Pretty, Fizzy Paradise

I'm back! And reading! And maybe even blogging! No promises!

Friday, March 30, 2007

I have a confession to make:

I haven't been reading Blue Beetle.

I did buy the first few issues right after the year jump and I enjoyed them well enough. Jaime is very likeable, his supporting cast is cute, the Beetle scarab is interesting and I really really liked the appearance of Guy Gardner.

Especially when he was fighting so hard with himself not to kill him. That was really cute.

Unfortunately, then there was a spell of unemployment, which meant I had to be really really scrupulous and penny pinching about my comic book purchasing. (Heck, it was probably irresponsible to buy comics at all during that period, but I did have some money saved up.) I ended up having to drop a lot of titles, which meant comics like Blue Beetle, Aquaman and Hawkgirl didn't make the cut.

I was sad about that. Well, I was sad about BB and Aquaman (I was just starting to understand what the heck was going on!), Hawkgirl not so much. I've come to realize that I'm not terribly fond of Kendra when she's not making Sand terribly uncomfortable. It's a shame too, a girl with wings and a mace kicks ass, and I did find her romantic issues interesting and sympathetic...but well, I love vagina dentata as much as anyone, but the series did nothing for me.

Blue Beetle, I was sadder about. I loved Ted Kord, and I still predict he'll be back in some form or another, but Jaime's really really cute and charming.

I like that Jaime's race feels natural without it being shouted from the rooftops/a giant neon sign, a.la diversity in a Judd Winick comic. (For the record, I don't think Winick is a bad writer, but I think he tends toward "LOOK HOW DIVERSE I AM!!!" school of writing. Which is still, admittedly, better than no diversity at all. But I digress.) He's the sort of character I think of when I say "We need more gay/ethnic/whatever" characters. I don't know if Jaime's was a requirement to his creation a.la "We need a hispanic Blue Beetle" or if it was just that the best idea for the new Blue Beetle happened to be a kid who was Mexican-American, but ultimately I don't think it matters. He's a very interesting, well developed character who is a member of an under-represented minority and I'd like to see more of that.

The story was an intriguing enough start, but I wasn't really deep enough involved at the time to rationalize keeping it over one of my hardcore favorites. From what I hear, it's getting better and better.

And Guy Gardner's going to be in it soon.

I kept intending to go back and catch up on the issues I've missed and put it back on my pull list, but I forgot. I'm going to now, though. I keep hearing talk of possible cancellation and I'm already feeling tremendously guilty that Firestorm was another one I'd let drop. :-(

I like good comics! I want good comics to stay! Also, Guy Gardner will be in it again! So I'm gonna give Blue Beetle another chance.

14 Comments:

  • At March 30, 2007 9:38 AM, Blogger Matthew E said…

    You'll be glad you did. If we can discount my Legion obsession as a special case, Blue Beetle is my favourite comic these days, and it seems to be getting better as it goes. (Note also: John Rogers' website is here; always an interesting read.)

     
  • At March 30, 2007 9:56 AM, Blogger R.Nav said…

    Don't worry! I am a professional, I can help!

    Issues to pick up:

    Blue Beetle 7, 11, and 13 all have high notes that a) are awesome, and b) will give you a clearer picture of who is who and what is what.

     
  • At March 30, 2007 10:32 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I haven't been buying Blue Beetle either. And then I went to Scans_Daily. I really need to stop doing that.

    There is a trade of the first six issues out, and another with issues 7-12 coming out in June.

    I haven't heard anything about it being cancled, and newsrama has an article up about the author's plans for year two. But sales are not doing well either.

    I feel guilty too, but I would rather get it in trades . . .

    Blake

     
  • At March 30, 2007 11:18 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Haha, was this inspired by the sudden burst of Jaime love over at s_d?

    (I'm going to pretend it was, because I blame you for making me love Guy Gardner, so it would be nice to have some effect back.)

    I really love John Rogers for this. Reading what he has to say on websites is always awesome. I love this interview here.

