So sit back, and enjoy!

DCN Podcast #174

What are we covering this week?

• The Flash Trailer & Posters
• The Flash CinemaCon Screening Reactions
• Karen Gillan Wants To Play Poison Ivy
• Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Footage Shown At CinemaCon
• Justice League: Warworld Cast Revealed
• Amazon Acquires Two New Animated Batman Projects
• Batman: Caped Crusader Gets Two Season Order From Amazon
• Superman & Lois’ Jordan Kent Gets Comic-Inspired Costume
• Power Girl and Fire & Ice Getting Their Own Comic Series
• Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle To Get On-going Series
• Green Arrow Gets New High-Tech Outfit
• DC Rejected A Tim Drake As Nightwing Story From Tom King
• Gotham Knights Game Updated With New Raid

Steve J Ray: www.twitter.com/el_steevo

Brad Filicky: www.twitter.com/filickyb1

Seth Singleton: www.twitter.com/1MoreSingleton

Damian Fasciani: www.twitter.com/Damian_Fasciani

Kelly Gaines: www.twitter.com/KelGainesWrite

Kendra Hale: www.twitter.com/DevourAllWords

Editor-in-Chief – Josh Raynor: www.twitter.com/MovieBlogMerc

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The post DCN Podcast #174: New THE FLASH Trailer & First Reactions From CinemaCon, Amazon Gets Batman Shows appeared first on DC Comics News.

You can get all of the info about this new series in the official press release below.

DC Announces New Blue Beetle Comic Book Series, Launching in September 2023!

¡DC anuncia la nueva serie de cómics Blue Beetle, que se lanzará en Septiembre de 2023!

Just in time for the DC Super Hero’s big screen feature film debut, a new “Dawn of DC” Blue Beetle ongoing comic book series will launch out of the final issue of writer Josh Trujillo and artists Adrian Gutiérrez, Wil Quintana and Lucas Gattoni’s Blue Beetle: Graduation Day six-issue mini-series, on sale today! The first story arc of DC’s new Blue Beetle comic book series, due to hit comic shops in September, will be titled “Scarab War” and will team Trujillo back up with artists Gutiérrez, Quintana and Gattoni.

Jaime Reyes’ graduation is over, but his new life in Palmera City and as the Blue Beetle has only just begun! With two new beetles to train in Dynastes and Nitida, Jaime has his hands full navigating being a leader. Thankfully, he has Paco and Brenda by his side as they settle in at Palmera State University. But what lurks in the shadows of Blue Beetle’s new home and what does it mean for the Blue Beetle legacy?

Blue Beetle: Graduation Day (ISBN 9781779523242), collecting issues #1-6 of this action-packed DC comic book mini-series, is available for pre-order now and will hit shelves wherever books are sold on August 1. A Spanish-language edition, Blue Beetle: Día de Graduación (ISBN 9781779524256), will publish simultaneously with the English-language edition. A first look into DC’s upcoming, ongoing, new Blue Beetle comic book series will be previewed in the back of both editions.

PRAISE FOR BLUE BEETLE: GRADUATION DAY

“If you’re looking for a series that brilliantly encapsulates the hero at its core, look no further than Blue Beetle: Graduation Day.” —ComicBook

“The perfect jumping-on point for fans who’ve been anxiously awaiting Jaime Reyes’ new adventure.” —AiPT

“This is the kind of Blue Beetle comic I’ve been waiting for.” —Mutiversity Comics

ABOUT BLUE BEETLE: GRADUATION DAY

Jaime Reyes has a lot to juggle. Whether it’s his finals for senior year or a new villain tearing up El Paso, Jaime is always torn between two worlds. But when those worlds come crashing together at his high school graduation, nothing will ever be the same.

Jaime Reyes is the hero Blue Beetle, bonded to a sentient alien artifact called a scarab that gives him high-tech armor. He’s also a high school senior about to graduate! When a message from alien civilization the Reach bombards Jaime’s scarab on graduation day, he’s literally grounded by the Justice League. And as if that weren’t enough to worry about, Jaime’s parents and friends are pressuring him about his next steps in life.

