Warning: Spoilers for Blue Beetle #10!
Summary
The underrated legacy ofBlue Beetleis too important to overlook. Thanks in large part to the fairly recent release of his big screen debut, Jamie Reyes has been pushed to the forefront of DC Comics as one of its leading faces. However, the long-running legacy of the Blue Beetle is still a long way from being as revered asDC’s other legacy acts.
Blue Beetle#10 by Josh Trujilo and Adrián Gutiérrez showcases exactly why public opinion should change in the title character’s favor. Jamie’s refusal to destroy a corrupted Beetle shows off not only that he understands what it means to be a hero, buthow a hero can contribute to the legacy of those that came before him.
Jamie’s refusal of death and violence gets to the heart of superheroism as a whole in a way that should earn both him and the Blue Beetle moniker some newfound respect and adoration in the long run.
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Blue Beetle #1 brings Jaime Reyes back to into the spotlight with an exciting new story that promises fun, adventure, and big changes for the hero.
Blue Beetle Saves the Green Beetle’s Scarab from Incineration
How did Jamie Reyes Get Here?
Jamie Reyes is the third Blue Beetle, succeeding Dan Garrett and Ted Kord, who also appears as Blue Beetle in this series. Similar to Reyes, Garrett was granted powers from a sacred scarab, while Ted’s powers are rooted in science and his inventions. In Jamie’s new series, Ted’s devious sister, Victoria Kord (who thinks she’sthe most powerful woman on earth) convincesone of DC’s newest heroes, the Green Beetle, to give up her scarab. With Green Beetle’s Nol-Dar scarab in her hands,Victoria uses the sentient technology to build an uncontrollable death machine called Pinnacle.
Miraculously, Jamie finds a way to permanently destroy Pinnacle, leaving behind only the scarab. Against Victoria’s orders, Jamie refuses to kill Nol-Dar. Jamie recognizes that Nol-Dar, like any other scarab (including his own Khaji Da) is a living creature. Victoria corrupted that creature, but Jamie doesn’t think that Nol-Dar is irredeemable.He’d rather save the corrupted beetle and believe that it’s still capable of offering something good to the world,regardless of how much destruction it has caused. Jaime’s unwavering beliefis what being a hero is all about.
Blue Beetle’s Legacy Deserves More Clout in the DCU
Jaime and Ted Understand What Being a Hero Is All About
As a legacy hero, the Blue Beetle doesn’t evoke the same response as DC’s other legacy names like Batman or Superman, but it’s moments like this that highlight why he should be respected in the same regard. Jamie Reyes understands what it means to be a superhero better than some heroes have been shown to understand the term. It’s not just about saving people:it’s about knowing that no one is beyond redemption. Everyone can and shouldbe saved, andBlue Beetle’sunderstanding of scarabs gives him a unique perspective on the topic.
BLUE BEETLE #10 (2024)
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle is a DC superhero who first appeared in August 1939. The more recent iteration of the character focuses on Jaime Reyes, who first appeared in Infinite Crisis #3 in 2006. In August 2023, the character received his first live-action film starring Xolo Maridueña and directed by Angel Manuel Soto.
