Faster than a DC Bullet: All-New All-Different DC, Part XI: Blue Beetle: Reach for the Stars

Comic trade paperback, 166 pages
Published 2008 (contents: 2007)
Borrowed from the library
Read March 2017

Blue Beetle: Reach for the Stars

Writers: John Rogers, J. Torres, Keith Giffen

Pencillers: Rafael Albuquerque, David Baldeon, Freddie Williams II
Inkers: Rafael Albuquerque, Steve Bird, Dan Davis
Colorist: Guy Major 
Letterers: Phil Balsman, Pat Brosseau

Yesssss. Blue Beetle is still the quintessential teen superhero book, as John Rogers shows all lesser writers how to balance character, humor, superheroics, and teen angst. Road Trip ended on a cliffhanger, with Blue Beetle making first contact with the alien Reach, responsible for the creation of his mysterious scarab; Reach for the Stars follows that up with a series of standalone one-issue stories, as Jaime tries to convince others that the Reach isn't what it seems. I wish more writers followed Rogers's approach: his done-in-ones are perfect at balancing individual story and character beats with the ongoing plots and narratives of the series, meaning that this slim volume feels like it does more than many fatter comic collections.

The book features a lot of tie-ins to the larger DC universe, with appearances by Guy Gardner and Ultra-Humanite, Superman and Livewire, Traci 13 (the Architects did keep their promise in Architecture & Mortality and fold her into the post-52 universe), Bruce Wayne/Batman, Lobo and the Teen Titans, and Giganta (not sure how her operating as a mercenary here fits with her being a professor at Ivy University in The All New Atom, but maybe I'll find out). These are well-done crowd-pleasers: who doesn't like Paco and Brenda quibbling over the belly shirts all the female members of the Titans wear?

Batman might knock Guy out in one punch, but Jaime's mother doesn't even need one.
from Blue Beetle vol. 8 #14 (script by John Rogers, art by Rafael Albuquerque)

But where John Rogers and his collaborators always excel are the moments of character. A real highlight is a story where Jaime must stop a storm-creating supervillain from devastating a coastal Mexican community. His suit lets him know how many life-signs are active in the community, leading to this devastating page:

Poor Jaime.
from Blue Beetle vol. 8 #17 (script by John Rogers, art by Rafael Albuquerque)

But Jaime doesn't crumble; he starts thinking smart, and works out a solution to save everyone still alive with a minimum of violence, and ends the issue in a tender moment with his father:

Awwwww.
from Blue Beetle vol. 8 #17 (script by John Rogers, art by Rafael Albuquerque)

Similarly, one could easily groan over another appearance of Eclipso (not really a favorite of mine after suffering through its appearance in Day of Vengeance and Team 7), but Rogers turns it into something special, with a series of great character moments for Jaime and Paco. Jaime gets his flirt on with Traci 13...

from Blue Beetle vol. 8 #16 (script by John Rogers, art by Rafael Albuquerque)

...but still has some realistic awkwardness...

from Blue Beetle vol. 8 #16 (script by John Rogers, art by Rafael Albuquerque)

...and triumphs through his desire to not be a superhero:

from Blue Beetle vol. 8 #16 (script by John Rogers, art by Rafael Albuquerque)

But he's a hero nonetheless, and that's what makes him great. (Plus John Rogers gets in a nice tribute to the Dibnys. I miss you, Elongated Man!)

I could probably scan half this book if I was so inclined. I don't know who the guy who looks like the devil on the Teen Titans is, but he does lead to this hilarious moment when the Titans need to evacuate a mission control center at a moment's notice:

I feel like I would do this all the time if I was this guy.
from Blue Beetle vol. 8 #18 (script by John Rogers, art by David Baldeon & Dan Davis)

But I'll close with this, a cute moment where Jaime learns he really is doing the right thing:

Superman knows best.
from Blue Beetle vol. 8 #15 (script by J. Torres, art by Freddie Williams II)

I know this series doesn't run forever, but it really seems like it could, and it deserves to.

Next Week: Manhunter may be gone... but hopefully she's not Forgotten!