Blue Beetle #2 (2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Manipulated by his Uncle Jarvis, brilliant inventor Ted Kord unknowingly helps to create a nearly indestructible army of androids. Ted seemingly thinks that his uncle is dead and the project is kaput when an explosion wipes out the laboratory. But a discovery of plans that survived the blast led Kord to the remote Pago Island along with his friend, Dan Garrett. There, Kord learns that his uncle is still alive and with the formula of his androids perfected, Jarvis seeks to rule the world.

Activating his magic scarab, Garrett becomes the Blue Beetle. First freeing Kord, Garrett goes into battles with the mechanoids. Unfortunately, the fracas sends the roof of Jarvis' cavern lair down atop the villain, his creations and Dan Garrett. In his dying breath, Garrett asks Ted Kord to take his place as the Blue Beetle.

Back in his father's lab, Kord utilizes the parts of old experiments to develop a beetle shaped flyer, a high-tech uniform and a dazzling light and air-blast gun to fight evil anywhere it rears its ugly head. 

Thus is the origin of the Ted Kord Blue Beetle. Though the character had debuted about a year earlier as a back-up in the pages of Captain Atom #83 (November, 1966), Kord's back story would not be revealed until issue #2 of his short-lived 1967-68 series. 

One key difference between Ted Kord and Dan Garrett was the use of superpowers. An ancient Egyptian scarab gave Dan Garrett his powers. Kord had to rely on a prowess in martial arts and an array of gadgets. For one thing, Dan Garrett was trapped under heavy boulders and unable to pass on the scarab to Ted. But later on, once Kord obtained it, he never could get the antiquity to work. 

The Ted Kord Blue Beetle was the creation of Steve Ditko (The Amazing Spider-Man). This issue was plotted and illustrated by Ditko with a script by D.C. Glanzman. This creative duo also created the back-up feature starring The Question. In this story, The Question takes on a villain that operates a stolen flying costume powered by compressed helium. Called The Banshee by his victims, this flying fiend commits a number of robberies. But these crimes are small potatoes and the Banshee has his sights on Crown City, the home of the mysterious new crime fighter The Question. Only, the Banshee doesn't realize that he's being targeted also by The Question's alter-ego, newsman Vic Sage who is just as active in bringing the baddie down as The Question is. 

Other than Marvel Comics, was there a comic book publisher that was creatively killing it during the mid-60s like Charlton Comics? The answer is no, there wasn't. At this time, Charlton boasted a line-up of Ditko, Dick Giordano, Dennis O'Neil, Pat Boyette Jim Aparo and others. Yet, because of the insane popularity of Marvel and the boost is sales given off by the Batman '66 TV series, Charlton Comics was fighting for crumbs. Sadly, the quantity of sales could not outpace the quality of the books. Blue Beetle's rebooted run was canceled after only 5 issues. The Ted Kord Blue Beetle would not return to print in new adventures until 1985 with the Crisis on Infinite Earths establishing the Charlton characters as part of the DC Universe.

One last fun fact of note. Both stories in this issue were lettered by 'A. Machine'. This wasn't a human employee with a cool name but a fun pun for Charlton's Vari-Typer office composing machine. A cost cutting decision, in 1957, the Vari-Typer was used by the publisher to letter the captions and word bubbles of all of Charlton's titles until the company folded in 1985-86, the same time period in which Ted Kord, The Question and friends were welcomed into the DC Comics throng.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #8 (With an Animal in the Title) of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Showcase Presents: Blue Beetle, Volume 1

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.

The L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons) #6 of 6

 

If you notice on this cover, the final one of this mini-series, it depicts Captain Atom. The same Captain Atom who will one day become Monarch. The same Captain Atom who was a member of the Justice League. And do you know what Captain Atom has done in the past 5 issues? Absolutely nothing!

   In issue 1, he is summoned to fight the demon hordes of Avatar and gets captured pretty quick. In issues 2-4, you see Captain Atom stuck in a mystical glass cage, unable to break free. In the last issue, his body has been so drained of his atomic powers, he’s morphed into a giant gray slug by the time he’s finally rescued. What was the point of having him as a member of the L.A.W. if he’s not going to do anything?

  I would’ve rather another Charlton character have been used if all Captain Atom was going to do but be the centerpiece of a giant snow globe. Where was Peter Cannon- Thunderbolt for goodness sake? Use him!

