DCU Comic Book Reviews

BLUE BEETLE #1

Blue Monday

May 2006

Written by Keith Giffen & John Rogers

Pencils by Cully Hamner

Inks by Cully Hamner

Cover by Cully Hamner

Synopsis

Out of the sky, Blue Beetle lands in the middle of the desert.  He is attacked by Guy Gardner (aka Green Lantern) who keeps screaming, “I will kill you!” A few days ago, Jamie Reyes was walking home with his friends Brenda and Paco when he comes across the mystical scarab, which he takes home.  In the Desert, Blue Beetle defends himself, although he is uncertain how or why the suit of armor does what it can do.  During the fight, the armor falls away to reveal Jamie.  Guy stops his attack, saying he will not hurt kids.  Something about Blue Beetle feels wrong to Guy and he will be back.  A couple of days ago, Jamie had stepped on the scarab; that night he had a weird dream.  The next day he encountered a strange woman who tells Jamie that he is “one of us.”  In the desert, the rest of the armor falls away and Jamie realizes he is going to have to walk home, naked.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

This was a very enjoyable issue if only for the scenes with Jamie and his two friends, Paco and Brenda.  They were fun and funny and showed easy camaraderie among people who have been around each other for a long time.  The scene with the father was a great touch.  Jamie’s father owns his own garage and obviously has a very good work ethic and at least can provide for his family, so this will not degrade into a stereotypical portrayal of a Hispanic struggling to make it.  Yet, at the same time, his father pushes Jamie to do better than him, which is a common theme in the lower class:  always do better than your parents.  In this regard, having a loving family who want what’s best for Jamie will provide more interesting characterizations and interactions that putting Jamie amongst gangsters and hoodlums, which would fall into too many clichés of trying to clean up his friends.  Instead, what will be the reaction of Jamie’s father when he learns what has happened to his son and what his son has done for the world?

Speaking of which, this issue does not fall under the umbrella of the One Year Later titles.  If I had to guess, this takes place right after Infinite Crisis #7, although it could easily take place right after #6 based on what happens in that issue.  I’m not sure why Guy would be back on Earth so soon after being in space, but his appearance is nothing more than a follow-up to a short explanation in Infinite Crisis #6.  I am curious to see where this leads.  It is interesting to note that the color green is a combination of blue and yellow, two colors that have an affect on the Green Lanterns.  Perhaps a blue creature was stuck in the power battery along with Parallax.  The idea sounds stupid, but, hey, I am just speculating.

In this issue, the mixture of Jamie’s home life and his actions as the Blue Beetle worked very well, with the threat of Guy and the uncertainty of the armor was balanced by the playful banter and genuine affection of those around Jamie.  The series, I suspect at least for awhile, will focus on Jamie learning more about the scarab and how to use its powers.  The only thing missing is a mentor and this will turn in to the Greatest American Hero a show I actually liked.  The problem with the show is that once he learned to harness his powers, the basic theme of the show was lost.  Here’s hoping the editors of the Blue Beetle better prepare for that time than the tv show’s producers did.

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