Blue and Gold #8 – Dan Jurgens, Writer; Ryan Sook, Artist; Wade Von Grawbadger, Inker
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Dan Jurgens has been doing a bit of a farewell tour of the DCU for a few years now, after writing its characters for around thirty years. I’m not sure if he is actually mic-dropping on a comic career any time soon, but what is clear is that he still has it. That’s never clearer than in this celebration of two of his most offbeat characters as they try to make it as social media-era superheroes. It’s hilarious Booster and Beetle at their best, but there’s also an undercurrent of just how challenging it is for heroes who don’t have the name recognition or resources of the big guns. And as if that isn’t enough, Beetle’s new robot Buggles has been corrupted and turns on her master—transporting them into a battlefield where they’re faced with the real greater-scope villain of the entire run, Black Beetle. This mystery villain has been stalking the two heroes for well over a decade, and Jurgens promises us we’re finally getting a resolution.
This isn’t the first Black Beetle—the character was a teenager out for revenge in the original Jaime Reyes run, and was turned into a Reach soldier in the Young Justice cartoon. Here, though, he’s a completely different character and this version is all Jurgens. The reveal here is classic Jurgens, feeling much more like something out of a Booster Gold run—particular, the pre-Flashpoint one he’s well-known for. While the reveal does feel like it comes out of nowhere, it’s also perfectly suited to the world the two live in. The resolution is open-ended, letting Jurgens or anyone else come back for another act. Jurgens also makes the very smart decision to keep things light for the final act, focusing on the friendship between the two heroes as they battle to keep their new superhero company afloat with some unexpected help from another hero. It’s a satisfying conclusion, but I’m hoping it’s just the beginning for these two and Jurgens.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