   In my last review, I mentioned that I didn’t understand why this was a 6 issue mini-series if the villain was going to be eliminated in issue 5. Well, I discovered just what DC had in store and I liked it. The issue takes place with The Question writing an article about the after math. Shades of Rorschach in Watchmen, perhaps? Since they took so long to build up the L.A.W. team, it was good of DC to take extra time showing the readers what happened next. I was quite happy with the outcome and thought that this was a decent ending to the series. I am disappointed that this new team didn’t really catch on. I would like to have seen more of their adventures. But, it didn’t catch on and some much has changed in the past 25 years since this book was published with the DC Universe, I’m sure that opportunity has past.

   However, that doesn’t mean I can’t go on a search for the old Charlton books and maybe find a few in a bargain bin. That’s a testament to how well a job DC Comics did, despite the Captain Atom fiasco, in crafting a whole ‘universe’ of characters that I grew to know more about.

   Worth Consuming.

 

Issue Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Overall Rating of the Series: 8.5

 

The L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons) #5 of 6

 

  This issue sees the release of the JLA from Avatar’s extra-dimensional prison spell. That action could make this comic become a JLA title real quick. Thankfully, that powers that be remembered that this mini-series was supposed to star some of the super-heroes from the Charlton Comics line of the 60s and 70s. The JLA do join the fight with the L.A.W. but their role is support only. Kudos! DC, you made the right choice about this.

   Now, here’s something I am very confused about. This issue ends with the fall of Avatar. I won’t spoil how it’s done or by whom. However, I feel that I must point out that this is issue 5 of a 6 issue mini-series. So, if the villain is vanquished, what are the Living Assault Weapons going to do for their curtain call next issue? Take on another big threat to the earth and manage to defeat it in less than 32 pages?

   I’m very interested to see how that’s going to play out.

 

Worth Consuming.

 

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons) #4 of 6

 

 The issue 3 promised that in this issue’s fight between Judomaster and Avatar, one of these two will die. Well, if it’s the Avatar then what the hack is going to happen in the next 2 issues? And if Judomaster kicks the bucket then how will Avatar achieve some sort of final retribution since the Judomaster is inadvertently behind the villain’s reason for turning evil?

   I’m not going to reveal who dies but one of these two characters really does die. I will say that there is a M. Night Shyamalan type twist behind that characters death. No, it’s not a ‘Lady in the Water’ type twist. This is an honest to god ‘Sixth Sense’ quality level twist! I love it!

  Yet another great issue in this underrated series. It’s perhaps my favorite in the entire series- it’s definitely the best thus far.

 

Worth Consuming.

 

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons) #3 of 6

The Living Assault Weapons are briefed and geared for their first mission. It’s a multi-pronged attack that will have the team fighting all over the globe. I understand most of the missions with exception of Nightshade’s. She is supposed to save a foreign dignitary but I’m not sure why he is significant other than she calls him “Uncle.”

    Perhaps the most important part of this mission is that one of them is captured and his or her capture has a major part as to why this “reincarnated” Hindu god named Avatar has raged a personal vendetta against the military and peacekeeping officers of the world. The next issue promises that between the captive and the Avatar, one of those two will die. I’ve heard that promise before. So it remains to be seen if that’s true or just false hype.

   This is the best issue in the series so far. That’s probably because of Avatar’s identity and origin being revealed and for once it’s a motivation and hatred that makes sense. I can really feel a little for the bad guy as to why he’s got such a major grudge and as to why he’s made it his mission to protect the children of the surrounding areas he’s attacked. Fantastic job on this one DC! Keep it up.

 Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons) #2 of 6

 

With the JLA trapped in a demonic underworld, the earth grossly understaffed (or it’s it underpowered?) to deal with the global crisis attacking the armed forces of the third rock from the sun. Several C-list super heroes have been recruited to assist in the peacemaker project, which was designed for such a purpose. But will they be able to survive the trip getting there?

 

This issue continues to introduce the major players in this story. Thankfully, there is a plot behind all of this. Most of the characters are spread out across the globe and dimensions. So, it does take a while getting everyone on the same page.