Jaime arrives in Palmera City to spend a gap year working in his tias’ restaurant, but he’s got other things on his mind—like who is the mysterious new Yellow Beetle he saw on the news? How are they connected to the Reach message that bombarded his scarab? And what’s hidden here on Earth that’s drawing the Reach back?

Can Jaime find balance in his life and rise to become a true hero, or will this super-heroing bring the full might of the Justice League down on him?

DC, part of Warner Bros. Discovery, creates iconic characters and enduring stories and is one of the world’s largest publishers of comics and graphic novels. Its creative work entertains audiences of every generation around the world with DC’s stories and characters integrated across Warner Bros. Discovery’s film, television, animation, consumer products, home entertainment, games, and themed experiences divisions and on the DC Universe Infinite digital comics subscription service. Learn more at DC.com.

The feature film Blue Beetle, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, stars Xolo Maridueña in the title role as well as his alter ego, Jaime Reyes, and marks the DC Super Hero’s first time on the big screen.

In the film, recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero Blue Beetle.

The film also stars Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, Damían Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Raoul Max Trujillo, Belissa Escobedo, Harvey Guillén, with Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez. Soto directed from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, based on characters from DC.

A Warner Bros. Pictures Presentation, a Safran Company Production, Blue Beetle soars only into theaters internationally beginning August 2023 and in North America August 18, 2023.

The post Blue Beetle Getting New Comic Series This September appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Dan Jurgens

Artists: Ryan Sook, Wade Von Grawbadger

Colors: Ryan Sook

Letters: Rob Leigh

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Blue & Gold #8: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer! Things have never been easy for Booster and Beetle as they set out on their new business venture where no job is too small, but now a threat from within threatens to bring everything crashing down. A virus has hit the servers at Blue & Gold Restoration, and it could delete our heroes for good!

Positives

Blue & Gold #8 opens with a rather ironic situation. Ted and Booster reveal that Blue & Gold Restoration’s latest case ended with the successful recovery of a vault full of priceless works of art. However, despite this high-profile success, their enterprise is on the edge of bankruptcy. Their crowdsourced funding is proving incapable of covering their expenses.

However, before they can dwell on this problem too much, they are attacked by Black Beetle. I felt that Black Beetle was a fitting villain for the duo to face due to his using a beetle motif like Blue Beetle as well as being a time-traveler like Booster Gold. But we learn something new about this villain that makes him an even more fitting match for them. Black Beetle is actually the Earth-3 version of Booster.

This evil Booster intends to take Booster’s place in the main DCU, using Skeets’ database of future knowledge to enrich himself. But to do so, he has to eliminate Booster and Ted. While the villain combines the power of both heroes, Ted and Booster have teamwork going for them. Teamwork is really one of their best strengths and it’s great to see it coming into play here.

Another facet of the duo is the friendship between the two friends. I really love the scene immediately following the battle. Instead of immediately heading home, they kick back, open a couple of cold ones, and enjoy the beauty of a prehistoric sunset together. It’s great to see them taking a moment to just enjoy their victory before returning to deal with their financial woes in the present.

Positives Cont.

When they do return, they come to the painful decision that it’s time to pull the plug on Blue & Gold Restorations. However, their enterprise is saved at the last minute by a surprise guest star. Batman arrives to tell them, “Don’t give up. People need this. They need you”. Bruce admits to admiring the work they’re doing and presents them with $20 million, courtesy of Bruce Wayne.

Batman is often shown to be disapproving of other heroes that aren’t at the top of their game. And given that Ted and Booster aren’t generally considered top-tier heroes, one might expect Batman to be disdainful of Blue & Gold. But Batman has been shown to be one of the few who recognizes that Booster is a lot more competent than he seems. And the Dark Knight also knows about Booster’s true mission as guardian of the timestream.

