Collecting the complete Blue Beetle series from 1986-1988. Written by Joey Cavalieri and Len Wein, this version of the Ted Kord Beetle starts off as a more serious, less angry version of Batman. By day, Kord runs Kord Industries, a technological think tank. But at night, he's Blue Beetle, Chicago's newest protector.
It's a much different Ted Kord than I am used to. My first encounters with this character are from his roles in various Justice League incarnations. That Blue Beetle is less serious, much more of a slacker, and a lot less healthier. If I'm not mistaken, the Giffen/DeMatteis Blue Beetle was the first superhero to have a beer gut.
The Beetle comprised in this Showcase Presents collection is the complete opposite of everything that I feel in love with the character. Plus, there's no Booster Gold in which to be a comedic spring-board off of. That doesn't mean that I didn't like this edition. It was filled with some really good stories, some amazing art, and one of the best covers of all-time.
For anyone that is a fan of the Charlton Comics Blue Beetle, this is going to be treat for you. Fans of Ditko's version of the hero will also delight in that the original scarab, Dan Garrett, makes a return in an epic blast from the past!
Featuring artwork from DC legends such as Gil Kane, Ross Andru, and Don Heck, this late 80s series was about as close to the original vision of Blue Beetle than anything crafted afterwords. Though these stories were published when I was a kid, this is my dad's Beetle. These aren't terrible but there it a little too much of an element of soap opera for my liking. Plus, this is just not what you'd expect when the Ted Kord you are used to is the class clown of the Justice League.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
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