Jaime Reyes, the third person to take up the Blue Beetle mantle, is currently buzzing across big screens, making it the perfect time to get to know more about him! We've already given you one great story to jump in and read with our Weekend Escape for Blue Beetle: Graduation Day, and now we're going to rewind the clock just a little bit and give you a story from the early days of DC’s Rebirth era. That's right, we're going to talk about Blue Beetle: The More Things Change!
The Premise:
If you're unfamiliar with Rebirth, here's a little background. Every so often, the DC Universe undergoes a massive cosmic crisis of some sort, which usually results in time and space in the comics being altered in some fundamental way and providing many heroes with a sort of clean slate. The result is that comic creators are able to change or update parts of their story with new ideas. In 2016, one of these shake-ups took place, resulting in a whole slew of new first issues and, among them, we had Blue Beetle. While this wasn't Jaime's first solo series ever, it did give him the chance to get the full Rebirth treatment by, for the first time, teaming him up with his predecessor Ted Kord.
Now, Ted and Jaime may have both held the Blue Beetle name, but they were both two very different types of hero. For one, Ted was a wealthy adult adventurer with gadgets instead of powers and Jaime was a teenager who accidentally became a superhero when an alien artifact scarab grafted itself to his spine—but that didn't mean they didn't have some common ground. In The More Things Change, we see the two of them trying to work together to figure out the mysteries of the scarab while navigating all the ups and downs of Jaime's family and social life.
Let's Talk Talent:
Writer Keith Giffen is one of Jaime's co-creators, so he's a natural fit to spearhead this chapter of Jaime's life. Giffen is a legend as both a writer and an artist, known for his wit and humor, something that definitely shines through here. The More Things Change centers more around interpersonal situations than knockdown, drag out superhero action, and this gives Giffen plenty of room to flex his dialogue chops as Jaime and Ted buddy up. Meanwhile, artist Scott Kolins' slick graphic style gives Jaime and his friends a vibrant sense of life and depth both in and out of costume. The two of them combine their powers for a modern, fresh and clean blend of superhero and sitcom.
A Few Reasons to Read:
- You're going to be seeing Blue Beetle on the big screen, so you'll absolutely want to get to know him everywhere else! This is an excellent jumping on point for new readers and it requires no prior knowledge!
- Are you a fan of Ted Kord but new to Jaime? This story is perfect for you since it brings the two of them together to bridge any gaps in your Blue Beetle knowledge.
- Speaking of Ted, this story is a great chance to see him in more of a mentor role with Jaime learning the ins and outs of superheroing.
- Do you enjoy teenage superheroes, but feel you’ve read most of what’s out there for Teen Titans staples like Robin and Superboy? Give Jaime a shot with these stories and see where they take you!
Why It's Worth Your Time:
Jaime is easily one of the coolest and most unique members of the Beetle family (but don't tell Ted we said that). His total reinvention of the Blue Beetle legacy coupled with the way his story enriched and expanded on the DCU's cosmic lore makes him a can't-miss character for any type of fan. And the great news is that he has absolutely no shortage of great starting points. The More Things Change is just one of the many on-ramps into becoming a Jaime fan. It's easily accessible, exciting, funny and breezy to read—the perfect Weekend Escape!
Blue Beetle: The More Things Change by Keith Giffen, Scott Kolins and Romulo Fajardo Jr. is available in print as a graphic novel and can be read in full on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.
Mason Downey writes about comics, movies and superhero history for DC.com. Look for more of his work on GameSpot, IGN and Polygon and follow him on Twitter at @rustypolished.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Mason Downey and do not necessarily reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros., nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
