The Blue Beetle Thread

Bad Karma

The Blue Beetle Thread

(yeah, he's that cool in real life too...)

Who the hell is Jaime Reyes, and how did he get that scarabmajig?

The mystical Blue Beetle scarab which had given Dan Garrett his powers had been thought destroyed. When it was found intact, it was given to Ted Kord, who was never able to use it. After an attack by Brother Eye, the scarab appeared energized, and Ted brought it to the wizard Shazam, who took it and sent Ted away. Shortly thereafter, in the Day of Vengenace storyline, Shazam was killed and the scarab was blasted across the globe, along with shards from the Rock of Eternity.
The Blue Beetle scarab came to Earth in El Paso, Texas where it was picked up by a teenaged boy named Jaime Reyes. Not long after, Booster Gold appeared at Jaime's house to retrieve the scarab, only to discover that it had fused itself to Jaime's spine while the teenager had been sleeping. Booster recruited Jaime for Batman's assault on the Brother Eye satellite, since the scarab was the only thing that could see the satellite. Using the scarab's powers, Jaime was able to find the satellite and reveal it to Batman's group, enabling them to defeat it. Once Brother Eye was sent plummeting Earthwards, Jaime disappeared from the ship, apparently teleported away by the scarab, which sought to escape the Green Lanterns on board.

So what can this scarab do? Everything!

The Blue Beetle scarab is grafted onto Jaime's spine, and can manifest a number of powers at its own volition, which is usually accompanied by blue energy emitted by the scarab's "antennae". Over the course of the first year of his ongoing series, Jaime had little, if any, control over those powers, but slowly began to assert himself over the suit after this first year. When Jaime is in danger, the scarab activates, crawling out on to Jaime's back and generating a high-tech suit of powered armor around his body. When the danger passes, the scarab deactivates, dissolving the costume and retracting back onto Jaime's spine, causing intense pain. When in use, the suit can reconfigure itself to produce a number of different armaments, including an energy cannon, a sword and shield, a grappling hook, an advanced satellite of some sort, and a set of large powered blades attached to the hands, over a foot in length, that can shear through tree trunks, and a set of dual-purpose wings that not only allow Jaimie to fly, but can also be brought around in front of Jaime to act as shields against projectiles and energy weapons, such as the energy of a Green Lantern ring. The scarab can adapt its technology to suit situations: the suit can produce energy discharges from the hands that can neutralize magical spells, discharge Kryptonite radiation, negating "vibrational frequencies" of extra-dimensional objects, bringing them into this dimension and other assorted functions. The armor is impervious enough that it can protect Jaime against atmospheric re-entry from Earth's orbit.

The suit has been observed to create armaments of different composition and style. The wings, for example, were initially composed of the same blue opaque armor of which the rest of the suit is comprised, but beginning with Blue Beetle #12 (April 2007), they began manifesting themselves in the form of a colorless, translucent material. Whether this is due to changes in the suit's capabilities, or Jaime's intent has not been made clear.

And more!

What? You still haven't picked up the book yet? No money, lack of interest? Starman says...

Currently there are three trades available, covering issues #1 to #18.

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Yeah, I guess you can talk about the other ones too...

smokmnky

Well I guess I'll give it a shot. How "inside DC" is the series? Because I only read JSA and a few other DC books.

Lux

It ties in, kind of, to the Sinestro Corps War for one issue.

Otherwise it is separate from continuity, but "inside DC" in the sense that it features a lot of guest stars. So as long as you know who Guy Gardner is, you're fine.

Garlic Bread

Lux wrote: »

It ties in, kind of, to the Sinestro Corps War for one issue.

Otherwise it is separate from continuity, but "inside DC" in the sense that it features a lot of guest stars. So as long as you know who Guy Gardner is, you're fine.

And Superman!

You gotta know about Superman.

Desktop Hippie

Blue Beetle was the first DC title I read regularly and I found it very easy to get into. It's funny, hugely entertaining, has great characters and some of the best stories out there. It's the reason I started reading other DC titles.

deadonthestreet

Yeah this is probably the best DC book right now.

Read it.

Sars_Boy

I just picked this back up

only to find out rogers is leaving it

gaaaaay

Garlic Bread

Sars_Boy wrote: »

I just picked this back up

only to find out rogers is leaving it

gaaaaay

your fault

Desktop Hippie

Wait, Rogers is going? Crap!

Who's taking over? And for the love of god don't tell me that's what DC hired JMS for.

Bad Karma

Desktop Hippie wrote: »

Wait, Rogers is going? Crap!

