'Stargirl': Is Justice Society's new generation essentially DC's version of Young Avengers?
Between the 'X-Men,' 'Teen Titans,' 'Young Justice,' 'New Warriors,' and many more, there are teenage superhero teams out there. 'Stargirl' seeks to add another to the list — the new generation of the Justice Society. Formed a long while after the previous Justice Society falls, Stargirl (Brec Bassinger) leads a new Justice Society, taking on the legacy of their predecessors as a new generation of superheroes. While this new Justice Society joins a large group of teenage superhero characters, there's one group in particular that the new Justice Society has a lot of overlap with — the Young Avengers.
The similarities in both teams' formation are too big to overlook. When the Young Avengers were formed, they too sought to fill the gap left by their predecessors in the wake of a massive attack. Though the Justice Society was destroyed by the Injustice Society, and the 'Avengers: Disassembled' event was caused by one of their own, both teams were attacked in their own mansion, and left a void in their wake that younger heroes sought to fill. Both teams led by a patriotic hero dressed in red, white, and blue, who refused to be told that they can't be superheroes — although to be fair, that last bit might just be a quality inherent in all teenagers.
Both teams have a strong connection to the legacy of their predecessors. From the promotional posters we've seen, Wildcat, Hourman, Doctor Mid-Nite and even Stargirl herself have donned the costumes of prominent Justice Society members in addition to taking on their names —though it's at this point that the Young Avengers and the new Justice Society have the biggest thematic difference.
One of the big draws of the Young Avengers series was that each member of the team was connected to the Avengers legacy in unexpected and even misleading ways. Hulkling was a shape-changing half-Skrull, with no connection to the Hulk at all, and Billy Kaplan, calling himself the Asgardian, was later revealed to be the soul-displaced son of the Scarlet Witch. Each hero also took on new versions of their predecessors' costumes, adding their own spin to the legacy.
Despite their differences, though, both teams are defined by their drive to step up to a legacy and standard set by the premier superhero team of their respective worlds. The story of the Young Avengers and the new Justice Society is one of teenagers stepping up to fight the battle that their adult counterparts no longer can.
Neither team is passed the torch (or Cosmic Staff, Pym Particles, and so on). They all claim that legacy for themselves, choosing to honor the past while also making it their own. In a world now saturated with superhero lore, there's never been a better time for this kind of story — a fresh new take on a classic team.
'Stargirl' releases May 11, on DC Universe.
