Blue Beetle: Graduation Day #4 – Josh Trujillo, Writer; Adrian Gutierrez, Artist; Wil Quintana, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Of all the issues so far in this fun revival, this seems like the one that best captures the spirit of the original series. That’s probably due to the present of two characters—Paco and Brenda, Jaime’s two best friends from back in El Paso. They’re back in Palmera City to visit him—and they’ve brought company in the form of Fadeaway, the new legacy villain who Jaime fought in the very first issue. This chaotic nonbinary rogue adds some wild-card fun to the series, as they have a surprising story—painting themselves as a harmless villain who inherited a piece of gear they never wanted, and are now trying to keep a dangerous weapon out of the hands of the person who stole it. That would be the mysterious Victoria Kord, Ted’s sister and the real power behind the scenes of the company. And to get their hands on it, they’ll have to infiltrate Kord Industries through a hilarious break-in.
Paco and Brenda are honestly just a lot of fun—between Brenda’s serious nature giving way when she’s face-to-face with her heroes, and Paco’s general over-exuberance. But while they’re trying to pull off a break-in, Jaime has another challenge—another encounter with Xiomara, the Green Beetle who is a member of an anti-Reach splinter group that is out to eliminate Khaji Da. Like the character he has the most in common with, Spider-Man, Jaime is by definition an optimist—and he may be too willing to trust both Fadeaway and Xiomara. Overall, this is an enjoyable series that takes Jaime into the next phase of his life, although I’m still feeling like this character has lost a step—the series hasn’t quite explained why he lost his ambition and momentum at some point. With two issues to go and a Reach civil war brewing, I’m excited to see how Trujillo wraps this up.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
