of interaction given to this blog and the nonsense I spout about this show I love - I know how long most of my posts get so it really means a lot that anyone puts time into reading them. 🧡

So thank you all. 🙏

LB

I totally agree.

Other than with Robin for the Raptor squad, I don’t know why I never thought about the names relating to the other squad leaders. I think my mind always defaulted to linking them with Beast Boy (as the one who usually opts for a gorilla form) and Bart (for silly reasons I’ve talked about previously), but you’re totally right about Wonder girl and Static both fitting the characteristics of their corresponding animals… it also makes way more sense that it should, given they are the team leaders!

(Side note: I always seem to overlook Virgil and I always feel bad when I realise I’ve done it - because he’s great! He deserves more exploration in the canon, we didn’t get to see enough of him being a leader in Targets since the focus moved to M’ganns squad, and it wasn’t exactly a strategical situation he was in to show off just how much he’s grown over the years. I think, like the mongoose, there's more to Virgil than the narrative gives him credit for.)

Oh… I am also only now realising that the animals correspond with the actions each squad is tasked with. As you said, raptor squad are tracking their prey from a distance before swooping in to make their attack. Gorilla squad is all about diverting attention away from M’gann’s covert alpha squad by making a lot of noise, banging on their chests so to speak and attacking their assailants head on. Then there’s mongoose squad who provide the sneak attack - lying in wait for the opportune moment to back up their teammates… all of which has just blown my tiny mind a little bit because I can’t believe I never realised that before. 🤦‍♀️ (That’s a lie, I totally can believe it. This sort of thing happens all the time with me!)

It’s funny how things click into place years after the fact 😂

Anyway… thanks for your message Musehart! (It really has opened my eyes to things I hadn’t realised I hadn’t realised about this comic story. And I do love it when that happens!)

Which wouldn’t be all that weird, given denim is a very popular material to be worn that is usually blue, if it wasn’t for the fact that both gar and Jim are wearing tops that just so happen to be the same shade of blue that we have never seen them wear before.

Seriously, why is there so much blue in this panel?! There’s gotta be a reason… right?

I do remember the US presidential election was happening around the same time this released and the thought did cross my mind at said time that they were subconsciously trying to say vote democrats…😂 which is probably not what was happening but it was a thought that I had. 🤷‍♀️

No, but seriously, why is gar wearing that blue top!? He has a perfectly acceptable white Outsiders top that would have looked fine in this scene. Why is it blue? (If you cannot tell, I am not a fan of the blue top on gar. It just doesn’t suit him!)

Anyway… I’m gonna stop now.

1… that I wish we had more tie in comics… especially if TPTB are gonna insist on not renewing the show. Comics are great, there are so many possibilities that can be explored with comics: you could have long running plots, episodic plots, different themes for different teams, spinoffs, characters studies, they can be stylised, hard hitting, action packed, prequels, sequels, sidequels, AUs… literally anything is possible with comics and I just really wish more canon content existed for this show I love!

And 2… is that I need another series simply to answer the question of what the heck is going on with Roy and Perdita! I brought this up in my original Targets notes but Roy cannot take his eyes off Perdita whenever they’re in the same scene. And he gets very concerned when she gets taken. He is definitely smitten about our favourite queen, which is probably the last word anyone would ever think to use to describe YJ’s Roy Harper, and yet smitten, he absolutely is! He is so invested in Perdita, despite never having had any sort of connection established previously within the show or comics… so what the heck has happened that we have not seen yet? I desperately want to know! Roy and Perdita is a relationship combination I never thought I’d find myself thinking about… and yet I’m strangely invested in the idea. (Someone please tell me I’m not the only one who sees it!)

My current headcanon is that they both met at the SuperMartian wedding and hit it off right away. Then, despite a gentle warning from a rather perceptive teleporter about rocking the boat so soon after Gar’s recovery, Roy has simply been unable to get her out of his head since.

I'll prefix this with, I haven't watched S4 in a while, so this is gonna be based mostly on how Bowhunter Security is presented in s3ep4, because that is ingrained in my brain and is the perfect episode, in my opinion, to base a spin-off on…

Also, this is probably gonna be more about the vibes I'd like to see than the actual plots that it could explore, because this is just how my brain thinks things up…

Firstly, I think a comic would be awesome, and I’d have each issue be its own standalone plot, with that old-style sitcom vibe, so anyone could jump in at any point with it.

