I am not familiar with this version of Blue Beetle, but I really enjoyed the story. I didn't feel lost not knowing the character, the art was adorable. I am looking forward to find more stories about him.

4 stars

Blue Beetle's origin story again. It's pretty much the same as the last 5 times it's been retold. This time though they added in Jaime dealing with white supremacists marching in Texas as well. I found it to be heavy handed but I get it. There are plenty of people living in border states that have been citizens for generations that are treated as lesser because they aren't white even though they ARE American citizens.

It was a nice intro, but left me wanting more. Some things felt a bit heavy handed, rather than authentic. Over all I enjoyed the story and loved the illustrations. I also think it could be used in classes to have difficult difficult dialogues.

I'm such a sucker for these superhero origin stories. I love that they show the heroes when they are still average teens. This story is incredibly timely and showcases the political climate in The United States of America. I will definitely be adding this one to my classroom library.

This was such a great DC comic! I love the superhero Blue Beetle, and I'm glad DC finally did a standalone (well, hopefully more) comic like this! Blue Beetle is such an underrated character, and I hope that this incarnation of him will get more stories to be told. I'm definitely buying a copy for myself.

I'm a DC fan, but I've only read a few Blue Beetle comics. This Land Is Our Land makes me want to rectify that ASAP. Jaime Reyes showed strength and courage by standing up to hate groups in his community and also extraterrestrials coming to do something likely negative to the entire planet. The real-world issues he faces are timely, and the authors convey the urgency of standing up for each other and fighting hate in a way that is accessible to everyone. I look forward to learning more about Jaime Reyes, his family, and his friends in future comics.

Thanks to NetGalley & DC Comics for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fresh take on Blue Beetle. Characters and setting is well done, story is good and relevant to current social issues. The art is unique for a major comic publisher like DC, has a very independent feel to it. Overall a great story from start to finish.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this graphic novel. 4/5 stars.

Honestly, I only put it at 4 stars instead of 5 because I do not know nearly enough about DC and Blue Beetle to read this without needing at least a little more context. It is made for the beginning of the story arc e.g. you don't need to know anything, but it also needed more context for some of the world building parts.

Overall though, I'm a big fan of graphic novels since they're quick reads. This one also has a lot of sociopolitical elements such as conversations about migrants and the right's rhetoric -- along with references to hate groups and neo nazis.

I think this would be a great graphic novel for Latinx students, which makes sense since the author is also the author of Frontera.

Dc Comics has really done a good job with their young adult graphic novels recently, and This Land is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story is no different. You should definitely check it out.

To be completely honest with you, I don’t know a ton about the Blue Beetle. Prior to the recent Blue Beetle movie Xolo Maridueña, my only other experience with the character was in the animated show Batman: The Brave and the Bold (I still think it might be the best animated Batman show. It’s so good.). However, I think it’s a cool concept of a character for the DC universe, and one that’s very unexplored in the “mainstream”.

The story from Julio Anta follows Jaime Reyes in his hometown of El Paso. The racism from the anti-immigrant bigots is reaching a fever pitch, and the anti-racist community is trying to come together to fight back. When Jaime and the scarab become one, everything changes. Can Jaime juggle being there with his friends while also being the Blue Beetle?

I loved the art from Jacoby Salcedo and the colors from Francesco Segala. They really contributed positively to the story and let you feel the emotions of everything.

More Blue Beetle stuff is always appreciated. I thought this book was really good, and it’s a good lesson for kids that you can’t just be “not racist” but you need to be “anti-racist”.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really liked it, stuck with me & would recommend
This is a really great introduction/ origin story for Blue Beetle. I liked the political commentary that was weaved throughout in a fun,  light way. After all, this is a comic book for teens. In that way it was masterful. The art was great too, especially in its color just. 

Thank you to DC Comics, NetGalley, and author Julio Anta for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. This Land Is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story is out October 1, 2023.

When kids grow up in a system that is against them they get very creative. It bings my heart joy to see this story of teens standing up for what is right. At first Jaime doesn’t really want to take part in the marches and protests, but as threats make themselves known from a local hate group he starts to realize that he does have to take part and do something.

Add on to his troubles with a mysterious blue beetle that connects him to an alien spaceship and grants him powers, you get a kid that no only needs to fight for his rights, but he also needs to help save the world.

I loved the nuance that this story takes. While I truly felt uncomfortable with the ‘friend’ that starts listening to and participating with the hate group. I understand Jaime wanting to give him a second chance. In this internet age, it is so easy to fall into a rabbit hole of misinformation. You can click on one thing and more and more of that will fill your feed until you are believing in something you never thought that you would.

Jaime wanting to believe in his old friend in spite of his changes shows a noble heart. I don’t think I would be able to accept a friend back after the lengths he goes to.

This comic exposes a deeper tension in the heart of America in todays time. Yes, it’s a fun and entertaining comic, but it is also very politically charged. The social commentary and the message to come together and see each other as fellow humans and strip away the politics is an important one. We are all at the end of the day just doing our best to survive in this world.

