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"Torch Songs, Part 1" is the 27th issue of the official Young Justice spin-off comic series and the first to be released seven years since the last issue was published.
It tells a story set between season two and season three and it was commissioned to promote the latter as a DC Universe exclusive. It is broken up in a two-chapter story,[1] and the first chapter was released on January 2, 2019.
Solicitation[]
As Superboy and Miss Martian prepare for a new mission, the tension in their relationship affects the team. But with Psimon on the loose, they MUST pull it together!
Synopsis[]
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Superboy enters the Watchtower for a briefing. Already present are Batgirl, Beast Boy and Miss Martian. Superboy did not expect his ex-girlfriend to be there, and everyone senses the awkwardness of the situation. Batgirl gets to it and assigns them all to Alpha Squad. Their mission: Psimon. The criminal entered the US and passed through customs by using his powers, but he was picked up by cameras. Beast Boy thinks it wasn't very smart of him, but Miss Martian sees it for the trap it is. She assures she can deal with him, which prompts Superboy to interject and remind her of a previous bout with the telepath, which left him in a coma.
Batgirl and Beast Boy stand aside and watch it unfold and are surprised, because even after the messy breakup, they seemed to be getting closer again. They even got along great on a mission to Mars not too long before. Superboy picks up on their whispering and agitatedly hurries them all along.
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Alpha Squad tracks Psimon to the Goode World Studios classic movie festival after he was spotted photobombing a guest on the 1K Wordsworth app—more evidence of a trap. They split up and look for him. Beast Boy and Miss Martian take a detour, as one of the guests is Goode World and Hello, Megan! star Sandra Stanyon. They're both hoping the show will come up in the Q&A, but it's mostly about her old movies and co-star/ex-husband Jonathan Lord. Superboy joins them and urges Megan to ask a question about Marie Logan. Sandra remembered her well, and can see a similarity with Megan. They both exclaim Marie was their mother. Sandra is pleasantly surprised, but wonders why Gar is painted green. She invites them to lunch after the session. Miss Martian thanks Superboy for helping her, which he claims he did because they are teammates. Just teammates.
Barbara scours the halls with little success until she is confronted by a random man. The man reveals himself to be Psimon, who is only visible to her. He picked her first because she can't stop him–he has diplomatic immunity from Bialya, is blocking her psychic link with Miss Martian, and can overwhelm her easily if she so much as moves.
The rest of Alpha Squad sits down with Sandra. She has heard of Marie's passing and it saddened her; the cast felt like family. Megan wishes she were there. Psimon, in the meantime, is able to trace Miss Martian and locks on to her and the rest of the Team. He transports them into her mind, which is filled with... Hello, Megan!.
- Superboy and Beast Boy familiarize themselves with their surroundings. Beast Boy is in the shape of a frog, and his ability to talk in beast move sets off alarm bells for Superboy. They quickly learn where they are when Mrs. Wheeler walks in to chastise them about their language. She calls down her daughter because her friend is here, with a frog. As Megan walks down commenting about taking care of the class frog, Superboy realizes they're trapped inside M'gann's mind.
Title[]
A "torch song" is a sentimental song about lost or unrequited love. It can refer to Miss Martian and Superboy, who despite not being together seem to have unresolved issues regarding their feelings for each other, and also to Sandra Stanyon, who goes on about her past relationship with Jonathan Lord.
Characters[]
| Character | ||
|---|---|---|
| Batgirl | ||
| Beast Boy | ||
| Marie Logan | ||
| Megan Wheeler (illusion) | ||
| Miss Martian | ||
| Mrs. Wheeler (illusion) | ||
| Psimon | ||
| Sandra Stanyon | ||
| Superboy | ||
| Tod Donner | ||
| Audience member | ||
| Non-speaking roles | ||
| Jonathan Lord (picture) | ||
| Conner Manley (illusion) | ||
| Mr. Wheeler (illusion) | ||
| 1 | Character debut |
| 0 | Speaking debut |
Continuity[]
- The Team is operating from the Watchtower, as it was established in the final moments of "Endgame".
- Beast Boy mentions Miss Martian and Superboy's mission to Mars, possibly referring to the one that Aqualad assigned to them, also in "Endgame".
- Superboy chastises Miss Martian for having put Psimon in a coma. This has happened at least once, as seen in "Image". Superboy's disapproval of Miss Martian's abuse of her telepathy was a recurring issue in season 2.
- A mural of Sandra Stanyon's breakout film The Silver Blade can be seen in "Secrets" on the wall concealing the Zeta-Tube to Manhattan.
- Sandra mentions Marie Logan's passing, which occurred in "Players, Chapter Six: Rolling Doubles".
- Page 19 recreates some stills from the opening sequence of Hello, Megan! seen in "Image".
Reprint[]
- This comic is reprinted in:
Trivia[]
- Number 16:
- The story begins at 16:16 EDT.
- Tod Donner mentions one of Jonathan Lord's roles as a "cursed gargoyle". This is a reference to Cary Bates-written Silverblade comic.
- Megan says Hello, Megan! wasn't popular on Earth. According to Greg Weisman, the series was cancelled after one season due to mediocre ratings.[2]
- The abbreviation of Goode World Studios ("GW") also match the initials of the issue's writer Greg Weisman.
- Greg Weisman had considered a story centered on an episode of Hello, Megan! during the original tie-in comic run, which he revealed in a Nerdy Show podcast interview more than five years before the release of this issue.[3]
- The non-canon radio play Musicology 101: Songs of the Theme, performed six months before the release of "Torch Songs", contains a very similar plot and dialogue to the "Torch Songs" two-parter. It is unclear if the comic was based on the radio play, or if the comic was written first and the play adapted from that script.
Goofs[]
- Superboy's designation is shown to be B-05, while hitherto it was B-04.
Cultural references[]
- Goode World Studios' logo bears a striking resemblance to the Warner Bros. shield.
- The Silver Blade is a nod to the 1987 supernatural fantasy comic book series Silverblade, written by Cary Bates. Sandra Stanyon and Jonathan Lord are characters from that series.
- One of the posters is for "Dial "D" for Dead", a reference to the Hitchcock movie Dial M for Murder. It stars Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre and is directed by Michael Curtiz. As Veidt died in 1943, this movie was made some time between 1940 and 1943.
- The festival foyer includes a cardboard cutout of silent film star Charlie Chaplin.
Questions[]
| Questions |
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Answered questions[]
- What happened between Miss Martian and Superboy since "Endgame" to cause the apparent strain in their relationship? (Answer)
References[]
- ↑ Jones, Christopher (2018-12-28). Tweet. Twitter. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
- ↑ Weisman, Greg (2016-05-04). Question #20872. Ask Greg. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
- ↑ (2013-11-18). Episode 160: The Legacy of Young Justice. Nerdy Show. Retrieved 2019-01-03.