Judgmental Eyes; Blue Beetle (Rebirth) v2 Hard Choices

 

Cover of Blue Beetle (2015) volume 2


Review:

Jaime Reyes gets his wish fulfilled in this book. Except it comes through the mystical intervention of Arion, the twisted and evil former ruler of old Atlantis. Arion wants the scarab for himself. Once he succeeds in prying it free, his power rises to astounding new levels, dwarfing and defeating an over-arrogant Dr Fate. Arion threatens to rain judgment down upon El Paso first, then the whole world.

Arion is not the only one making judgments in these chapters. Ted Kord, the previous Blue Beetle, continues to evaluate and mentor Jaime Reyes, the current Beetle, and his youthful but raw super heroic prowess. Doctor Fate is dismissive of all comers. And most intriguingly Batman comes to El Paso to pass his own judgment on Jaime and his potential as Blue Beetle. His concern is all the higher due to his scorn for Kord's own time and service as Beetle.

Can the now powerless Jaime don the old Blue Beetle armor and save the day?

Keith Giffen is joined by artist Scott Kolins and comics-writing legend J. M. DeMatteis (long-time contributor to Justice League, Superman and Spider-man titles) to tell this fascinating tale of heroic coming-of-age. They find a beautiful balance of teen angst and relationships, on-the-job learning and mentorship, and of course threats to individuals, family, city and the whole world. It's a wild ride, with lots of humor in the midst of the battle royale.

Kolins's art crackles with energy. From Fate's mystical poses to Blue Beetle's sometimes strong and sometimes awkward stances, to Arion's shifting body and size, the art jumps off the page.

This book continues a fascinating rebirth of Blue Beetle, blending much that fans loved in the Ted Kord version with a young Latino hero and all his teen challenges.


Description:

Jaime Reyes is more than your average high schooler. When he’s not awkwardly talking to girls and taking tests, he happens to be a superhero. With the powers granted to him by his bond with the mysterious Scarab, Jaime takes on evil as the legendary crime-fighter known as Blue Beetle!

But that all changes when an ancient evil has come to Jaime’s home city of El Paso to take possession of the Scarab...and use it to turn the world into a deadly hellscape! Now, without his powers, Jaime has to leave saving the world up to his more powerful friends, like Doctor Fate, OMAC and even his mentor, Ted Kord.

Will Jaime be able to step up and become the hero he’s meant to be, even without his powers? Find out in the next chapter the DC Rebirth series BLUE BEETLE VOL. 2: HARD CHOICES.

Collects: Blue Beetle #6-12

Authors: Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis
Artists: Scott Kolins
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: Jan. 2, 2018
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 978-1401275075
Pages: 168 pages


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