So, it’s not really that surprising for Batman to express his confidence in their endeavor. And I love that he comments that they deserve it because it “makes up for the Justice League voting you out”. Clearly, Batman feels they were deserving of the membership they were denied in the first issue. Perhaps someday Ted and Booster will one day be welcomed into the League once more.

I love Ryan Sook’s work in this book. He beautifully captures the classic look of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold’s costumes as well as Batman’s. And I just love the panel where Ted comes riding to Booster’s rescue on the back of a triceratops.

Negatives

The only complaint that I have about this series is that it’s not an ongoing series. Hopefully, we will see more of Blue & Gold in the future, either in their own series or as part of a larger group. After all, the last page promises us that this is “definitely not…the end!”.

Verdict

Blue & Gold #8 gives a great cap to Dan Jurgens’ miniseries. It serves as a nostalgic reminder of an earlier era but also demonstrates that this kind of book can still work today. While this is the last issue of Blue & Gold, I expect and hope that we’ll be seeing more of this dynamic duo again before long.

The post Review: Blue & Gold #8 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Dan Jurgens

Artists: Phil Hester, Eric Gapstur, Paul Pelletier, Norm Rapmund

Colors: Chris Sotomayor

Letters: Rob Leigh

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Blue & Gold #7: Blue & Gold Restoration is up and running, with Booster Gold and Blue Beetle taking on any number of strange cases, from paranormal extremes to lost civilizations, ancient aliens, gateways to other dimensions, and even super-villains looking for help in going straight! What happens, though, when one of the threats turns out to be an old friend? Guest-starring Jaime Reyes as the Blue Beetle!

Positives

The story in Blue & Gold #7 bears the title “Beetles Abound”. This is an apt description of the story, as it guest-stars Jaime Reyes, DC’s most recent Blue Beetle. But Ted and Jaime are not the only Beetles in the story. The story ends with the revelation that Black Beetle had abducted Jaime, last issue, as part of his plan against Ted and Booster.

Most of the issue consists of the three heroes fighting against new villain, Nullifex. I quite like the design of this character. He looks very much like the kind of villain that might have appeared in a Blue Beetle or Booster Gold comic of the 80s. I loved those titles, so it’s great seeing a villain that captures some of those vibes.

It’s great seeing Ted and Jaime together. It was great seeing Ted mentoring Jaime in the Rebirth-era Blue Beetle title. However, I was disappointed that we didn’t get to see Ted in costume, fighting alongside Jaime. So, it was great to finally get to see that here. Hopefully, we will get more chances to see them in action together in the future.

Positives Cont.

That being said, I am glad that Jaime didn’t take Ted and Booster up on their offer to join their new venture. While Jaime makes a great guest star, having a third hero in the group would upset the buddy dynamic. Ted and Booster work better as a duo. Even within a group, like Justice League International, they were a duo within the larger group.

Black Beetle looks to be an interesting villain that complements both heroes. He and Ted share the Beetle motif and like Booster he’s a time traveler. I have to wonder if there’s some deeper connection to either Ted or Booster. Or perhaps he’s connected to both somehow.

Negatives

I have no complaints about this series. Some readers might feel that it’s too light in tone. However, I think it perfectly balances out a lot of the titles with heavier content. There is room for both grave matters of importance and for light-hearted stories in the DCU. And while the tone is overall fairly bright and fun, Jurgens isn’t going overboard with the humor.

Verdict

Blue & Gold #7 not only gave us a unique chance to see DC’s two Blue Beetles in action together, but it beautifully sets up the series’ conclusion next issue. I look forward to seeing how Ted and Booster fare in their confrontation with Black Beetle.

The post Review: Blue & Gold #7 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Dan Jurgens

Artists: Ryan Sook, Wade Von Grawbadger

Colors: Steve Buccellato, Chris Sotomayor

Letters: Rob Leigh

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Blue & Gold #6: Booster and Beetle are lost in space! After a disastrous first day on their new jobs as hero business owners and operators, the duo has found themselves kidnapped and stranded on an alien world. Who’s to blame? Well, the Omnizon of course! Welcome to her home planet, Br’Honn, where a battle to the death between friends is just another Tuesday!

