I thought this was a clever
spin on an old character that
was hardly original.
Instead of a rich white guy
who creates gadgets for himself
(think Batman with out the
existential despair and self loathing)
This Blue Beetle
is a young hispanic man
who becomes bonded
with the beetle armor
which is a semi sentient
alien creation
viewed by many worlds as
an outright menace.
Timely and well
done on the part of DC.
Appealing to both a younger
and multi ethnic audience.
Plus it is a pretty good book.
A touch young for me.
But good.

Poor kid’s got a scarab on his back. It itches. The kid is Jaime Reyes. He wears the Blue Beetle outfit. Ted Kord, in this version of the Blue Beetle story, is a billionaire superhero wannabe. He’s the brains of the outfit. He flies around in the flying Beetle, giving Jaimie instructions that Jaime mostly ignores. And then there’s the posse, including Blot and Nightcatcher and too many to list, but the one who gets the most traction is a blurry girl who has a serious case of horny. Ah, and Jaime’s mom is the posse’s doctor. So there you have the characters.

Here’s the setup. Jaime’s problem is that scarab is evil. We know this because Dr. Fate says so, and Dr. Fate knows evil when he sees it. Fate thinks it would be best just to kill Jaime before the scarab regains its full power and takes over Jaime completely. Kord talks him out of murdering the innocent kid but who knows, maybe Dr. Fate has a point. It’s probably not a spoiler to note that by the end of the volume, Blue Beetle is still alive. Not that it matters, because any DC superhero who dies eventually comes back to life.

The blurry girl turns out to be named Blur. She takes on sort of a demonic character named Mordecai who is acting on behalf of a higher power. Blur is fast, and she has a fast mouth. How she fits into the story is, at least to me, a mystery, but perhaps the writers will eventually make some sense of her. Eventually more posse get in on the act and we don’t learn much about them either.

Jaime’s girlfriend also has kind of a saucy mouth -- she likes to bash Jaime’s slow-witted buddy -- so there are a couple of fun characters here. But speaking of the writers making sense of things, they don’t make sense of much of anything by the end of volume 1. The writing is reasonably sharp and the art is reasonably good, so I’m willing to cut them some slack in the belief that there’s a plan here and that it will eventually be revealed. I like the setup and the characters, so I’m giving this 4 stars, but if a plot doesn’t begin to cohere by the end of volume 2, I might rethink my thoughts. After all, I’m one of those incredibly impatient, attention-deficit inflicted readers who wants everything explained TODAY, RIGHT NOW, and the thought of holding volume 1 in my brain long enough to catch up with volume 2 is distressing. But 4 stars anyway, with hope for a better tomorrow.

New to me superhero in that I'd heard the name but not read any previous issues.

This is a new incarnation of The Blue Beetle, Jamie Reyes, teenager, and he has a scarab beetle-type tech welded to his back. Unfortunately, someone wants it back and it appears it can't be removed without killing him.

Fun in the way a teenage hero should be. Lots of worrying about skipping school to do superhero duty and hanging with friends that know your secret (it's barely a secret, the world and his wife seems to know). Lots of banter between school friends and with his mentor, former Blue Beetle, Ted Kord.

We get his origin in several panels almost at the end of the book rather than a whole issue at the beginning.

The artwork is bright and well drawn.

Impressed, can't wait to get the next issue.

DNF. This was just plain unreadable. DNF. This was just plain unreadable.

Blue Beetle, Vol. 1: The More Things Change (Blue Beetle: Rebirth #1) by Keith Giffen, Scott Kolins, Romulo Fajardo, Jr., and Josh Reed collects the first six volumes of the Rebirth story arc of Blue Beetle. Bonded to the Blue Beetle Scarab, teenager Jamie Reyes has no idea what he's doing with one of the most powerful weapons in the universe. But he's in luck, because his predecessor--Ted Kord--is back in the DC Universe and here to serve as the young hero's mentor!Alongside fellow teen hero Doctor Fate, this duo will have to learn how to be heroes on the fly!