Who's taking over? And for the love of god don't tell me that's what DC hired JMS for.

Will Pfiefer is taking over for now. Rogers says he'll eventually come back, but with sales dipping month to month, it may not last long enough.

Desktop Hippie

Catwoman guy, right? That's okay. I like that title too.

Bad Karma

Desktop Hippie wrote: »

Catwoman guy, right? That's okay. I like that title too.

Thats him. His first issue hits in May, featuring Jaime, Traci, and little devil putti dealies.

Podunk

I actually just ordered all three trades yesterday. Hoping they show up by the weekend.

Zeromus

I've picked up a couple of issues of Blue Beetle and was somewhat irritated by the Degrassi-esque depictions of high school and teenagers that are also woefully prevalent in Teen Titans and Robin. That said, when the book gets down to business it's pretty fantastic, and with all of the strong recommendations here I suppose it wouldn't hurt to pick up the first trade, right?

Edit: And for what it's worth, Blue Beetle is always awesome when he shows up in other books. Maybe I should give this series more of a chance...

Aegof

I think the second or third trades are better to start off with, myself. I don't think the series is hard to pick up there without the first trade; I started the series with the last issue in the second trade.

Munch

For me, Blue Beetle's a series filled with hits and misses. I enjoyed the first arc that set up his status quo, and then the little arc with Brenda on the Salvation Run planet. Then it got into the Reach stuff, and the series was plagued by mediocre fill-ins, or things only tangentially related to the Reach plot, and it got kind of crappy. Then the most recent arc where Jaime's finally confronting the Reach has been really good.

I mainly buy it just to support one of the few lighthearted books DC's currently putting out. And for Traci 13.

Squashua

If you want a good intro into the character, surprisingly check out his appearance in Mark Waid's "The Brave and the Bold" where he teams up with Batman.

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FAKE SIG 'CAUSE I'M JAILED!
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Hello Waterface

Hey, new to the forums, happy to be here and to see that Blue Beetle is getting some attention.

Just real quick: the new BB has a great book going, and he's a fun character. I've enjoyed seeing him in Teen Titans, as well. Having said that, I am still a Ted Kord man, all the way. Ted is just below Hal Jordan on my list of favorite superheroes ever.

Anyway, I suppose that's all, for now. Good to be here, good to be anywhere.

Whippy

wait, traci 13 is in this?

Fencingsax

WhipstitchZombie wrote: »

wait, traci 13 is in this?

Yeah, she's Jaime's girlfriend.

Whippy

I'll be damned

Desktop Hippie

WhipstitchZombie wrote: »

I'll be damned

First shows up in a story called 'Total Eclipso: The Heart'

It's magnificent.

Look Out it's Sabs!

I picked up the first 4 issues today while getting comics, good stuff but was slightly confused at the beginning since it seems his origin started from infinite crisis? I was able to put stuff together from what was in the comic itself and from what I heard from the boards.

I like it so far.

Garlic Bread

Hello Waterface wrote: »

Ted is just below Hal Jordan on my list of favorite superheroes ever.

>:(

Fencingsax

I do enjoy it, but something doesn't click for me, I'm not sure what.

Lux

Look Out it's Sabs! wrote: »

I picked up the first 4 issues today while getting comics, good stuff but was slightly confused at the beginning since it seems his origin started from infinite crisis? I was able to put stuff together from what was in the comic itself and from what I heard from the boards.

I like it so far.

Oh, right, forgot about that.

Yeah, the first couple of issues are confusing because they jump around before & after Infinite Crisis/OYL.

Munch

Keith wrote: »

Hello Waterface wrote: »

Ted is just below Hal Jordan on my list of favorite superheroes ever.

>:(

Fuck you Keith, I just found my new best internet-friend.

nah you're okay kid

you homp

Garlic Bread

Munch wrote: »

Keith wrote: »

Hello Waterface wrote: »

Ted is just below Hal Jordan on my list of favorite superheroes ever.

>:(

Fuck you Keith, I just found my new best internet-friend.

nah you're okay kid

you homp

i'm frowning at hal not ted

Munch

Well then sir, we are on the same page.

bobgorila

I am sure Hal was a great character at some point before he became Parallax, but I've not read a single story with him in from the main continuity that made me think "shit, he is an awesome dude".

Then again, my introduction to GL was Jon Stewart in JLU, so what do I know?

