Review: Young Justice: Phantoms “Nomed Esir!”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Zatanna and her proteges encounter new allies…and an ancient foe.

Our Take:
After a pretty impressive start last week, the latest story arc continues to get a lot more magical. And by that, I mean chaotic. We’ve seen how dangerous this new enemy and its golem can be, and with the arrival of Klarion, Zatanna and her allies would need more than magic to solve this situation. By the way, the episode’s title is “Rise Demon” spelled backward.

The episode takes place after “Odnu”, where Zatanna and her students recover from their fight with Klarion. Then, the Phantom Stranger sends Zatanna to an area where Klarion fights against the Child and Flaw. He also sends her proteges to meet up with Jason Blood. After realizing how powerful the Child is, Zatanna suggests that they need more help than they can get.
“Nomed Esir” also featured a couple of subplots that tend to interrupt the main plot’s action from time to time. One of which continues the season’s central arc with Em’ree attempting to help M’gann cope with her loss during their trip back to Earth. The other subplot continues Vandal Savage’s flashback in which he and Klarion sunk the city of Atlantis, killing everyone in the process, including Vandal’s grandson. That subplot ends with Vandal seeking help from his son, Doctor Fate, to restore the balance between order and chaos.

While Vandal’s flashback offered some fascinating insight into the villain’s past, Em’ree’s subplot further showcased the series’s ability to provide mature themes and drama amid its superhero antics. Out of the two subplots that appeared in the episode, I believe the one involving M’gann and Em’ree was the most effective regarding the direction. It’s a heartfelt and suitably respectable piece of character development that’s powered by the cast’s vocal performances, particularly Danica McKellar and Hynden Walch.

As for the main plot, the episode worked well in showcasing more of the Child’s immortality and immensely chaotic powers. Seriously, no matter how many times they try to kill her, whether it’s slicing her in half or burning her to a crisp, she does not stay dead. It also showed that the series isn’t holding back on the violence. If this keeps up, we may be looking at getting the most violent arc of season four so far.

Overall, “Nomed Esir” successfully continues this chaotic story arc with a battle between two Lords of Chaos and some new allies. The subplots continue to be pace breakers now and then, but they still provide intriguing moments of character depth to overshadow their constant flaw. Plus, the showdown between Klarion and the Child was entertainingly chaotic, albeit a bit violent at times. With how powerful the Child can be, we can already assume that the characters will need more tricks up their sleeves to defeat her.