Positives

In Blue & Gold #6, Beetle and Booster have been captured by Omnizon and are forced to fight each other in a battle to the death. Although they initially refuse to co-operate, they are compelled to fight by Omnizon’s mind control. Actually, only Booster is compelled this way, while Ted is forced to fight out of self-preservation. This raises some interesting questions.

First off, why didn’t Omnizon also mentally coerce Ted to fight? Was Booster more susceptible to mind control than Ted? Perhaps Omnizon thought it would be more sporting to allow Ted to fight with his mind unclouded by her mental control. Or maybe she just realized that only compelling one of them to fight would suffice to get them both to fight.

One question that some readers may have wondered about is which of the two heroes would win if they were to fight. This issue seems to imply that although the two are fairly evenly matched as fighters, Ted’s intelligence would give him the edge. Ted not only fights well, but he fights smart. He uses Booster’s tech and the environment to win the fight against Booster.

Positives Cont.

This adds a chilling implication to the story. Ted was prepared to kill Booster for his own survival, although extremely reluctantly. If he had killed Booster, Ted would have carried the pain and regret of that action for the rest of his life. If the fight had gone the other way, Booster would at least have some comfort in knowing he was under mind control. Ted wouldn’t have had that comfort, though. These are some pretty dark implications for such a light-hearted series.

Luckily for both heroes, Rip Hunter interrupts the contest before anyone has to die. Rip manages to wrap up the entire matter in a neat little bit of time-travel trickery. And I like how he manages to find a loophole that allows him to deny having altered the past to affect the present. However, it appears that Rip has earned the enmity of Omizon, who clearly suspects Rip has pulled a fast one over them.

There is also another intriguing mystery referenced in this story. Terri (a.k.a. Trixie) discovers the secret knowledge that Rip is actually Booster’s future son. While this isn’t new information, Terri asks the obvious next question of Rip, “And your mother? Who is–?”. Rip refuses to answer. This makes me wonder if Jurgens knows, and if he plans to reveal it in this series. Is it possibly anyone we’ve already met? Maybe Terri herself?

Negatives

No complaints at all. Jurgens knows these characters well, and it shows. And the art of Ryan Sook and Wade von Grawbadger is above reproach.

Verdict

I have really been enjoying Dan Jurgens’ Blue & Gold series. This title shows a lot of heart by focusing on one of the most notable friendships in the DCU. And I can hardly wait to see what Jurgens has planned for the duo when the newest Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) guest-stars next issue.

The post Review: Blue & Gold #6 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Dan Jurgens

Artist: Ryan Sook

Colors: Steve Buccellato

Letters: Rob Leigh

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Blue & Gold #5: Blue and Gold Restoration is open for business! The only issue is, our duo is falling apart while their waiting room is packed to the brim with mostly illegitimate problems. Now Omnizon, self-appointed ruler of Earth, is here to sentence Booster and Beetle to death for disobeying her royal rule of the land. It’ll take a friend from the future to save their present and prevent a PR nightmare that could close their operation for good!

Positives

In Blue & Gold #5, Rip Hunter, the Time Hunter returns to help out Beetle and Booster. Booster has a lengthy history with Rip. Booster has a secret job, working for Rip as a protector of the timestream. Also, unknown to Booster, Rip is his future son.

We first see Rip in 1962, catching a performance by the Beatles in the Cavern Club. I have to admit that if I had the ability to time travel, that I would probably do the same. Unfortunately, Rip has to leave early to help Beetle and Booster. However, I can’t help wondering why he has to leave early. If he has a time machine, couldn’t he stay for the whole show? Why would he have to hurry when he has a time machine.

Meanwhile, in the present, the two heroes find their new superhero business has attracted more customers than they thought. And many of them appear to be delusional or timewasters. But Booster points out, “I’m from the future. Until recently, you were flying around in a giant, mechanical bug. Our own stories are as crazy as theirs”. Beetle agrees that perhaps it’s wiser to give each potential client a fair hearing, regardless of how outlandish their story might seem.

