The next round of New 52 cancellations includes the eight volume of “Blue Beetle,” so it seems like a perfect time to compare the two titles which have starred Jamie Reyes as the azure arthropod.
Written by Kieth Giffen & John Rogers / Illustrated by Cully Hamner
From the pages of “Infinite Crisis” the cover proudly proclaims. The book has two narratives running at the same time, one a battle between Blue Beetle and Guy Gardner, and the other a regular day in the life of Jaime Reyes. The battle with Guy is a cold open, leaving a new reader to wonder if the events leading up to it will be explained later, or if this is coming from the pages of “Infinite Crisis”. This issue doesn’t indicate one way or another, beyond some awkward dialogue at the end (“…went into outer space n’ helped them…but now the superheroes hate me…Gonna kill me…”). Likewise, Guy gets very little introduction beyond being “the crazy Green Lantern” who doesn’t hurt kids. Overall, this half of the book assumes at least a working knowledge of the DCU.
The other half though, the other half is a great introduction to a new character. While some of the conversations are just a little too witty to be real, Giffen and Rogers introduce Jaime’s friends and his family in a way which makes them all feel like individuals, and not just a backdrop for the new superhero’s character. Aside from showing Jamie bond with the scarab (but not actually activate the suit), a mysterious and eye-less woman is introduced who seems slightly villainous.
The art has a cartoon-like style and coloring which gives the book a very two dimensional appearance. This isn’t strictly a bad thing, but it is occasionally distracting. Guy’s face when he sees Jamie is young is just silly looking, which definitely wasn’t the intention. In another scene, Jamie looks to be about thirty as he’s alone in his room and investigating the scarab.
Overall, the book feels like it’s trying to be two things: a fresh start and a continuation of something else. While the pages featuring Jaime are interesting enough to warrant following to the second issue, the pages with Guy are distracting and fail to move the story or characters forward. The dual narrative also raises questions which could ward off potential readers: Will the dual narrative continue in future issues? When the origin is told, will there be a skip to “current” events, leaving a gap to be filled in by back issues? Launching a new character out of a crossover has its challenges, but this strategy probably isn’t the best way to overcome them.
Written by Tony Bedard / Illustrated by Ig Guara
The New 52 “Blue Beetle” starts off with a six page prologue which gives readers a quick explanation of the scarab: It’s part of an organization, it’s a world-ender, and it’s an old enemy of the Green Lantern Corps. That’s followed by quick introductions for Jamie, his friends, his parents before switching over to some supervillains who are fighting over the scarab. Their battle crosses paths with Jamie and his friend Paco, who are driving to a party. Jamie gets hold of the scarab as they try to flee, and it activates, turning him into the Blue Beetle.
Bedard’s plotting for this issue is greatly boosted by the lack of being from the pages of anything. Because he doesn’t have to pick up anywhere or recap any previous events, he’s able to make the whole issue from the best parts of the (2006) series without any of its downsides. The supervillains he introduces are all rather generic, but they fulfill their function to the plot and could have depth added later if they need any. The final page is in no way surprising, and as such does not offer a strong hook for the next issue.
Guara’s designs show more about the characters than Bedard tells us, which is a rare thing. All the people have distinct looks, and the page with Brenda’s first appearance looks like something straight from a Terry Moore book. The action scenes are dynamic, and Pete Pantazis’ colors really bring the pages to life. Beyond that, the art is typical superhero art, failing to stand out for good or ill.
Final Standoff: (2006) = (2011) Each has their own problems, but in the end they both do an equal job of introducing the Blue Beetle and his story.
