DCU Comic Book Reviews

BLUE BEETLE #18

Away Game

October 2007

Written by John Rogers

Pencils by Rafael Albuquerque and David Baledon

Inks by Rafael Albuquerque and Dan Davis

Cover by Cully Hamner

Synopsis

At the Luthor Lone Star Launch Facility, Jaime Reyes (aka Blue Beetle) and friends are participating on a field trip, which is an excuse to get closer to the rocket and investigate it.  At the same time, the Teen Titans are at the facility to make sure the rocket does make it to space.  While investigating, the two groups encounter each other.  Jaime tells Robin that the scarab is talking about someone named Lobo.  Realizing time is important, Robin contacts Oracle in order to launch the rocket before Lobo reaches them.  While Blue Beetle, Supergirl, Miss Martian, and Wonder Girl distract Lobo, Robin, Kid Devil, Ravager, Paco and Brenda break into the control room to launch the rocket.  Lobo, however, is able to get into the launch area.  Just as it is about to launch, he captures Ravager.  However, Blue Beetle is able to reach her and protect her from the rocket’s engine flames.  The rocket shoots up into space.  After Lobo leaves, Robin says he has been watching Blue Beetle and suggests he come out to Titans Tower for a visit.  

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Great stuff.  A fun, fun issue with great interaction between Blue Beetle and the Titans (both in and out of costume) and a great way to connect the story to the mega-story of the Reach.  There are a few quibbles (see below) with the story, but those are overshadowed by Rogers; snappy dialogue (with a number of great one-liners) and solid characterization of the Titans.  While we did have the obligatory fight between the two heroes, the reasoning behind it makes sense (Miss Martian futzing with Beetle’s mind) and it was short enough before the big fight with Lobo occurs. 

There were two things, however, that did bother me.  The first was the jarring cut from the time the Titans converge on Lobo to the scene with him inside launch facility.  The big single-page splash shows them outside (which we know because Lobo just pounded Beetle into the dirt), but two panels later and they are inside (and oddly still flying directly towards him).  The second was the way Lobo just gave up on the rocket.  He was supposed to stop it.  He has the ability to get into space, so why not fly after it and stop it then?  It just seems too weird that he gives up that quickly. 

If the rocket was that important, why send the Titans.  Why not send the Justice League of America?  And if Batman needed to get something into space, why not ask Superman to fly it up there for him?

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