Positives Cont.

However, before they can get started, Omnizon reappears to resume hostilities against the heroes. Despite Rip’s timely intervention, Omnizon abducts Beetle and Booster, taking them to face her father, Lord Kif’n. The alien ruler explains that he rightfully rules Earth, as his ancestors claimed it 70 millennia previously before sentencing them to death by combat.

Alongside Jurgens’ story, we have seen social media posts from various people commenting on Beetle and Booster’s adventures. Two of them are fangirls, one obsessed with Blue Beetle, the other with Booster Gold. Interestingly, both are present to witness the battle and end up meeting each other in person, striking up an instant friendship. I wonder if they will be playing a significant role in the overall story. I suspect that Jurgens has some reason for putting them in the story.

Ryan Sook’s art complements Jurgens’ story nicely. I was particularly impressed with the glimpses of the alien world of Beh’imoor. I hope we get to see more of this world in the upcoming issues. And I quite like the design of the race that inhabits that world. I can imagine that they might cause some headaches for the fledgling United Planets. There are likely many other areas of the galaxy that they believe are their rightful property.

Negatives

I don’t really have any complaints. Blue & Gold has been a fun romp so far, which is the kind of story that suits these characters best.

Verdict

Blue & Gold #5 is another fine issue of Dan Jurgens’ highly entertaining buddy story. Booster and Blue Beetle are two of DC’s best characters, but they are criminally underused. It’s great that Jurgens has brought them back, even if it’s just for an eight-issue miniseries. Hopefully, this series will lead to further appearances of these heroes in other DCU titles.

The post Review: Blue & Gold #5 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Dan Jurgens

Artists: Ryan Sook, Kevin Maguire, Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund

Colors: Ryan Sook

Letters: Rob Leigh

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Blue & Gold #4: Bros over heroes no more! Booster Gold and Blue Beetle find running a superhero business together more difficult than it looks when these inseparable friends end up on the verge of a breakup! What could be the cause of such a schism? Enter Blackguard, looking to destroy this dysfunctional duo for good!

Positives

In Blue & Gold #4, Beetle and Booster sit for an interview to promote their new superhero business, Blue & Gold Restoration. During that interview, they tell the story of how they first became friends when Booster first joined the Justice League International. This happened during an encounter with the villain Blackguard. However, it seems that each of them remembers the adventure differently.

Dan Jurgens delivers two parallel versions of the same story, each favoring the hero that is talking. It’s amusing that the friends aren’t above embellishing the story, even at the expense of making each other look bad. For example, Beetle states that the reason they were paired for that mission was for him to show new JLI recruit Booster the ropes. However, Booster insists that the reason was for Booster to give Ted training in tactical fighting.

I love that the story is set in the early days of Keith Giffen’s Justice League International title. There really seems to be a recent resurgence of that era at the moment. Besides this title, there’s also Tom King’s excellent miniseries The Human Target. And One Star Squadron, while not strictly a JLI story, seems much in the same spirit. In fact, that title’s Heroz4U sounds very similar to Blue & Gold Restoration. I wonder if this similarity was planned or just coincidental. Perhaps a crossover between the titles might be in the offing.

Positives Cont.

I loved that Jurgens brought in Guy Gardner of all people to set the story straight. Personally, I wouldn’t trust Guy’s account either, especially as it paints him as the true hero of the encounter. However, given that both heroes acknowledge Guy’s version of events, it probably is close to the truth. If Guy was making it up, I’m sure both would have objected.

It was also amusing to see Buggles and Skeets taking sides in the disagreement. Buggles jumps to Ted’s defense, telling Booster, “Put your hand on my master again and you will suffer”. Skeets immediately puts himself between Buggles and Booster. And I liked Skeets indignant response to the word “master”. Clearly, Skeets has issues with Buggles’ subservience to Ted. I wonder if Skeets will try to convince Buggles to free himself from this master-slave relationship.

