Each Friday, we'll be letting a different DC.com writer share what they'll be reading over the weekend and why you might want to check it out. Here's this week's suggestion for a perfect Weekend Escape!


Summer is nearly at an end, which means it’s time for pumpkin spice lattes and back to school sales. As children and teens across the country are returning to school this month, we thought we'd suggest a story focusing on some of our younger superheroes. This is a story about a world where kids don’t have to go back to school, because in this world, kids rule and there are no adults to be found.

JLA: World Without Grown-Ups serves as the origin story for Young Justice. Robin, Superboy and Impulse had previously worked together, but World Without Grown-Ups is where they decided to form a more permanent team. The tight tale was originally published as a two-issue giant-sized limited series. It can also be read in one sitting in DC Comics Presents: Young Justice #1 or Young Justice Book One.
 

THE PREMISE:

When a 13-year-old boy named Matthew awakens a magical being called Bedlam, the teen becomes corrupted by the entity’s powers. Angered by his father’s neglect, Matthew wishes for a world without any grown-ups. The next morning, everyone over the age of 18 awakens on a duplicate Earth. The adults frantically search for their children, causing a nationwide panic. Meanwhile, the kids of the world embrace their newfound freedom…but it isn’t long before chaos ensues. Kids steal fighter jets, free wild animals and perform increasingly dangerous stunts. Robin, Superboy and Impulse work tirelessly to stop the children of the world from destroying the planet and themselves. Without a Justice League to back them up, will the teen heroes be enough to take down Bedlam?
 

LET’S TALK TALENT:

JLA: World Without Grown-Ups is written by Todd Dezago, and you can tell he let his imagination go wild. Dezago’s script embraces the chaos and creativity that you would find in a world run by kids. (Expect everything from trying to fly with balloons to driving oversized vehicles through windows.) Dezago also does a great job of setting up the character dynamics between Impulse, Superboy and Robin, giving the trio unique voices and some fun interplay. Dezago’s take on Bart, in particular, is a standout and leads to the funniest moments in the series. It’s no wonder he became the regular writer for Impulse shortly after this limited series.

JLA: World Without Grown-Ups employs a fun storytelling device to demonstrate the differences between the two different worlds. Artist Mike McKone pencils the scenes that take place in the world with all the adults, while Humberto Ramos illustrates the scenes on the world ruled by kids. It’s a fun dichotomy, with Ramos’s cartoony and wild style contrasting with McKone’s more realistically proportioned (but still beautiful) designs.
 

A FEW REASONS TO READ:

  • If you’re a Young Justice fan, this story is a great way to see how the team first formed.
     
  • If you’re a ‘90s kid, JLA: World Without Grown-Ups is a great time capsule for that era of the DC Universe. We have Superboy in his leather jacket, the Grant Morrison era Justice League, Kyle Rayner trying to fit in with the seasoned heroes and so many references to late ‘90s culture.
  • In a world ruled by a child’s imagination you can expect plenty of fun and imaginative scenarios. For example, one scene features Superboy, Impulse and Robin battling a Nazi dinosaur. If that doesn’t pique your curiosity, then I don’t know what will.
     
  • If you weren’t a fan of Impulse before, then this storyline will convert you. Bart gives us plenty of humorous moments, like when he drives a teenage version of the Joker crazy by asking too many questions, or the creative way he uses video game logic to save the day.
     

WHY IT’S WORTH YOUR TIME:

JLA: World Without Grown-Ups is an enjoyable self-contained story that will awaken your inner child. The storyline is two giant-sized issues, making it not too short, but not too long either. If you’re a longtime DC Universe fan, there’s a lot of fun stuff with your favorite characters. But if you’re new to comics, don’t worry, because this is accessible to new readers. In fact, it’s a fun way to introduce yourself to some popular, but maybe not quite as well-known, DC characters.

JLA: World Without Grown-Ups feels like a coming-of-age film. The stakes are high, there is humor mixed with drama and the characters will capture your heart. It will take you back to that time in your life when you were a kid and you fantasized about a world without rules. JLA: World Without Grown-Ups is a satisfying read and its tale of kids gone wild is the perfect Weekend Escape to make you feel a little bit better about sending yours back to school.

JLA: World Without Grown-Ups by Todd Dezago, Michael McKone and Humberto Ramos can be read in full on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.

Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.