    13 isn't actually that bad a place to jump in on, either. I'm missing 7-12 (until they arrive in the mail next week, at least... take that, self-control) and I still figured out what was going on, and at least 13 starts with a recap page. And as comic readers I think we've all learned how to figure it out as we go along anyway. Also, 13 is really, really good. Also, if you read it, you'll be prepared for next month, which has the greatest cover known to man.

    Long story short: doooo iiiiiit

    wonderfish@lj
    escarabajo_azul

     
  • At March 30, 2007 11:51 AM, Blogger Rob S. said…

    I had dropped the book, too, but had been hearing that started really hitting its stride, so I preordered the second trade to catch up, and if I like it, I'll be buying the individual issues after that.

     
  • At March 30, 2007 12:21 PM, Blogger kalinara said…

    wonderfish: I hate Scans_Daily It's a horrible horrible place. Makes me want to read comics I don't own. :-)

    So in short: yes. :-)

     
  • At March 30, 2007 12:26 PM, Blogger SallyP said…

    I mainly bought the first new Blue Beetle, because it had Guy in it, and then sort of forgot about it for a while. Lately however, I have started picking it up again, and I must admit that it is charming. And I adore that cover that is coming up, with Jaimie and Guy and the beer.

    It's a good thing that there are trades.

    Bring back Ted! Maybe in the new Booster book!

     
  • At March 30, 2007 1:39 PM, Blogger Flidget Jerome said…

    Curse you, wonderfish! Spreading your dark agenda everywhere!

    (Even though we really should both blame narm00)

    *Shakes first once more.*

     
  • At March 30, 2007 2:39 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Blake: Trades aren't necessarily ineffective at keeping a book afloat though; I hear Manhunter was un-canceled because of its trade sales. I don't think the higher-ups were necessarily watching those sales before, but it sounds like they are now.

    Kalinara: MWAHAHA. I know exactly what you mean. :)

    SallyP: Agreed. I can't imagine that Booster could get his own book and the prospect of bringing Ted back wouldn't at least be addressed. I mean, time machine in the hands of a man with no functional bad idea detector? You're just asking for it.

    Flidget: I assure you the success of my agenda is as big (and pleasant) a surprise to me as anybody. :)

    wonderfish@lj
    escarabajo_azul

     
  • At March 30, 2007 8:51 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Oh please please pretty please check out Hawkgirl again!! I can understand dropping around the first arc because it was very long and not good and had Chaykin art, but the art and stories have been much better. In the latest issue, Kendra actually hits it off with the Female Furies! Plus, the sales numbers are getting dangerously low (noooooo!!)

    Of course, this is all in half-jest. :) Nobody wants to read a series when they don't like the main character (which is why the only Supergirl issues I own are the ones where Powergirl is a guest star. I was gonna get the Cass one too, but I looked at it and got Hulk-level angry lol). Just curious though, what don't you like about her? Or are you just apathetic? I could certainly see some qualities about her that might rub people the wrong way, even though I like her.

     
  • At March 30, 2007 9:42 PM, Blogger Your Obedient Serpent said…

    I'm another one who's discovered that Blue Beetle has become one of his favorites.

    He's very definitely my favorite of the new crowd to come out of Infinite Crisis, and I quite like Ryan Choi and Arthur "Not Orin" Curry.

    ...does Jason Rusch count as part of that crowd? He predates IC proper, but his roots are in the various events that lead up to IC...

    Still, much as I love'em all, Jaime's my current fave. He's captured that gee-whiz essence that he shares with Peter Parker and Virgil Hawkins.

     
  • At March 31, 2007 1:24 AM, Blogger Canton said…

    Blue Beetle has had me reading (about) Green Lanterns and picking up The Brave and the Bold lately.

    It's kind of scary. In a good way. Maybe.

     
  • At March 31, 2007 5:05 AM, Blogger kalinara said…

    Justin: I'm gonna blog about Hawkgirl tonight actually. :-)

     
  • At March 31, 2007 11:40 PM, Blogger Aero! said…

    This is the right decision. Blue Beetle is amazing right now. Rogers is hitting every right note. Even the costume, which looks absolutely ridiculous unless handled just right, is looking good.

     

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