I loved the art in this issue, especially the brief appearances of the JLI. And it was great to see a group shot of the team by original artist JLI artist Kevin Maguire. I also like the little details put into the art, like how Blue Beetle’s bug is a sleek technological wonder in Ted’s version of the story, but a barely-functioning, broken-down mess in Booster’s tale.

Negatives

The only negative I can see is that some readers might not appreciate the lighter, more humorous approach Jurgens takes with this title. Admittedly, it can be hard for a writer to know just how much humor to put into a story without overdoing it. But I don’t think Jurgens has come anywhere close to that point yet. But not all comics have to be dead serious. There is plenty of room for superhero comics that are funny.

Verdict

Blue & Gold #4 is a fantastically fun comic that brings back memories of Keith Giffen’s Justice League. Dan Jurgens has done a terrific job of recapturing the feel of that iteration of the League in this issue’s story. Perhaps Jurgens might consider tackling a full JLI story after this series concludes.

The post Review: Blue & Gold #4 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Dan Jurgens

Artist: Cully Hamner

Colours: Chris Sotomayor

Letters: Rob Leigh

Reiewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Blue & Gold #3: The million-dollar debut of Buggles! Booster Gold and Blue Beetle go…broke?! Ted Kord’s secret is out: the heir to the Kord Industries fortune has been cut off and cut out of his family’s company! Now the duo needs all the help they can get to fight off the Omnizon’s attack and set up their new business. Who can possibly save the guys from themselves? Meet the newest member of Blue & Gold…Buggles!

Positives

Omnizon, the alien conquer that Booster and Beetle defeated in the first issue returns in Blue & Gold #3. Declaring herself the rightful ruler of Earth, she attacks the United Nations. Fortunately, the team of Blue & Gold are on hand to stop her once again. While this is only a temporary win, the pair deal with her rather handily.

This goes to show that Dan Jurgens understands a key point about Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. While the pair are usually played for laughs, that doesn’t mean that they are incompetent as heroes. Despite Booster’s bluster, they are quite effective crimefighters, individually and as a team. While they do tend to get into misadventures when they’re together, they also make a formidable duo.

I like seeing that Ted isn’t letting his lack of funds hold him back from inventing new crimefighting tech. Inspired by Skeets, Ted has created his own robotic assistant, Buggles. However, Beetle doesn’t seem to consider Buggles a sidekick like Booster does with Skeets. Instead, he refers to “it” as “a technological asset”. I wonder if Ted will come to consider Buggles as anything more than a device. I also wonder if Buggles will prove to be a lasting addition to the Blue Beetle mythos.

Positives Cont.

Beetle and Booster’s new venture hits a major snag. Without financial backing from Kord industries they are unable to afford to rent office space for their headquarters. However, a familiar face from Booster’s past comes to the rescue: Trixie Collins, Booster’s assistant from the original Booster Gold series Trixie tells them of some more affordable office space that the pair can afford with a little assistance from crowdsourcing.

A thought struck me when Beetle explains that he bested Omnizon by teleporting her away to “a bug-infested Louisiana swamp”. That makes me suspect that Blue & Gold might soon be encountering the Swamp Thing, who lives in the swamps of Louisiana. That would make for a weird but intriguing team-up adventure.

Cully Hamner’s art is well-suited for this title. Blue Beetle and Booster Gold look as good as they ever have. And he’s doing a great job of creating the visualization of Ted’s new creations like Buggles and the Buggy. Between his art and Jurgens’ writing, they have captured much of the feel of both heroes’ solo titles from the 80s.

Negatives

I have no complaints here. Jurgens makes no missteps with the characters. And his story is solid and strikes the proper tone for a Blue & Gold story: a bit silly, but with a lot of heart.

Verdict

While most heroes are great to read about, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold are the kind of heroes that it would be fun to hang out with. Despite their propensity to get in trouble, they have an endearing quality that Jurgens captures perfectly. Blue & Gold is the kind of entertaining fun that we don’t see enough of in comics anymore.

