Green and Blue

This month's Blue Beetle really illustrates why I want to see more team-ups between Guy and younger heroes. Because he really is good at it. He tells Jaime exactly what the kid needs to hear and gives him some long term help too, via Liddell-Hart's Strategy.

Also, as a fan of Ted Kord, I was really pleased by the recognition that Guy gives him, which I'll quote for any Ted Kord fans who read this blog who don't read Blue Beetle:

"Ted Kord had no powers, kid. He was always "overpowered". But he always won. I saw him mop the floor with guys who ate stars. because he was smarter. He was smarter than Bats, although nobody ever noticed. You can beat these punks. But you gotta stop thinkin' like some scared kid with fancy power armor...and start thinkin' like the Blue Beetle."

I love this. I've always liked the interaction between Ted and Guy. Even the fistfight, (though I was horrified that the rest of the group allowed this to take place. For one thing, pitting an olympic level martial artist against a brain damaged school teacher is basically just a set-up for the abject humiliation of a teammate. Even if said teammate is a jerk. Besides, you have a geek with confidence issues and a past of having been bullied and you're pitting him against a thug with a lot of issues relating to humiliation, and you think that's going to turn out at ALL well? I blame General Glory. One day I WILL write my General Glory hate post, just you wait!)

I particularly liked how as JLI/JLA went on, Guy and Ted really did become less adversarial. They really worked together well. Like when the Weapons Master had them all captured and Ted had to move them on the chessboard. When he realized that moving the piece freed them momentarily, he moved Guy, so Guy could steal his ring back and act. He trusted Guy to know exactly how to act and when, and that's just awesome teamwork. And when Guy got Ted to steer the car when taking out his evil clone...And Ted was the first person Guy went to when his ring started failing/Parallax was on the rise.

Anyway, I'm glad to see Guy hasn't forgotten that friendship (of course he wouldn't!) and I love seeing him be mentor-y with Jaime. I love that he isn't trying to teach Jaime his own method, which totally wouldn't work for him, but instead is showing him how to be a proper Blue Beetle.

Now how about sending him to straighten out the Teen Titans?