‘Blue Beetle’ #2 is all about raising the stakes

A new threat on the Horizon.

Lukas Shayo

October 3, 2023

After the events of Blue Beetle #1, Jaime Reyes has been left on his own. With Ted Kord seriously injured and the Horizon at odds with humanity, it will take every trick he has to keep afloat as problems continue to pile on. In Blue Beetle #2, Josh Trujillo, Adrián Gutiérrez, and Wil Quintana have only made things worse for the Earth’s bluest protector.

If Blue Beetle: Graduation Day failed to properly develop Jaime’s supporting cast, this new book is putting in the work to make everyone sympathetic and relatable.

Listen to the latest episode of our weekly comics podcast!

Every member of the Horizon gets a moment to shine, and Blue Beetle #2 finally takes a look at each character’s personality and own personal origin stories. Where previously, they were distinguished by little more than designs and color schemes, this issue finally starts to introduce varying backstories. It’s a great way to help these characters stand out on their own. Without that additional help, it could be very easy to see them slip into obscurity as soon as this run ends — as many others have before (Piñata, anyone?).

Ted Kord's friends gather around him in Blue Beetle #2

DC Comics

Even Ted Kord’s sister has the space to reveal more elements of her personality in her brother’s absence. Her existence is still somewhat of a mystery, but she does appear to have a deep and profound love for Ted. It’s also just nice to get a glimpse at Brenda again, though a more substantial role would be nice.

One element that is somewhat baffling is the complete lack of Starfire in this book. While she is undoubtedly busy with other books, she was a major element in Graduation Day and was meant to serve as Jaime’s mentor. Blue Beetle completely omits her, despite a few off-hand mentions. It’s bizarre, considering how important she was meant to be to Jaime. Even if he was meant to outgrow the need for a mentor, she can still appear in the book.

Despite that critique, of course, one of the major issues with the book is simply its lack of space. The plot proceeds at a breakneck pace because it has a litany of characters to juggle. Booster Gold, Fire, Ice, Jaime, Ted, the Horizon warriors, the Horizon themselves, the Blood Scarab, and Guy Gardner all need space for their stories to be told. While Booster, Fire, Ice, and Guy are ancillary characters, the others are still so prominent or so new that they require a significant amount of space. With only so many pages, it’s impossible to fit them all into one book.

DC Comics

Jaime is the main casualty of that problem. He only appears in 6.5 pages of the book, despite the fact that it is his own personal solo comic. It’s great to see the development of these new characters, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of Jaime’s participation. At its core, Blue Beetle #2 is supposed to be about the Blue Beetle, rather than just the conflicts that the Horizon are facing.

While some issues remain, Gutiérrez and Quintana have provided some incredible art for this book. The fight scenes feel fluid and dynamic, and Blood Scarab genuinely feels like an intimidating and unstoppable threat. The mystery surrounding the character is enthralling. Blood Scarab’s relationship with the Horizon feels like an element begging to be mined.

With Khaji-Da having so much power, it’s also nice to see an enemy that can throw even Jaime’s Scarab for a loop. It’s a much-needed change from Jaime blasting through his enemies with ease. Blood Scarab is remarkably powerful — as he needs to be when facing so many Beetles. It doesn’t hurt that his design is also amazing. Jaime’s Blue Beetle suit is an iconic style for a reason, but Blood Scarab really blows even that out of the water.

Blue Beetle #2 is more of a setup issue than anything else. The issue does a great job of setting up its supporting cast. Blood Scarab’s entire character remains quite literally out-of-this-world. While it would be nice to see more of Jaime in Jaime’s book, Blue Beetle is building to a real Scarab War, and an issue like this is exactly how to get to that point.

‘Blue Beetle’ #2 is all about raising the stakes

Blue Beetle #2

Blue Beetle #2 is more of a setup issue than anything else. The issue does a great job of setting up its supporting cast. Blood Scarab's entire character remains quite literally out-of-this-world. While it would be nice to see more of Jaime in Jaime's book, Blue Beetle is building to a real Scarab War, and an issue like this is exactly how to get to that point.

Reader Rating1 Votes

8.5

Continuing to make the supporting cast feel more like individuals.

The fighting is incredibly dynamic and fluid.

Blood Scarab gets more interesting by the page.

There really isn't enough Blue Beetle in this Blue Beetle comic.

7.5

Good

Buy Now

Amazon