I highly recommend this comic. I hope that this is one that will be made available in the school systems and that kids can understand and carry the message of this comic in their hearts.

Awesome graphic novel! You don't need to be a DC fan or even familiar with Blue Beetle to enjoy this book. The illustrations were on point! Highly recommended for YA collections.

I didn’t really know anything about Blue Beetle before reading this, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The themes are very important and timely, and I thought they were handled very well. I liked that Jamie was grappling between what was right and wrong, and where his loyalties truly stood.

Thank you to Netgalley for proividng me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

One of my favorite DC characters has always been Blue Beetle (Specifically Jamie Reyes although Dan and Ted are both really awesome in their own ways too!) This graphic novel was exactly what I expected form a Jamie story. Teenage Jamie doing what he can to fight against racism and protect his people while also fighting against The Reach and everything they stand for. I've always enjoyed seeing Jamie's struggle with his scarb/The Reach and how he eventually bonds with Khaji Da. This was a great story with an even better message and. really enjoyed seeing the P, B and J group + Riley come together!!!

A well done story that uses Blue Beetle Jamie Reyes to tell a superhero origine that feels very poignant for this time in are history. This is a book that I could see sparking many good discussions and debates amongst its readers.

Thank you to DC Comics and NetGalley for this ARC! Been looking forward to this one.

I always appreciate new takes on comic book characters, which is something DC Comics loves to explore. I initially was not sure what to expect, but reading this after seeing the Blue Beetle movie felt like two completely different takes on the character (which is a good thing!). The topics present in this story strongly echo the current state of the United States, especially on the issue of being an immigrant family in the United States. These themes are presented in a manner that doesn't feel overwhelming and also add to Jaime's backstory as a superhero. I really enjoyed this tale, and appreciate it when DC creates stories that tie in more closely to the real world.

Solid Jaime Reyes outing. Excellent character to explore real-world issues. Definitely recommended for YA collections.

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley. Content warning for racism.)

High schooler Jaime Reyes has his head in the clouds. An astronomy geek, he'd rather focus on meteor showers and spinning stars than what's going on around him. Not that anyone can blame him (well, except for his more politically active besties, Brenda and Paco) - as a border town, El Paso is the epicenter of anti-immigrant rhetoric and racist violence. With the US president shutting down the border for the third time in four years, and deploying the National Guard to keep both people and goods out, the situation is only escalating.

When an old childhood "army brat" friend returns to town, it soon becomes apparent that he's been radicalized. Riley's gotten himself wrapped up with a right wing, white nationalist militia known as the Legion of Patriots, who may or may not be responsible for the recent wave of violence targeting nonwhite El Pasoans. As Brenda organizes a march in support of immigrants and asylum seekers, Paco discovers that the Legion is organizing a "counter-protest" - really code for a violent attack, in hopes of sparking additional racist attacks across the country.

Jaime may feel powerless, but he'll soon learn that he's anything but: a fossil he discovered turns out to be a scarab sent to earth by a group of mysterious aliens known as The Reach. They're planning to save (conquer?) earth, and they want Jaime to pave the way for their arrival. But Jaime has other ideas than being used as a weapon.

Full disclosure: I knew nothing about the DC character Blue Beetle going into this. I love comics but mostly shy away from DC and Marvel - their catalogs are so huge that it's hard to find a good entry point. As it stands, THIS LAND IS OUR LAND works pretty well for the Blue Beetle character, and as a standalone story.

Anta updates the story to make it more relevant to current events: the increased militarization along the US-Mexico border; the proliferation of white supremacist, Neo-Nazi groups; the radicalization of young white men online; and the scapegoating of immigrants at the expense of working-class solidarity - you don't have to look far to see examples of these playing out today.

The characters are all fairly engaging. I especially love Brenda, because she's a badass, but the character of Riley also resonated with me, since I have family members who have gone down the far right QAnon conspiracy theory wormhole. (Don't get me wrong, I don't feel especially sorry for him, just sad about the state of things in general.) Jaime's evolution is a great thing to witness, and I love his transformation from a fairly disengaged citizen to someone who's using his powers to help those most in need. The progressive politics coupled with the inspirational ending really make THIS LAND IS OUR LAND a must read.

The artwork is also stellar and I especially appreciated the use of color to convey various emotions.

An excellent origin story for Blue Beetle by Julio Anta! Nuanced and powerful explorations about living in a border town, racism, and extremist rabbit holes. Jaime - soon to be Blue Beetle - is torn between keeping peace and standing up for what he believes in. But when his new powers put him in a position where he must be involved in conflict, Jaime will have to lean on his friends and choose what he's willing to fight for and against.

This Land Is Our Land is an enjoyable middle grade/young adult use of a classic character. I liked this approach and what DC is doing with this imprint overall, and this character is a fitting emblem of heroism and youth. Recommended for school and classroom libraries, and a great book to link into more of the Blue Beetle Giffen/Hamner universe.