It has come to my attention that some people aren’t reading Blue Beetle. This is clearly unacceptable, and must be remedied. Now, I’ll grant some of the would-be detractors a couple of points:
- Countdown was a wretched story, and DC’s continuing slaughter and/or general fucking up of the Superbuddies is stupid.
- The first six issues of Blue Beetle were slow, underwhelming, and featured some fill-in art that really wasn’t up to snuff.
But while DC’s treatment of their lighter heroes is discouraging, the new Blue Beetle is exactly the sort of book many fans lament these days. And this book took a big step up with #7, and has been on another level entirely since John Rogers took over as solo writer. It also helps that Rafael Albuquerque doesn’t seem to have any problems with monthly deadlines; indeed, the only problem with the up-and-comer is that he’s so good, I’m afraid DC is going to want to put him on one of their higher profile books soon.
So, that out of the way: Let me show you what you’re missing if you’re not reading Blue Beetle, courtesy of issue number fourteen:
Misunderstandings between Superheroes!
Strong parenting techniques!
Snappy narration!
Robot Attack Penguins!
In case I haven’t been clear: Blue Beetle is everything I love about superhero comics. It’s fun, funny, and creative. It has a great supporting cast. It’s got expressive and stylish art. It even integrates itself into the DC universe effectively, using characters and history that add to the book, instead of miring it in continuity and crossovers. That last one might be the highest compliment of all, coming from me, but here’s another along the same lines: This new Blue Beetle would have been a perfect fit for the old Justice League International.
DC might not be on a hot streak right now, but they’re doing a heck of a good job with Blue Beetle. Don’t let it go unnoticed: If you love superheroes, you should be reading this book.