It would need to keep its ‘everyday is just a regular day at the office’ vibe… and then the shenanigans occur. 

Will is a loving, stable, working father first, crime-fighting, kickass, masked hero second. 

It would absolutely need to keep its lighthearted tone with moments for some poignant fatherly words of wisdom dotted about throughout. Nothing too extreme or earth-shattering (in the literal sense). Keep the vibes down to earth, something similar to what the Marvel Wonder Man series was like (if you saw that). Heart should be at its core, more than the usual action-packed nature of superhero stories. 

Same as with Will, I think Bowhunter Security should stay a legitimate business first, and a sometimes vigilante/hero shadow brand second. 

I'd love to see a revolving wheel of different heroes helping out/subbing in. 

Maybe there’s even a work experience scheme set up with the MHYC to help out the youngsters there build their skills and confidence in an environment that won’t judge them for any metagene mishaps. 

It could be used as a way to expand the characters we don’t get to see much of outside of their hero setting. I’m thinking people like Mist and Livewire - let’s get to know them as Andy and Leslie as they help out for a couple of days. Let’s learn some backstory beyond the fact that they got roped into the villain's life by nefarious means. I think Will is a brilliant character for bringing these conversations to the surface, and I would love to see that so much!

Heck, let it get to a point where everyone has their civilian clothes, their hero costume and a Bowhunter Security uniform, for just in case. 

Maybe there could be a storyline where someone gets benched from going on missions - could be because of injury, or mental wellbeing, or as a punishment for something - and instead of leaving them to wallow at home, Will arranges for them to help out with Bowhunter Security. Throughout, there would be a bit of angst as they don’t really want to be there, and we discover what got them to the place they’re in. There could be some lightheartedness with Jim being Jim. Then some major fatherly wisdom from Will that helps them come to terms with whatever lesson it would be they needed to learn. 

Then I think it would be really fun to have an issue where, on (what’s supposed to be) a very normal day, Roy just turns up in his Bowhunter Security uniform and is like - I’m ready for work, boss. And Will's like - I didn’t hire you. And Roy’s like - well, I’m here anyway, so where’d you want me?  Let’s just say, Will is immediatly suspicious, as Roy doesn’t ever help unless massively incentivised… so he absolutely knows Roy’s up to something shady… however, (because we’re gonna make things extra complicated) it’s also ‘bring your kid to work day’, so Lian is there and she loves her uncle Roy, which means Will can’t really confront Roy on what is going on. Will then has to juggle running his business, and solving what Roy’s up to, all while taking care of his daughter and it all accumulates in whatever Roy is up to bringing major trouble right to will’s door… let’s just say, Roy’s the only person to ever get fired from Bowhunter Security, which he actually deems as quite the achievement in the grand scheme of things… Will, however, absolutely does not. 

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got at the minute, though I may add to it if I ever come up with any more. I love the idea of a Bowhunter Security spinoff - particularly as a comic. It’s such a great concept to play with, and Will is a gem of a character to lead a mini-series with.

But that's just my thinking. Thank you for your question anon!

I would work it out myself, only the last time I tried to figure out the ages of these characters, I think I had a nervous breakdown and realised I cannot count. So help would be appreciated 😅

For context, I have a certain concept playing in my brain that only works if Bart is still technically only allowed to be on the Outsiders with the permission of Jay as his legal guardian. Is that still the case by the end of s4? When does Bart stop being a minor?

See, not only did the restriction affect what could be explored for Bart's development, I'd argue it had a bigger impact on Ed's...

Bart is the more established character, both in the show and in general as a well-known DC hero. Audiences don't necessarily need to know who he’s dating for them to enjoy and connect with him whenever he's on screen. (I mean, who doesn't love Bart?!) Ed, on the other hand, is essentially an original character for YJ. He doesn't have the benefit of wider comics lore to establish a foundation for who he's gonna be in the show; his role in S2 is a pretty small one in the grand scheme of things, and even as a member of the Runaways, I wouldn't say he was the focal character of that group. (I'd say that was either Virgil and/or Tye). For the most part, his is not a name that would stick in the brain after concluding S2.

He's a niche character, and therefore benefits from any and all developments, and connections, the writers choose to give him to deepen the audience’s investment in him… and I just find it sad that his reveal as an LGBTQ+ character had to essentially be censored and relegated to being confirmed on AskGreg, instead of in the actual show - all because higher up didn't want Bart to be seen as gay. 

