Blue and Gold #7 – Dan Jurgens, Writer; Phil Hester/Eric Gapstur, Paul Pelletier/Norm Rapmund, Artists; Chris Sotomayor, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Dan Jurgens is running to the finish line of this miniseries, and he’s pulling in elements from around the characters’ history. Fresh off their journey to deep space and their encounter with Rip Hunter, they’re back in business—but their organization isn’t exactly financially solvent. Contributions are keeping them alive for now, but the company is more beloved than successful. When a mysterious new villain named Nullifex comes into the picture, they get a second chance to make their presence known in the community—but there’s a twist. Nullifex isn’t actually an interstellar tyrant, but was sent by a mysterious unseen villain—who has also kidnapped Jaime Reyes, and seems to have an unknown connection to the Blue and Gold legacy. This sets up a tense mystery with another chaotic urban battle—but one that’s usually livened up by a lot of banter between the two heroes that make up the title.
Jurgens has been setting up plots for this series for a long time, calling back not just to the events in this series but to his Booster Gold series over a decade ago and to Jaime’s run. While Jaime starts the issue as a captive, he winds up being the third hero in this issue and providing vital support and firepower—leading Booster and Beetle to wonder if a youth infusion might be what kicks up the company to the next level. While I can’t say I wouldn’t want to see more of this team, it also makes a lot of sense why Jaime would ultimately decline. Despite that, I don’t think he’s done being a key part of this series. The cliffhanger for the final issue hints that he’ll be a major part of the resolution, and it also promises to resolve a question that’s been lingering in fans’ minds for over a decade. While Jurgens has been writing for DC for a very long time, this book remains an example of how his writing never really gets old.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
