The Book of Aqualad (Kaldur'ahm)

[Tornado]

Could I get an answer here?

Originally Posted by Tornado

His Lightning power is magical?

[Lord Pyre]

I don’t believe the tv show Artemis has ever been in a comic, so she’s be a no go. But Arrowette is similar, and a great character. Also not a sidekick.

[IAmBatman]

I think the same character has been Empress in the comics. Not sure if she was a Titan or not. Going to do some thematic research on all of this ....

[Ronin]

Originally Posted by johnny139

I'll Nay here at this point - I'm just not comfortable moving forward with him as a Titan when he's not a Titan. I can live with the callout in his power, even if I don't like it, but at bare minimum I'd want Sidekick for his left box.

If the class we used for the Titans was less on the nose and they were Rookies or something, would you have a problem with Kaldur being a Rookie?

(Haven't been following this too closely, so just trying to work out if you're taking issue more with Kaldur being in the Titan faction, or getting the Titan label or both)

[IAmBatman]

Interestingly, Wikipedia lists him as a Titan in the comics on the power of future visions of him being a Titan that have not yet been realized in the present. For context, this is the Jackson Hyde version of the character, however, in the comics, the Jackson Hyde character is actually named Kaldur'ahm (like a Clark Kent/Kal-El thing). So there's at least a winding path of justification there.

No such thing for Empress as far as I can tell, or other Young Justice only characters like Arrowette and Secret, so that's something to consider big picture.

[LordVenoc]

Except this Kaldur was a sidekick. Literally the first episode of the show has the whole team (sans Superboy) working with their mentors as sidekicks.

If the intent of the design is to be able to play the original team, they were mostly sidekicks. You're going to have a hard time capturing Kaldur across three seasons with the massive roster of the show and all the shifts it has had.

[Arch-vile]

Originally Posted by Tornado

Could I get an answer here?

As magical as his aquakinesis, yeah. He has the same teachers as Tempest but Aqualad left school early to learn more about being a hero.

Originally Posted by Lord Pyre

I don’t believe the tv show Artemis has ever been in a comic, so she’s be a no go. But Arrowette is similar, and a great character. Also not a sidekick.

Young Justice had an ongoing series of about 15 issues (set during season 1), so any characters from the first season should be fair game by that reason alone.

[IAmBatman]

I think both Titan and Sidekick can be justified here. I think the question worth asking is what's the most viable path for Young Justice as a whole? How do we handle Empress/Artemis, Secret, and Arrowette (all of whom have been in comics, both the ones based on the TV show and others (though not under the Artemis name for Artemis) and how does the decision we make here affect that?).

[LordVenoc]

This Aqualad led the team in Season 1. He was gone undercover in Season 2. He assumed a new mantle by Season 3. So, this design is clearly aiming at Season 1 Kaldur.

Season 1 Team: Aqualad, Robin, Kid Flash, Miss Martian, Superboy, Artemis.
Bonus sort-of members: Zatanna, Speedy/Red Arrow, Rocket, and Wolf and Sphere (again sort of).

From that team, 3 are sidekicks, 2 are Titans, 1 is neither. The rest are undesigned. 1 Sidekick also comes as an Archer, but that one specifically calls out Sidekicks in his support power, not Titans. Probably relevant that Superboy calls out Sidekicks in his protector ability. Him able to run with them but not controlled as well honestly feels thematic to the show for me.

After that season, Kaldur works in harmony with the team, but isn't the team leader. So it feels unnecessary to shoe-horn in people he didn't work with on the battle field, especially not at a leader (Nightwing, Blue Beetle, Static, Arsenal, Guardian, etc) or concern ourselves with versions that literally didn't exist in his universe (Titans/Flash Wally).

I kind of like him as a actually a Sidekick leader, as there really isn't a lot to bring them together as a team without just looping into Titans Synergy. Gives him a niche outside Nightwing. who was a separate leader in the show.

Edit: Made addition of Superboy reference in synergy, clarified liking him as a Sidekick specific leader.

[IAmBatman]

I'd support a change to Sidekick if that works for @johnny139

It leaves the Secret/Arrowette/Artemis problem lingering for another day, but that might not be one for this thread.

[LordVenoc]

Young Justice Artemis was Green Arrow's sidekick for a time, and was in the comic. So I'd be pro-sidekick there as it also fits. If this version is fair game, so is she.

[IAmBatman]

Yeah, that makes sense.