The Pit...

Young Justice #11: "The Pit..." is the 12th issue of the official Young Justice spin-off comic series. It was released on December 21, 2011.

Solicitation
The spotlight turns to Robin, who must leave his teammates to fight alongside his crimefighting mentor, Batman. And the stakes couldn't be higher for the Dynamic Duo as they face off against the Demon's Head himself: Ra's al Ghul!

Tagline: The Demon Rises!

Synopsis
At the Cave, Wally asks Red Tornado for a mission. Red Tornado tells him missions aren't his to give; Batman does that. Wally reminds him that Batman is not there, instead fighting crime with Robin.

Batman and Robin fight their way through soldiers of the League of Shadows to a rocket on the launch pad. Robin keeps them occupied while Batman makes his way to the rocket. Ubu intervenes, and with his superior strength, manages to pin down Batman against a tanker truck. Robin saves his mentor by whirling a fuel hose around Ubu's ankle and jamming the gas pedal. Ubu is pulled away. Batman makes his way to the foot of the rocket, where Talia is waiting for him.

At mission control, Carol and Tom notice the commotion. Carol asks Tom to shut down the countdown, but he can't—the systems are hacked, and he is locked out. Carol realizes the rocket's original payload, ozone layer measuring equipment, has been replaced by the villains.

Robin contacts the Batcave, where Alfred is monitoring them via a camera in Batman's cowl. Talia threatens Batman, as she does not want a confrontation between him and her father—the only two men on the planet she loves. Batman quips that she would have to shoot him to accomplish that. Talia lowers her gun; Alfred warns Batman that he'd better not be smiling, but he is.

Batman makes his way to the rocket's nosecone, and discovers its new payload—a diamond lens. As Batman figures out how to destroy it, Ra's al Ghul himself arrives. Ra's explains his plan: with the lens, he could focus the sun's rays into a beam that could destroy cities. The human surplus would be destroyed, while nature and rural areas would remain. He offers to spare Gotham City, if Batman joins his cause. Batman passes.

Ra's is pleased, and boasts that in the past, he has been defeated because he underestimated Batman. He triggers the rocket with a remote detonation, but Batman tells him he might not have underestimated him, but he has underestimated Robin. While Batman and Ra's spoke, Robin had snuck up and removed the lens. Ra's lunges at him, but the lens falls, and Ra's with it. He lands on the launch pad near Talia. Though the mission is a success, Batman is sure Talia will hate him for her father's death. Alfred comforts him that Ra's' deaths tend to be temporary anyway.

Ubu and Talia pick up Ra's' body and leave the facility. Alfred patches a communication from Red Tornado through, about the passing of Kent Nelson.

Red Tornado speaks a eulogy at the grave of Kent Nelson. The entire Team, as well as members of the Justice League and Justice Society of America, are present. As everyone leaves afterwards, Green Arrow tells Artemis she is going to be placed under arrest.

Talia and Ubu reconvene with Sensei at the Lazarus Pit of Infinity Island. He is revived, but out of his senses. As Ubu steps forward to help his master, he is knocked down. Ra's apologizes, but Ubu needs none from his master. His first act back alive is to order Sensei to prepare "The Serpent", but not activate him yet. Talia protests, but to no avail. As Ra's and Ubu go off, Talia blames this behavior on the pit, but Sensei tells her he has always been this adamantine. As they walk away from the pit as well, they are disturbed by a scream from the pit. A clay figure emerges, calling out Talia's name. Sensei blames Talia for it.

Title
"The pit" mentioned in the title is the Lazarus Pit. With the title of the next issue, "The Pendulum", it is also a reference to Edgar Allen Poe's short story The Pit and the Pendulum.

Characters
! colspan="3"| Non-speaking roles
 * colspan="3"| Alfred Pennyworth
 * colspan="3"| Batman
 * colspan="2"| Carol
 * colspan="3"| Clayface
 * colspan="3" | Green Arrow
 * colspan="3"| Kid Flash
 * colspan="3"| Ra's al Ghul
 * colspan="3"| Red Tornado
 * colspan="3"| Robin
 * colspan="3"| Sensei
 * colspan="2"| Talia al Ghul
 * colspan="2"| Tom
 * colspan="2"| Ubu
 * colspan="3"| Ra's al Ghul
 * colspan="3"| Red Tornado
 * colspan="3"| Robin
 * colspan="3"| Sensei
 * colspan="2"| Talia al Ghul
 * colspan="2"| Tom
 * colspan="2"| Ubu
 * colspan="3"| Sensei
 * colspan="2"| Talia al Ghul
 * colspan="2"| Tom
 * colspan="2"| Ubu
 * colspan="2"| Tom
 * colspan="2"| Ubu
 * colspan="2"| Ubu
 * colspan="2"| Ubu
 * colspan="2"| Ubu
 * colspan="3" | Aqualad
 * colspan="3" | Aquaman
 * colspan="3" | Artemis
 * colspan="3" | Black Canary
 * colspan="3" | Flash (Barry Allen)
 * colspan="3" | Flash (Jay Garrick)
 * colspan="3" | Joan Garrick
 * colspan="3" | Miss Martian
 * colspan="3" | Superboy
 * colspan="3" | Wildcat
 * colspan="3" | Wonder Woman
 * colspan="3" | Zatara
 * colspan="3" | Joan Garrick
 * colspan="3" | Miss Martian
 * colspan="3" | Superboy
 * colspan="3" | Wildcat
 * colspan="3" | Wonder Woman
 * colspan="3" | Zatara
 * colspan="3" | Wildcat
 * colspan="3" | Wonder Woman
 * colspan="3" | Zatara
 * colspan="3" | Wonder Woman
 * colspan="3" | Zatara
 * colspan="3" | Zatara

Continuity

 * This story continues in the next issue.
 * The events of this issue coincide with those of "Denial".

Trivia

 * Number 16:
 * Kent Nelson's funeral takes place on August 21, 16:07 EDT.
 * Sensei and Talia al Ghul revive Ra's al Ghul in a Lazarus Pit on August 25, 23:16 ECT.

Goofs

 * The first page recreates a scene from "Denial", with some differences:
 * In the episode, Miss Martian and Artemis stood side by side but here, Miss Martian is in front of Artemis.
 * Artemis wore brown pants as opposed to blue.
 * Miss Martian's top was lilac instead of white.
 * The position and size of the rocket's nose cone changes between frames.
 * Tanker trucks would not be allowed that close to the launch site.
 * Robin (in his casebook) forgot to capitalize the B in Batman when he describes Ra's.
 * When Ra's lunges towards the falling lens, the vertical seam on his shirt is red instead of yellow.
 * Artemis once again has blue eyes instead of dark gray.
 * Talia's eyes are miscolored blue on the second to last page.

Cultural references

 * A plaque at the rocket's nose reads "Hal - 25"; this is a reference to Hal Bichel, Christopher Jones's girlfriend.
 * Ra's' weapon "The Serpent", as well as the words he uses to describe it—Garden and Eden—are references to the Serpent from the Bible.

Answered questions

 * Why is Artemis put under arrest? (Answer)

Unanswered questions

 * Why is Batman so concerned what Talia thinks of him?
 * What is the "Serpent", the "Garden", and "Eden" that Ra's refers to?