[7.4/10] It’s always hard to disentangle how much our opinion of a character is influenced by what we think of the actor who plays them. I know Khary Payton, the actor who plays Aqualad, from his role as Ezekiel on *The Walking Dead*. On that show, he’s a benevolent, caring, worthy leader, so it’s hard for me not to be inclined to see someone who sounds like him the same way on *Young Justice*, even if the two shows having nothing to do with one another. But maybe it’s just Payton, who has the ability to sound commanding and gentle at the same time, whose voice and performance lends him to being cast in these roles. Whatever the reason, I like the central theme of leadership in this one, and on Robin, who’d like to become the head of the group, recognizing that Aqualad’s the right man for the job. Him trying to lead like Batman, without realizing that he and the Dark Knight have a shorthand that won’t work with the rest of the group, only to see why Aqualad’s steadiness and empathy makes him better suited for the role, is a solid arc. I also like the broader world-building going on here. Bane hunting for venom, the Cobra organization seeking the same, and their two forces colliding on a far off island makes for a cool setup. At the same time, having Sportsmaster work to combine the venom formula with the blockbuster formula Dr. Desmond used on behalf of The Light is a nice bit of arc-welding. There’s a good sense each individual fight the young heroes go through building toward some broader conspiracy and web of cause and effect that gives the story a sense of scope and scale. Some of the bickering among the kids gets tiresome though. The leadership game seems pretty clear early on, but the episode goes through the paces well enough. Danny Trejo as a double-crossing Bane is great casting, and watching him laugh at and ultimately work with the young heroes is a good move. Some of the conflicts are stock, but the group figuring out how to work together to save the day is solid, even if it results in the usual fireworks at the end of the day. Overall, I like where this one lands in terms of its central question about who should lead the group, and I appreciate how each episodes of the show so far has had a solid thematic hook to help build the story around, and how the Junior Justice League can win their battles, with hints that the plans of the seasons’ villains are subtly advancing nonetheless, giving them the opportunity to still win the war.