Munch

I like Hal alright, but he suffers from the same problem I feel Jaime suffers from. He's kind of generic. He likes planes and being a hero. His job's the most interesting thing about him, but like Jaime, he's surrounded by a supporting cast that's more interesting than him. Guy Gardner's the tough, foul-mouthed, sports-loving, hard-drinking Lantern, Kyle's the artistic, young, sometimes unsure of himself Lantern that makes good in spite of it, and John's the analytical, socially conscious Lantern. Hal's basically just the rough and tumble Indiana Jones type, given a power ring.

And since Karma said that we could discuss the other Beetles in this thread, I wanted to point out this scans_daily entry compiling pretty much every Beetle (Ted) appearance in Birds of Prey. His BoP appearances were probably my favorite takes on the character, aside from making him look really old, and permanently sidelining him. The latter wouldn't have been a big deal, had Dixon been able to do his Blue Beetle Corps story, but the former always bugged me. Beetle should be somewhere between Nightwing and Batman in age, but most of his appearances have him looking like he's in his mid-40's.

Garlic Bread

I think Dixon made Ted to be Tim's favorite hero, which was cool

Munch

Beetle and Tim actually had a few adventures together in Tim's title, and Tim was supposed to take over for Ted as the new teen Beetle, after Ted was sidelined by his heart condition. As I understand it, he was to be the first of many Beetles, which Ted would then lead in kind of an Oracle/DKR Batman capacity. Then Dixon went to CrossGen and the plan went kaput.

I'm still annoyed McKeever never had Tim mention Ted after he met Jaime. Just a little, "Pfft. I knew the real Blue Beetle.." would have been nice.

Garlic Bread

1) Tim becoming the Blue Beetle would have been terrible
2) Ted leading an army of Beetles would have been awful
3) McKeever's Teen Titans is an abortion

Blankspace

Man, Tim isn't a dick like that. Jamie's a good kid who's been doing the superhero thing right. He wouldn't say "Man, you ain't shit, I knew the real Blue Beetle."

Garlic Bread

Yeah, Tim would say something like, "I know what it's like having big shoes to fill." or something

Sars_Boy

I hate McKeever so much for Teen Titans

Munch

Keith wrote: »

1) Tim becoming the Blue Beetle would have been terrible
2) Ted leading an army of Beetles would have been awful

1) I'm torn on it personally. Nowadays it would be ridiculous, but back during that time, when Tim was a happier, more well-adjusted teen I could have seen it. I don't think Tim's meant to be Batman, or that he'd want to continue to be Robin as an adult, so he either has to adopt a different identity (another hero's or an all-new one) or put his skills to use as a civilian. But to have him step out of one hero's shadow and into another would have been weird. I think it would depend entirely on how/for what reason it was done though.

2) It'd be pretty derivative of BoP at least. I'm not too fond of the idea myself, just because a team book made up of nothing but a bunch of people with similar names would be odd. But once again, if executed well I guess it could be interesting.

Blankspace wrote:

Man, Tim isn't a dick like that. Jamie's a good kid who's been doing the superhero thing right. He wouldn't say "Man, you ain't shit, I knew the real Blue Beetle."

The majority of Johns' and McKeever's Titans runs have colored my perceptions of Tim a bit. I mean, he did flat out say that Beetle wasn't Titans material. I don't think he's too impressed by Jaime. So I could see him initially reacting like Guy Gardner; unimpressed and a little pissed off until he sees what Jaime's made of.

Garlic Bread

Munch wrote: »

I don't think Tim's meant to be Batman, or that he'd want to continue to be Robin as an adult, so he either has to adopt a different identity (another hero's or an all-new one) or put his skills to use as a civilian.

Back then, yeah, he would have gone the civilian route when he got older. He even said this to Nightwing in one of the Batman crossovers (although I forget which one). He talks about how Bruce and Dick are going to do this stuff their whole lives, while he's just doing it because it needs to be done.

He can't ever quit now, though. It'd be an insult to everyone he's lost.

Robos A Go Go

Keith wrote: »

Munch wrote: »

I don't think Tim's meant to be Batman, or that he'd want to continue to be Robin as an adult, so he either has to adopt a different identity (another hero's or an all-new one) or put his skills to use as a civilian.

Back then, yeah, he would have gone the civilian route when he got older. He even said this to Nightwing in one of the Batman crossovers (although I forget which one). He talks about how Bruce and Dick are going to do this stuff their whole lives, while he's just doing it because it needs to be done.

He can't ever quit now, though. It'd be an insult to everyone he's lost.

Wouldn't they want him to be happy and stuff?

Also, the people he's lost are slowly coming back!

Blankspace

McKeever's version of Tim isn't Tim, though.

McKeever's version of everyone in that book is pretty bad.