The post Review: Blue & Gold #3 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Dan Jurgens

Artist: Ryan Sook

Colours: Ryan Sook

Letters: Rob Leigh

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Blue & Gold #2: Who needs the Justice League anyway? Our heroes certainly don’t! After a painful rejection from the DC Universe’s team of a-list heroes, Booster Gold and Blue Beetle strike out on their own. Thanks to the Kord Industries fortune, anything is possible for this dynamic duo…right? Little do they know, an alien assassin seeking revenge places Blue and Gold in her crosshairs, and The Omnizon never misses!

Positives

Blue & Gold #2 opens with Blue Beetle having to save Booster Gold’s fat from the fire. That seems to be a recurring theme with this duo. Booster’s impulsiveness gets them into trouble, requiring Ted’s inventiveness to get them back out of trouble. However, Booster’s impulsiveness balances out Beetle’s cautiousness, giving him a needed push to step outside his comfort zone. The two heroes make a such a great team, not due to their similarities, but because they complement each other.

Dan Jurgens is doing a great job of demonstrating this. Ted admits that he has self-confidence issues, but that Booster makes up for that lack. He relates in his narration, “When it comes to all this superhero stuff… I’m not the best there is. I mean, I’m okay and all… but it’s generally best that I work alone and handle low-level stuff… Since confidence isn’t exactly at the top of my skill set. I was fine with it. Working with Booster covers that because he has enough for both of us. Usually too much to be honest”.

The duo was used to great comic effect in the Giffen Justice League era, but there is a danger that a writer might not give them any depth beneath the humour. But Dan Jurgens is too good a writer to make that mistake. While there is a lot of humour in the story, we are getting a feeling for the deep and abiding friendship between the two heroes. The story has certainly illuminated Ted’s feelings and why their friendship matters to him. The story hasn’t done so for Booster yet, but there are still six issues left to do so.

Beetle’s airship, the Bug, got destroyed last issue. But Ted’s managed to put together a new vehicle to rescue Booster with: a dune buggy appropriately named the Buggy. Booster immediately recognizes the merchandising possibilities for it, and I have to admit that it would make a great toy. But overall, I think I prefer the Bug.

Positives Cont.

However, Ted might have to make do with the Buggy, as he receives some bad news from the Board of Kord Industries. Not only do they fire him as CEO, but they inform him that they don’t even want his services as an inventor and engineer. In short, they no longer want any association with him at all.

This pretty much sinks his plans for Kord Industries to sponsor Blue & Gold Restoration, a “superhero services company”. Unfortunately, Booster jumps the gun and announces this venture before Ted can tell him that they don’t have the sponsorship. So, they are committed to a new business venture with no funding sponsor. Plus, Booster has announced that their services will be provided free. So, their business appears doomed unless they can find another sponsor.

I find it interesting that Ted’s situation is very similar to Batman. In the Batman books, Bruce Wayne has also been removed from the company that bears his family name. Given that Bruce Wayne is know to be a talented inventor of cutting-edge technology in his own right, perhaps Ted and Bruce should partner in their own new tech company.

Even though Blue Beetle and Booster Gold are often considered lightweight superheroes, they have two of the coolest costumes in the DCU. And they look absolutely fantastic as rendered by Ryan Sook. The art is so good, I’d almost be happy just to admire the artwork, but luckily there’s a great story to read while doing so.

Negatives

I have no complaints. Although it’s a light-hearted story, it’s also got some depth to it. Dan Jurgens knows how to deliver a solid story.

Verdict

Blue & Gold #2 is another great issue of Dan Jurgens’ great buddy superhero story. I’m happy that DC’s Infinite Frontier lineup features titles like this that have a lighter tone, but still have a lot of heart.