Blue Beetle, Vol. 1: The More Things Change is an entertaining and well drawn read. I know little of Blue Beetle's story, so I went into this book excited to learn more, but a little worried that my lack of knowledge would be an issue. Thankfully, my ignorance was not an issue and I felt fully engaged and entertained by the story. I think there was enough explanation of the Blue Beetle character- and the changes that must have taken place in previous storylines- that newcomers will be able to jump in like I did. I liked that the story includes mysticism along side action and emotional challenges for the major players. I also enjoyed the artwork and colors, and felt that they added so much to the atmosphere and character personalities as they faced the problems in the story. I do not know if long time fans of the characters will enjoy the book as much as I did, but I think new readers like myself will easily find themselves looking to discover more (both in the past and future) of the character.

I really didn't know much about this comic before. All I knew about Blue Beetle is that my boyfriend pointed out how he, in Injustice 2, has a face like Groot. I just can't unsee it now.

Another teen hero - but one that was not raised into the role. Jaime Reyes has a strange beetle attached to his back, found by him and his friends. With the "help" of Ted Kord, Jaime goes into some pretty interesting scenarios, playing hero. And then Doctor Fate makes an appearance, warning them about the scarab being "unreliable". Extensive tests on Jaime bring to light what is happening to him.

He runs into The Posse, a gang who are well-acquainted with Jaime's mother. And then Mordecai shows up, threatening Mrs Reyes's life. But it's not her he's after.

I won't lie, I kind of had no idea what exactly was happening half the time. I liked the banter and humour in this - especially with Ted Kord - but I couldn't really keep up with the main plot. Maybe if I read more, I'll understand what's going on. I'm not sure. 3 stars for this.

A teenager has gotten blessed/cursed with a strange blue scarab that changes him into the Blue Beetle. His mentor seems more interested in playing with toys then investigating any changes that affects Jamie Reyes health and well-being. Then there is Dr. Fate poking about and very strange villains that are causing people to disappear. The reader will have to wait and see if DC develops this Blue Beetle to it full potential.

'Blue Beetle, Vol. 1: The More Things Change' by Keith Giffen and Scott Kollins is a rebirth title, but I feel about the way I felt about the character back in the 1980s: Meh.

Jamie Reyes has had the weird beetle scarab attach itself to him, so he is now the Blue Beetle. Ted Kord acts as his annoying overseer. Jamie has friends that know who he is, but being the Blue Beetle is tough when you have to get to class. Add in the fact that Doctor Fate isn't too pleased about the weird beetle scarab that has locked itself on to Jamie's spine and it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Except, it's just not all that interesting. There is teen bickering. There is a teen gang that, surprise, has superpowers, and, surprise, may not be that bad. The art is fine. Jamie as Blue Beetle has a weird alien look to his face. Frankly, I wanted more Doctor Fate. I'd rather have a Doctor Fate book than this.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Liked the magic twist but the whole Posse team was so bad and annoying. Blue Beetle by himself is enough do they really need freaky teen teams added?

They put Jaime in a deeper end of the DC Universe, and that means we see him in a whole new context of tooling around with the justice society. But it loses a lot of the appeal of the series that launched the character where it was oddly grounded for sci-fi with its own characters that really anchored the story.

Sadly, there's really nothing redeeming here. The storyline reminded me of the worst of the '90s, with little plot, bad art, and the introduction of multiple new heroes/villains in terrible costumes with terrible names that are just attempts at driving up the price of the back issues with a "first appearance." I feel bad for Jamie Reyes, because he deserves a better comic, but I fear this one is not long for the shelves.

A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Nerdophiles was not compensated for this post. Our opinions are ours and ours alone.

Blue Beetle Vol. 1: The More Things Change

Author: Keith Giffen
Artist: Scott Kolins
Release Date: May 16, 2017
Publisher: DC Comics
Review Spoilers: Mild

I'm admittedly not a huge DC Comics fan and I generally only follow the few books that peak my interest. So please forgive me for not knowing everything else that's going on with their latest 'Rebirth' branding. I picked up this first volume of Blue Beetle because I have been waiting for years for Ted Kord to come back from the dead and here we have him back in action. Well, to an extent. Paired up with Jaime Reyes who succeeded him in the titular superhero mantle, this book had a lot of potential.

