Cartoon Shows and Their Comic Book Adapations

The new Young Justice comic based on the Young Justice TV show on Cartoon Network is different from all the other comic book tie ins to TV shows. This comic is actually in continuity with the TV show. The creators Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti supervised the writing of the first six issues and Weisman, along with another show writer, Kevin Hoops, will take over writing the series from issue 7. Young Justice adheres to a strict timeline with timestamps appearing in the show and the comic. A timeline created by the fans based on what we know so far can be read here.

Gargoyles, created by Greg Weisman, had a tie in with Marvel Comics. The comic's characterizations were way off, it had a mean spirited dreary feel about it, and few things made sense in any meaningful way. Weisman even called some plot points "creepy". 

Watching Justice League and reading the comic book tie, Justice League Adventures, was frustrating for me. Many elements contradicted what was on the show. I know that "Based on the hit TV show" is always emblazoned on the covers as a warning that it's not necessarily in continuity. However, that  caveat emptor  was not enough for me.  Since the comic had a monthly schedule and the TV airings were less rigorous, many characters were introduced in the adaptation comic first. 

Take Chronos, introuduced in the comic in 2002 and on the TV show in 2005.  

In the comic adaptation of the show



On the show





Another example is Killer Frost:





In the comic adaptation. A pity the barcode obscures her lovely body.



In the show

Another lack of communication or rather no communication between show and comic is the long forgetten show Spider-Man Unlimited.  The series was canceled after 4 episodes aired. The remaining 7 of that season were later aired sporadically over the next two years. The comic tie in was canceled after 5 issues.  The plot of the show was that Spider-Man was stranded on Counter-Earth, a world a lot like ours. He stays with a doctor, whose husband is missing, after he saves her child's life. The show implied and later came right and stated that the Green Goblin, a good guy on Counter-Earth, was the woman's missing husband. The final issue of the show's tie in comic implied strongly that the Wolverine of Counter-Earth was her missing husband. The show was stupid beyond belief and the writers of both properties must have known they were on a doomed enterprise and just did whatever.

The doomed enterprise

Is he the husband?

Or is he the husband? The world may never know or care.

So, finally here are the covers for the new Young Justice comics as published so far.