The post Review: Blue & Gold #2 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Dan Jurgens

Artist: Ryan Sook

Colours: Ryan Sook

Letters: Rob Leigh

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Blue & Gold #1: Desperate to regain the spotlight, Booster Gold looks to attract the public’s (and Justice League’s) attention the same way any washed-up, second-rate hero would-social media. The not-so-tech-savvy hero from the 25th century enlists the help of his best friend, Blue Beetle, who possesses both the money and the brains to help his old pal navigate the scary world of internet influencers. Watch out, evildoers, our heroes are live and online! Don’t miss Dan Jurgens’s triumphant return to Booster Gold with the help of all-star artist Ryan Sook (Legion of Super-Heroes), telling a tale filled with heart and maybe even redemption for DC’s two favorite underdogs!

Positives

DC has a lot of notable friendships between heroes: Superman and Batman, Green Lantern and Green Arrow, The Flash and Elongated Man. Blue & Gold #1 reintroduces readers to what has been one of my favourite pairings: Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. Keith Giffen’s Justice League first brought these two together, often using them as comic relief. But there was always a strong bond of friendship between the two heroes.

Beetle and Booster are formidable heroes on their own, but rather immature when placed together. Ted Kord is a technological genius and an able fighter. Booster is somewhat vain and attention-seeking, but he’s also the secret defender of the timestream. Batman himself has avowed that Booster deserves more respect than he usually receives.

As a fan of the Ted Kord version of Blue Beetle, I am especially pleased to see this title.  DC introduced a new Beetle, Jaime Reyes, which proved successful. With the focus on Jaime, Ted faded into the background and was eventually written out of continuity by the New 52 reboot. Luckily Rebirth reintroduced him, but as a minor hero who had never been in the Justice League. But Blue & Gold #1 shows us that Ted’s entire history as the Blue Beetle is fully restored in the Infinite Frontier era.

Positives Cont.

Blue & Gold #1 also hints that Ted may not be the wealthy business owner he had previously been. We first see him at his father’s grave, apologizing for an unspecified failure. Also, when his ship, the Bug, gets destroyed, he seems unduly upset. Booster tells him to just build a new one, but Ted responds, “You don’t understand… It’s all I had left”. It appears that Beetle no longer has the resources of Kord Industries to rely on. And that could be dangerous, as it would make him more susceptible to get sucked into one of Booster’s get-rick-quick schemes.

The Justice League plays an important role in Blue & Gold #1. Our two heroes are tasked to save the current roster of the Justice League (minus Superman), who have been captured by alien invaders. When they manage to succeed in saving the League and defeating the aliens, they are certain that they will be offered membership in the team.

However, it doesn’t quite work out that way. The team talks to Beetle alone afterwards, offering membership to Ted. But their offer does not include Booster. Ted shows how much he values his friendship with Booster by refusing their offer. He tells the League, “We are a team, and that means… no Booster Gold… no Blue Beetle!”. On top of this, he spares Booster’s feelings by telling him that the League didn’t invite either of them to join.

I also found it interesting that when the League is telling Ted their reasons for not wanting Booster, Batman stays silent. Batman is one of the few characters that has expressed any respect for Booster. He doesn’t join his teammates in dumping on Booster. But he doesn’t defend him either. And as the League leaves, we see Batman looking back. Is he perhaps regretting not speaking up?

As always, Ryan Sook’s art is gorgeous. I especially love his depiction of the titular characters, as well as the heroes of the Justice League. I feel that Ted Kord has one of the coolest looking costumes in superhero comics, and Sook’s art does it full justice.

Negatives

The duo of Blue & Gold originated during the Giffen Justice League era. Thus, whenever these two heroes get together, they tend to bring a lot of silliness with them. Now this isn’t a bad thing. A title with a light, humorous tone is not an unwelcome change of pace. A writer could easily overdo this, making it into a one-note story.

However, Dan Jurgens is a talented writer that I trust to avoid this rather obvious pitfall. And with Ted’s hard choice in this story, we can see that Jurgens is already establishing a fair bit of depth to the characters. Jurgens appreciates that Blue Beetle and Booster Gold are more than just comic relief.

Verdict

Blue & Gold #1 is a promising start to this new miniseries. With two fan-favourite characters written by Dan Jurgens and drawn by Ryan Sook, you know this is going to be good. And this first issue bears that expectation out.

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