I was hoping the new Blue Beetle series would be DC's answer to Matt Fraction's Hawkeye. Unfortunately, while the two series have a lot in common (two heroes from different generations with the same superhero name working together to fight crime) Blue Beetle doesn't quite have the same charm. It's disappointing because I love these two characters on their own and I love the idea of them together.

Blue Beetle casts Jaime as the reluctant hero and Ted Kord as the boisterous, up-beat superhero retiree. With his own heroism put on hold, Ted's dedicating his money and resources to helping Jaime use the mysterious (and unwanted) scarab that's taken him as it's host for good. The concept is great and there's a ton of potential there but by the end of this first volume the book has yet to live up to it. Part of the problem is that the book doesn't focus enough on their relationship. Ted should be a mentor but as far as Jaime seems to be concerned Ted comes off a bossy, unwanted interloper in his life. And we don't seem to be moving on from that impression.

Relationships are presented as being a key part of this book but they don't get nearly as much attention as they could. Jaime has close friends he trusts and who know his secret. He has strong relationships with both of his parents - and with his younger sister. Even Ted has an inner circle of trusted co-workers that be's brought in on the scarab project. But Jaime's friends' bickering gets incredibly annoying after awhile - and their bickering gets an unnecessarily amount of panel time. The focus on Jaime's mother and her growing involvement in the superhero world is great - but she ends up as little more than a means for the bad guys to get at Jaime.

And speaking of bad guys and villains - the ones we're introduced to in this book really aren't that interesting. There's a lot of meaningless conflict in this book. None of it really seems all that engaging. Still, we're treated to a handful of incidents that are generally forgettable. And while the Posse - the local band of super-powered anti-hero types - were interesting they too came off as a largely expendable point point devoid of significant meaning. The more intriguing plot points - namely Dr. Fate's interest in the scarab and the ways the scarab may be trying to overpower Jaime - get way less attention than they probably should have.

I went in wanting to like this book. And to be fair, I like it well enough. I'll keep reading it because I have been waiting too long for Ted Kord to come back to life to stop. But I want it to be better. I want Blue Beetle to be better and the story more interesting. I want to see more of Ted and Jaime cooperating - and less of Jaime's friends bickering.

This book has a lot of potential. It just needs to reach it. Jaime is such a great character that he deserves an equally great standalone book. At this point, though, the Rebirth title isn't quite there. Hopefully, though, the storylines they're working through will pay off and the series starts working through it's problems to become a stronger title. I'll keep my finger's crossed.

Except for the great diversity in the Reyes family I found it really hard to connect with this book. Yes Kord seems more clueless to Jamie's struggles and needs than helpful and I didn't really like the supporting cast. I love the concept of BB but outside of animation I don't enjoy the characters stories in this trade

I like Blue Beetle, both the Ted Kord and Jaime Reyes versions, but this book was just ok. First off, this book didn't feel like a Rebirth, but a continuation. And while the story was fine, I didn't really follow the characters or the plotline as well as the other volumes I've read. Kord was a great character, and it had some great imagery regarding the Blue Beetle character, but other than that, it was just ok.

Blue Beetle isn’t a character I’ve ever really followed. Sure, I’ve seen him in tv cartoons and read about him in a few comic guest appearances, but that is it. So I was excited to read The More Things Change, because I’ve been really struggling to find a Rebirth series I really like. Maybe, I thought, Blue Beetle could be the one!

It all starts off with a good introduction to teenager Jamie Reyes of El Paso, Texas. He has found this weird blue scarab, it has fused to his back, and now he has been fighting crime as the Blue Beetle. But he isn’t in this alone, as he finds his way to tech mogul and super rich Ted Lord, the old Blue Beetle, who becomes his mentor . . . sort of. The two don’t get along very well, and Ted seems to be up to something, but for now, they are working together.