And honestly, the ridiculous thing is, I don't actually think establishing Bart's sexuality has as much, if any, narrative impact on his character. Bart being gay doesn’t really change anything about him (at least not in my eyes). It's an interesting detail which I love, and want to see explored, but ultimately it doesn't make you recontextualise any of his actions throughout the show. For Ed, however, it absolutely does.

While we don’t actually know the context of why Ed originally ran away from his Abuelo's home, it’s hard to overlook the concept that realising his sexuality might have legitimately played a part in his decision to leave the environment he was in, or maybe it wasn’t his decision at all. On top of that, his attitude throughout S2 regarding the Metagene, and his insistence on needing to be “cured” of it, hits way different when considering he was already going through something that might have already led him to feel ostracised within society (going with the assumption that it wasn't a very open-minded, accepting environment he was in). Then there's the conversations he has with the meta teens at the MHYC in S3 about learning to accept himself, which feel much deeper than only being about his metegene.

There's deeper experience inferred within his words from throughout his appearances now, thanks to the introduction of this one piece of development. Even though it is technically all still speculative at the moment, this is what I mean by there being more narrative impact with Eds' reveal than Bart's. And the fact that it couldn't be revealed as intended for him because of issues with a different character, who is less narratively impacted by such information, is really annoying. Ed is a really cool character and deserved his screentime unhindered by senseless restrictions (Bart does too, obviously). 

I desperately want to see what uncensored BartxEd looks like in YJ, because I love how relationships are portrayed in Greg's shows. There's always something so wholesome and compelling about them - whether big or small, focal or background. He has a way of knowing how to communicate connections without relying solely on spectacle. From Conner and M’gann to Wendy and Marvin, I'm invested in them all… Though, as we all know, none more than my boys, who I probably spend the majority of my time talking about on here! (I have no regrets, they're worth it.) And the fact of the matter is, Greg and Brandon still did a brilliant job with them, even with the restrictions… So what the heck does unrestricted BartxEd look like?? I wanna know so bad!!

And here’s the thing, Greg has said previously that it was late in the process of making S3 that they got told they couldn’t show the relationship, which means there must be some material that exists portraying it… right? Voice work, storyboards, writing drafts? There's a lot of work that goes into animation, so there's got to be something out there… especially a kiss of some kind, because I stand by the idea that they were supposed to be the one who had the first gay kiss in YJ - and not the utter mess of a moment that was Harper and Violet on that beach (the less we talk about that the better). It just makes more sense! I want there to be a secret stash of cut EdxBart content that will one day get to see the light of day - it would be so great.

Anyway, as usual, I started rambling and could not stop. The point is, it’s nice to see a BartxEd mention from Greg that isn’t hidden within cryptic clues for once! Maybe there’s hope yet… 

I was just checking out AskGreg (not even for YJ this time). I just rediscovered W.I.T.C.H., and wanted to see what Greg had previously said about it there, so I was only actually looking for the W.I.T.C.H. related responses… however, in the very first response that came up, I found an ask regarding the romances in Greg's different works... and look who gets an official explicit mention amongst his faves...

BART AND ED!! 

Now, I’ll be first to admit, I might be making a big thing out of nothing with this, but I wanna gush about it, so please indulge me… :)

This is the first time I've ever seen Greg directly refer to them both in a comment that explicitly relates to their being in a relationship… and I'm not gonna lie, my reaction was an audible one. This has me freaking the freak out, because while we have all known this was the situation with them, Greg has always been very wink-wink-nudge-nudge about it. Consistently only ever being explicit with the Ed side of things, while Bart always remained nameless… so has something changed? Or is it simply that Greg just doesn't give a shit about being cryptic anymore?

Also, what I find kinda hilarious about this whole thing is that there are some big-name romances on this list... Spitfire, Supermarian, Clark and Lois, from W.I.T.C.H., there's Cornelia and Caleb, Will and Matt (also voiced by Jason Marsden), Goliath and Elisa from Gargoyles. They are all very focal, very well-established couplings. The fact that these two boys, who just barely get a kiss on the cheek moment (which is technically more of a nuzzle, thanks to, I presume, last-minute meddling), are included on this same list is absolutely insane… and I love it so much! They really are iconic and deserve their place amongst the bigs.

Though it does lead me to once again mourn what could have existed had TPTB not been absolute homophobes unreasonable people regarding Bart's sexuality. 

