By Hook or by Web

Young Justice #4: "By Hook or by Web" is the fifth issue of the official Young Justice spin-off comic series.

Solicitation
A woman is targeted by a covert group of assassins! It's Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad to the rescue, but can they save her from the combined menace of Hook and Black Spider? Only if they can escape from the deadly duo themselves! The junior heroes must prove they can work as a team and take on the menace of the League of Shadows at the same time!

Synopsis
Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad are captured by Black Spider and Hook. Robin manages to cut loose the cobwebs because the captors had forgotten to take off his utility belt. Even though Kid Flash and Robin have the element of surprise, their combined attack is quickly defeated. Black Spider glues them to the wall, and Hook is ready to finish them. Aqualad saves them by using the water from a watercooler as a shield...

Robin and Aqualad fight off the assassins while Kid Flash runs off with Selena. In a pantry, he refuels with a Kapow energy drink. As Farano Enterprises manufactures the drink, there's plenty in stock.

Aqualad manages to take down Hook, because the assassins are precisely above the bathrooms and he douses him with a lot of water. Kid Flash manages to distract Black Spider by throwing Kapow at him, giving Robin the opportunity to attach an explosive to his webslinger. The assassins are beaten, but there is no sign of Selena Gonzalez.

Back at the Cave, the three young heroes rethink their adventure, and watch the news. They hear that Hook and Black Spider both escaped custody, and Selena Gonzalez is missing. Robin realizes they've been had: the League of Shadows had others outside, waiting for Selena to escape the building. The assassination was successful, despite the heroes' best efforts.

Title
The title appears to be a play on "By hook or by crook", a phrase meaning "by any means necessary". In this case, it refers to the preferred weaponry of Hook and Black Spider.

Characters

 * colspan="3" | Aqualad
 * colspan="3" | Black Spider
 * colspan="2" | Cat Grant
 * colspan="3" | Hook
 * colspan="3" | Kid Flash
 * colspan="3" | Robin
 * colspan="3" | Selena Gonzalez
 * colspan="3" | Hook
 * colspan="3" | Kid Flash
 * colspan="3" | Robin
 * colspan="3" | Selena Gonzalez
 * colspan="3" | Robin
 * colspan="3" | Selena Gonzalez
 * colspan="3" | Selena Gonzalez
 * colspan="3" | Selena Gonzalez

Continuity

 * The story continues from the previous issue.
 * Robin posits that there were other Shadows outside; this is foreshadowed in the previous issue as Cheshire is present at the briefing, but not at the assault.

Goofs

 * Kid Flash wears his second costume, with padding, but he did not get that suit until the Team's first mission on July 22, shown in "Drop-Zone".
 * Selena Gonzalez is wearing a brown business suit; in the previous issue, her suit was blue and white.
 * On the title splash page, Selena's eyes are blue.
 * Aqualad's pants are black instead of blue.