Let me start by saying what I liked.

The idea of Jamie Reyes/Blue Beetle. He really could be DC’s Peter Parker. He has cool powers. He is young. He is growing up and trying to find his place in a world of superheroes. The Scarab is mysterious and might or might not be hurting him. And Jaime is an ordinary guy; he isn’t perfect, is confused, and makes a lot of mistakes. My dad would say he is relatable. And, at least to me, he is, which made me want to like this story about him.

Dr. Fate. Nope, he wasn’t a big character here, but I liked him. A lot. I really want to read more about him.

The art. Overall, I really liked Scott Kolins. His pics were clean, easy to follow and told the story really well. The art also fit the feel of Blue Beetle. Not sure why or how, but Scott Kolins is “The” Blue Beetle artist for me now.

That brings up the bad. And that is pretty much the most important part of the book: the story itself. I just didn’t like it very much. It had uninteresting bad guys. Jaime and Ted spent every page talking about or arguing about the same things. The action was fine when it happened, but it never seemed to matter much to the story. There were a lot of minor plots going on, but nothing really got resolved or came close to being resolved. Honestly, there was something missing from the story. It was just hard to get interested in most of the time.

I can’t tell you how hard I have been searching for a DC Rebirth title to go all fanboy over. Every time I go to the library, Barnes & Noble, or get on Netgalley I search for more DC graphic novels to give a try. I love DC and want to find the comics that I want to read. Very sorry though, DC, but this Blue Beetle is not it . . . not yet. The book has a great main character with loads of potential, really good art, but this story jut wasn’t as much fun as I wanted it to be.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

I was very excited to read this collection of Blue Beetle comic books. I have read several of the series in the Rebirth event and have enjoyed the majority of what I have read. This story fell a bit flat to me and I did not enjoy the art as much as I normally do while reading comics.

This was my first time reading anything about Blue Beetle. From that perspective, I did enjoy the comic books because I came into it with no expectation or even knowledge of this particular character. I was pleased in one of the later issues in the collection when they flashed back to the origin of how Jamie became the Blue Beetle.

I think this book is worth reading if you want exposure to this character or if you are trying to read the entire Rebirth event.

DC Comics’ Rebirth event, other than a marketing tag, really should be about the exploration of themes. A look at what makes the character appealing and an examination of those personal, internal forces while dealing with the colorfully-ludicrous external. Unfortunately, with the Rebirth collections DC Comics and NetGalley have graciously sent my way, there has not been a sense of regrouping, of growth, or internalization. The stories are an onslaught of constant motion opening with panel one and nary a chance for an asterisked footnote to a Wikipedia article let alone time for introductions, and no more so than Blue Beetle Vol. 1: The More Things Change.

Blue Beetle tries, sincerely, and sometimes achieves partial success, to be clever with the pairing of Jaime Reyes, the Blue Beetle, and his mentor/Alfred Pennyworth surrogate Ted Kord, the former, and formerly deceased, Blue Beetle. Their relationship is ripe with all the elements of great buddy-cop entertainment, but man, that fruit just ain’t ready to pick. Blue Beetle Vol. 1, again like other Rebirth titles, are full of these sudden starts, fits of action, with explosions of rat-a-tat dialogue, that don’t go anywhere and have no signs of resolution, which is extremely detrimental to, what should be, a contained graphic novel and an invitation to go further.

Keith Giffen, who created the Jaime Reyes character following the massive Infinite Crisis storyline, which began with the surprising murder of Ted Kord, presents dialogue-heavy issues and truly does wish to make Jaime as likeable and as important as his blue alter ego. After all, one of main reasons Spider-Man is immensely popular is due to the relational aspect of Peter Parker, as opposed, for instance, to the Hulk, where the very-human Banner can indeed come off as, well, puny. Alas, Giffen never gives that reader, and presumably a first-time reader at that, the chance to truly enjoy the character because the opportunity is never provided. The shark-like, always-moving-forward motion does not allow that pause for reflection.