Especially when it comes to S4. I simply refuse to believe that in a season involving a subplot where Bart goes missing for multiple weeks, there wasn't supposed to be some sort of Ed perspective on the matter... Whether that takes shape as acknowledging Ed did in fact know what Bart was up to (like Wally and Artemis in s2). Or some reference to him being particularly worried about his missing boyfriend. Because they ARE boyfriends, he SHOULD be worried!

His looking for Bart would have been a perfectly acceptable excuse for Ed (and the Outsiders) not being very present in s4… It's one of my main gripes with that season because I don't think it makes any sense why the Outsiders aren't the ones looking for their own teammate! Also, since we’re on the topic of gripes… why is there apparently zero concern for the fact that there's a load of the MHYC teens now on Brion's team in Markovia?! Seriously, why is no one talking about this and WHERE THE HELL IS ED?! We all saw him in S3. We know how much he cares about those kids. He would be very concerned about this, or at least he should be, just like he should be very concerned about Bart… 

No, but seriously, where is Ed in s4!? I can’t help but feel like his absence, despite Bart’s subplot, is just another consequence of the restrictions… As in, since Greg and Brandon are clearly committed to keeping them in a relationship despite the situation (which I'm very much thankful for), they can’t exactly show Ed not being concerned for Bart, therefore they just won’t show him at all and that way the audience can freely interpret things however they wish... Y'know, like I just did with this baseless justification of why my favourite character did not get screen time in S4. Even though the more likely case is probably just - it's a big cast, and he didn't make the cut… (but that reason is boring, so I'm sticking with mine.) ;)

So, I originally went for many more paragraphs rambling on and on about this subject (as is usually the case with me), but decided the post was way too long, so they will be posted separately... You can read them HERE once I have :)

The point is, it’s nice to see a BartxEd mention from Greg that isn’t hidden within cryptic clues for once! Maybe there’s hope yet… 

Oh, you and me both my friend!

In this house we protect our boy Eduardo at all costs!

Hey anon, it’s no bother at all - I love talking Young Justice!

And ye, she really doesn’t come across great in that episode; she very much falls into the 'unreasonable mother' trope that makes you want to yell at her in Cassie's defence. I've been watching W.I.T.C.H., and there are a few mothers in that show who are exactly the same.

Part of me wonders if the idea of them doing it for attention is even her own opinion at all, or if it's actually an opinion she’s heard others float as they spread their baseless judgments about her daughter. It’s not hard to get swayed when you’re already doubting your own judgment, and all of these adults are doubting their judgments in this episode.

It also makes you wonder if Cassie's being an unmasked hero and having her face broadcast all over tv networks and social media brings about anxieties for Helena surrounding how the consequences of her daughter’s actions might now directly affect her… It’s easier to separate yourself from a situation you’re not entirely comfortable with when it’s done outside of your periphery, i.e., the covert thing. However, as soon as it isn’t, there’s no escaping it, and something like an international incident is kind of a big deal to be implicated in.

Though I will say her case is not helped by this being her first and only (if I remember rightly) appearance in the show… Jay and Ed’s dad both have the benefit of previous appearances, so we know everything they’re saying is coming from a place of anxiety and worry for their respective teenager. Ed’s dad actually comes across in a similar way back in season 2 — with his whole, “you only have yourself to blame” thing, regarding Ed's being kidnapped, imprisoned and tortured by aliens — though again, he still gets a tad more development than Cassie's mum ever does to justify the harshness of the words stated.

Although the fact that we’ve never heard of any problems between Cassie and her mum before, for me at least, would suggest that their relationship can't be too bad… then again, Cassie's never really gotten that much exploration either, so who knows what her home life is actually like. However, for now, I will give her mum the benefit of the doubt until provided with more evidence of her character… I mean, she can’t be too terrible since she did agree to letting Cassie hero with the team for years… unless that was just because she didn’t have much interest in what her daughter gets up to in her free time... Then that wouldn’t be so great.

Anyway, this has ultimately got me thinking about how they really need to explore Cassie more when they next get the chance, because I was having a look at her wiki entry and was reminded that she is the daughter of ZEUS! How has that never come up in conversation before?!? Seriously, that's an insane nugget of information, and I'd love to know more about Cassie because she really is pretty cool!

Thanks for your message Anon 🫶

I kinda love it 😍

LB :)