Blue Beetle Blues
So my newest fandom if you haven't been seeing all the squeeing on FB is one Blue Beetle (technically Blue Beetle III, teenage Jaime Reyes). Problem is his solo comic series got cancelled a while back meaning once I'd blasted through all the issues there wasn't any more! :(
So I was very, very excited when DC announced Blue Beetle was going to have his own series again as part of the big DC-reboot. Even more excited since our new apartment is a whole 15 minute walk from a big comic book store which meant easy access to boys in blue bio-armour ;)
Having read issue 1 though I'm not impressed.
It's nothing wrong with the actual comic per se - since it was a more or less average origin story as far as superheroes go. In fact it was very reminiscent of Sean's origins in the live-action Guyver movies (right down to a backpack playing a major role)
And yes, not seeing Jaime become the Blue Beetle till the very last panel was a horrible tease but also completely understandable - they want to hook you to buy #2.
No, what annoyed me to no end was the interview with the new writer at the back of the issue. In response to the question "What new things are you doing with these characters?" the Tony Bedard replied (bolding mine) "Since we get to retell his origin in September, this time around Jaime will have a much harder time controlling the armour and he won't get to tell everyone close to him his big secret"
DAMMIT!
The ONE thing that was the major clincher for me. The BIG thing that made me plop down my money and buy vol 1 of the trade last spring (and from that point on go "Wha-hoo! Best. Comic. Ever! XD") was NOT that cool looking bio-armour, or the symbiotic scarab, or any of the "superhero" things - it was the fact Jaime's family knew he was the Blue Beetle and were cool with that (or at least resigned to the fact they'd have to deal with that)
And now Jaime's going to go back to being every other teenage-d superhero we've ever seen :P
Seriously, we've seen this a thousand times before. We watched Spider-Man go through it ("What was that noise Peter?" "Nothing Aunt May!").
We watched Buffy get in trouble for sneaking out when she was in fact off to fight vampires.
It's a scenario that gets old SO fast and I'm sick of it. :P
What was wrong with letting his parent's know? Were the writers afraid it was going to make it "too easy" for Jaime? Every time he has a problem run back to Mom and Dad?
Newsflash - he's got something as powerful (if not moreso) than a nuclear bomb embedded in his spine. And it's trying to take over his mind. Something tells me even the most understanding parents are a little underequipped to deal with that...
Jaime's Dad even says at one point in the original run "It's NEVER easy. I'm a small town mechanic with a super-powered son. Drugs, gangs, bad grades - I was ready for those. Laser beams - no."
So the whole family is in over their heads? Sounds like all sorts of story potential to me - what's wrong with them dealing with it together?
And some of the best lines in the original run came from the fact that they know...
Jaime and his Mom have that conversation
Why Mrs Reyes is "Always The Favorite Mom"
In fact here's a good review talking about some of the great things that made Jaime unique (and awesome) in his original run...
... all the stuff that looks like it's going be wrecked in this reboot :P
I'm giving this a few more issues. If things don't improve (and SOON) then I'm going back to not buying comic books :P
So I was very, very excited when DC announced Blue Beetle was going to have his own series again as part of the big DC-reboot. Even more excited since our new apartment is a whole 15 minute walk from a big comic book store which meant easy access to boys in blue bio-armour ;)
Having read issue 1 though I'm not impressed.
It's nothing wrong with the actual comic per se - since it was a more or less average origin story as far as superheroes go. In fact it was very reminiscent of Sean's origins in the live-action Guyver movies (right down to a backpack playing a major role)
And yes, not seeing Jaime become the Blue Beetle till the very last panel was a horrible tease but also completely understandable - they want to hook you to buy #2.
No, what annoyed me to no end was the interview with the new writer at the back of the issue. In response to the question "What new things are you doing with these characters?" the Tony Bedard replied (bolding mine) "Since we get to retell his origin in September, this time around Jaime will have a much harder time controlling the armour and he won't get to tell everyone close to him his big secret"
DAMMIT!
The ONE thing that was the major clincher for me. The BIG thing that made me plop down my money and buy vol 1 of the trade last spring (and from that point on go "Wha-hoo! Best. Comic. Ever! XD") was NOT that cool looking bio-armour, or the symbiotic scarab, or any of the "superhero" things - it was the fact Jaime's family knew he was the Blue Beetle and were cool with that (or at least resigned to the fact they'd have to deal with that)
And now Jaime's going to go back to being every other teenage-d superhero we've ever seen :P
Seriously, we've seen this a thousand times before. We watched Spider-Man go through it ("What was that noise Peter?" "Nothing Aunt May!").
We watched Buffy get in trouble for sneaking out when she was in fact off to fight vampires.
It's a scenario that gets old SO fast and I'm sick of it. :P
What was wrong with letting his parent's know? Were the writers afraid it was going to make it "too easy" for Jaime? Every time he has a problem run back to Mom and Dad?
Newsflash - he's got something as powerful (if not moreso) than a nuclear bomb embedded in his spine. And it's trying to take over his mind. Something tells me even the most understanding parents are a little underequipped to deal with that...
Jaime's Dad even says at one point in the original run "It's NEVER easy. I'm a small town mechanic with a super-powered son. Drugs, gangs, bad grades - I was ready for those. Laser beams - no."
So the whole family is in over their heads? Sounds like all sorts of story potential to me - what's wrong with them dealing with it together?
And some of the best lines in the original run came from the fact that they know...
Jaime and his Mom have that conversation
Why Mrs Reyes is "Always The Favorite Mom"
In fact here's a good review talking about some of the great things that made Jaime unique (and awesome) in his original run...
... all the stuff that looks like it's going be wrecked in this reboot :P
I'm giving this a few more issues. If things don't improve (and SOON) then I'm going back to not buying comic books :P