Giffen and co-plotter/artist Scott Kolins present the Blue Beetle scarab as a threat to Jaime’s well-being, a plot element that will no doubt continue to grow as the series continues. Giffen allows Doctor Fate a co-starring gig in the title, and I, for one, always enjoy Giffen’s Fate. Kolins gives the character an updated makeover, but even the character’s inclusion is sparse and seemingly inconsequential as the mystery for his inclusion, and what should be a build up to this threat, is nearly trivialized away in an is-it-or-is-it-not dream sequence.

Comic books have a grand tradition of excelling at the slow burn. How many decades did Superman and Lois Lane flirt? Even Ted Kord’s own Blue Beetle title from the post-Crisis eighties had an over twelve-issue long b-plot that simmered, at varying levels, every issue. The problem with Blue Beetle Vol. 1: The More Things Change is there are too many simmering pots and not enough pasta. The old adage about waiting for that water to boil could very well result in no one bothering to pay attention when supper is ready.

Jaime Reyes is still the Blue Beetle. He still has the scarab as a part of him. But he's working with Ted Kord and Kord's company. Or sorta working for Ted if Ted has anything to say about it.

Jaime fights a lot of bad guys in this TPB. But the overarching theme is, what is the Scarab that got into Jaime.

We also learn all about the sorta metahuman gang called Posse. And we learn something about his Mom that's quite shocking to Jaime.

Oh, and Dr. Fate makes a couple of appearances too, and that's probably not a good thing for Jaime or Ted in future TPBs.

I got this ARC through Netgalley on behalf of DC Entertainment.

Was anyone clamoring for a new Blue Beetle book? The Jamie Reyes version has already flopped twice and this one is actually worse than the previous two. The book doesn't even seem to follow the continuity established in the new 52 version. The Blue Beetle suit no longer comes from space I guess. Now it's magic based because Dr. Fate showed up and mysteriously said so. The previous version was a total ripoff of X-O Manowar, exact same origin.

The series has absolutely no direction and hardly any villains. Six or Seven plot threads are started and then left dangling. The story just meanders from one boring encounter to another with zero purpose. God, was this bad.

Hear that? That’s the sound of DC scraping the bottom of the Rebirth barrel with a title no-one was looking for: Blue Beetle! Just the name itself conjures up the lazy hackery that superhero comics can too often be. And, yes, Blue Beetle Rebirth is pure hack comics.

There’s no real story in this first (and probably penultimate!) volume. Some Latino kid in El Paso called Jaime Reyes is Blue Beetle because diversity and Ted Kord is his tech-savvy/super-rich Alfred. Together they fight probably the most obscure villains ever who’re only there to give Blue Beetle something to do. A gang of somehow even more forgettable nobodies called The Posse also join Blue Beetle on his tedious “adventures”. Also Doctor Fate is mysterious as usual for mystery’s sake.

Every issue struggles to make an impression on the reader and fails each time. The annoying characters’ dialogue reads like a sixty-something-year old trying hard to write dialogue for teens, which is exactly what it is. It’s the same critique I made with his Scooby Apocalypse series but it’s true: 64-year-old Keith Giffen cannot write convincing young people dialogue at all, it always comes off as forced and fake. And he was never a great writer to start with!

Giffen tosses off Blue Beetle’s origin in a handful of piss-poor pages towards the end: Jaime finds a blue scarab floating in some water, it fused to his back and now he’s Blue Beetle. Wow, ain’t that inspired… There’s no defined villain, what I’ll generously call a story was vague and meandering and Scott Kolins’ art was as ordinary as you can get with superhero comics.

Blue Beetle Rebirth felt like DC attempting their version of Power Rangers: bad high school drama/characters combined with superhero schlock to make something only dumb kids could possibly find entertaining (and I say that as a former dumb kid, now a dumb adult, who loved Power Rangers once upon a time!). Sheer boredom from start to finish, Blue Beetle, like Power Rangers, is terrible and fit only for the nearest landfill!