 

One of the main characters is a man named Sarge Steel. I’ve come across this character before. He works for the Office of Meta-human Affairs. I didn’t know he was originally a Charlton character. I just figured he was a new character created by DC sometime after the Crisis. I also thought that Sargent (or Sarge) was his rank. It’s not- it’s actually his name, just like Maria Shriver’s dad Sargent Shriver. So how did I learn this little fact? It’s because of a series of great articles in the back of these issues detailing the history of Charlton Comics and its characters. The first couple of articles have been written by former Charlton editor, Dick Giordano. A favorite artist of mine, I was very lucky to meet him just a couple of weeks before his death. If you loved the old Super Powers toy line or those Superman and Batman lunch boxes in the 80s, odds are it was Giordano’s artwork you were admiring.

 

Worth Consuming.

 

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons) #1 of 6

 

    When an ancient Hindu god banishes the JLA into another dimension and then uses his demon hordes to wipe out the combined military forces and remaining superheroes of the world, there’s very little hope for planet earth. Thus begins a new mini-series epic from DC Comics 1999. The twist is that what little hope for planet earth is in the form of 6 c-listers from the old Charlton Comics super hero line. Blue Beetle, Judo-Master, Captain Atom, the Question, Peacemaker, and Nightshade.

 Does this list of super-heroes seem a little strangely familiar to you? Well, they should because essentially the L.A.W. is what Alan Moore’s legendary macro-series Watchmen could’ve become if DC allowed him to use the Charlton characters as he originally wanted. Owlman was based on Blue Beetle. Doctor Manhattan was to have been Captain Atom. Silk Spectre was based on Nightshade and the Question and Peacemaker were the respective templates for Rorschach and the Comedian. (I’m not sure who Judo-master was supposed to be as the character that inspired Ozymandias isn’t supposed to be in this mini-series.)

   I am excited about the prospects of this series. I love the old Charlton super heroes as I remember reading some of their exploits in my dad’s comic book collection as a kid. I also like the fact that some of the original artists and writers from those Charlton books, such as Dick Giordano and Bob Layton have been recruited for this mini-series. Already, the art is great and the introductions of the characters is very good. In fact, I am now interested in reading more about the character Fate, who is used in a minor role to introduce Nightshade. To make a minor character that much more interesting and they’re just there to move a certain aspect of the plot forward speaks volumes of the talent of this book’s writers and artists.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

"Justice League America #100"

This 100th issue starts out great. All three versions of the League are present trying to iron out this whole open membership debacle that nearly wiped everyone out in issues 96-97. Then the Snazz and Flash take Blue Beetle and Booster on a tour of the spaceship, only to discover it’s making more Overmasters in light of the alien warlord’s death. Then Lord Havok, now possessing the brain of Max Lord attacks.

    

And then wouldn’t you know it? The cliffhanger come and I now have to have an issue of Warrior to finish it! I hate when this happens! Geez- put a disclaimer or something!

This is such a major pet peeve of mine.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

JLA: Act of God, Book 1

 

  A strange act of God causes all the super powered heroes and villains to lose their powers. That now means the heavy hitters are Batman, Steel, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold!

   A very interesting opening chapter that looks at the question “What makes one a hero?”
The art is fantastic. The story is really good. Excellent plotting and some spot on character analysis of DC’s best and brightest!

   Kudos!

   Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Justice League America #90 (Judgment Day, Part 4)

Blue Beetle and STAR Labs race to save Booster’s life, but it appears that they won't have to rush because the human race has literally stood still. No more births, no more deaths. This would be ideal, except the Doomsday entity has once again sped the end of days timetable up once again. Now earth only has 24 hours.

The chapter reminds me of Torchwood: Miracle Day in which Death took a holiday. With no more births, Power Girl is now freed up to do some major damage. After a disappointing Chapter 3, segment 4 seemed to address why Superman, Hal Jordan, Batman and others aren’t involved and the backbiting between League factions has subsided. Could be better, but not bad.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Justice League America #87

The League battles Dreamslayer and his New Extremists as the world crumbles under everyone’s feet. The plot with Dreamslayer trying to turn Bloodwynd into a traitor is supposed to be the main event. But it is the Blue & Gold who steal the show. Booster’s new battle suit has bugs in it and a reluctant Blue Beetle is literally repairing the blasted thing in mid-battle. It harkens back to classic Giffen/ DeMatteis Justice League that’s been missing for some time.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.