Blue Beetle #1 Preview

[Robotman]

That’s the problem with legacy characters! There is always a one true version of the character, and it is always the more popular version. Jaime should have just been an OG creation from the start because then he’d be his own thing and not have to compete with Dan/Ted all the time. This is Barry/Wally, Hal/John all over again! When will DC learn that competing versions of the same character is not a good thing…

Having said that, I’m curious who Blood Scarab is!

How often has DC been successful with new original/non-legacy characters? Harley Quinn 30 years ago and the New Teen Titans characters 40 years ago? Harley shouldn’t even count because she debuted on one of the most popular cartoons of all time and then appeared in comics.

They’re only relatively successful new characters since Harley are Damien Wayne and Jaime. Two legacy characters.

The legacy aspect usually creates fan wars and I’m not generally a fan of it but I think Jaime would have quickly faded into obscurity if he wasn’t a legacy.

[Zudomon]

I have to say, I'm glad Jaime is a legacy character. I think they've been handling it pretty well, and Dan, Ted, and Jaime are all different enough. Ted and Jaime especially can coexist, and can't wait to see what the future holds for them.

Definitely don't think Ted is dead - I think Josh Trujillo would know the fans would not be chill with that and wouldn't really be a great way to start an ongoing lol. Definitely think he's just going to be harmed and out of action for now but healing completely in a few issues. Loved how Ted and Jaime's relationship was shown this issue, you can really see how much Ted cares for Jaime and he's turned into such a great mentor!

Speaking of mentors.. nice to see Jaime in a mentoring position as well with the two beetles. Feel like I'm gonna need some more personallity out of them or maybe some more focus, because right now I don't exactly love them.

I am excited for Paco and Brenda moving to Palmera City though! Paco is funny as always, sad that he and Brenda don't seem to be together anymore though. And I'm guessing Brenda's boss is Victoria Kord? Also wonder if Victoria is working with the new scarab or if the scarab is on its own. Would make sense if it's associate with Victoria, especially if Ted is not dead. Victoria might not have wanted that.

The anti alien stuff intrigues me too - with Starfire being confirmed to have a role in the series again, I can really see her a part of that storyline.

Also, there's also that small thread of Gimmix and Fadaway in the ending of Graduation Day - think they will be coming into play eventually, maybe even with the Red Beetle.

Overall, loved the first issue and can't wait for more. Good time to be a Blue Beetle fan right now.

[Eskana]

I do like Jaime, but I wish they'd stop killing off Ted to boost him up. I had just re-read the storyline in "Injustice 2," and got strong deja vu vibes even from the first pages of this. I definitely agree that Jaime can stand on his own, and I like that he's being a mentor (although I wish that a) the new characters had... character, and b) that they didn't come off as just palette swaps of Blue Beetle.) But if Jaime's going to stand on his own, then stop putting Ted in the book! Tired of him getting constantly sidelined in Blue Beetle comics (like in Rebirth and most of Graduation Day) or killed off (like everywhere else.) Yes, I know he may just end up in a hospital bed... but that's happened too many times too. He was in a coma and almost died from Queen Bee and from Doomsday, and all that was before the heart problem.

Maybe Ted is the one who needs a new codename? Keeping this one seems to be fatal...

[j9ac9k]

Would there be less sense of competition if everything about Jaime was the same except he was called "Scarab" or "Teen Beetle" or whatever?

[Eskana]

Would there be less sense of competition if everything about Jaime was the same except he was called "Scarab" or "Teen Beetle" or whatever?

Who could say? I would think so, since then there wouldn't be the subconcious "But which one is better?" question. Since Jaime's the most popular of the three, I'm sure he wouldn't be changing his name, and I think he's out of his teens now, but I've always though Scarab would be a good alternative. (Was that what his evil form was called in Death Metal, though?)


Sadly for us hopers, a CBR article is calling this Ted's fourth death... let's hope they are wrong!
(Also, I think it's more than four if you count Kingdom Come)

[Frontier]

I don't think Ted's dead.

[Robotman]

I don't think Ted's dead.

I think people are more upset that he’s seemingly been sidelined for the series.

I think Ted should maybe be moved further away from Jaime. I know he’s supposed to be his mentor but I don’t think he needs to be standing at his side all the time and in all of the same books. Have Ted move back to Opal City and Jaime stays in Palmera. That way they won’t have to find reasons to separate them (like having Ted get gutted).

[ducklord]

I think people are more upset that he’s seemingly been sidelined for the series.

I think Ted should maybe be moved further away from Jaime. I know he’s supposed to be his mentor but I don’t think he needs to be standing at his side all the time and in all of the same books. Have Ted move back to Opal City and Jaime stays in Palmera. That way they won’t have to find reasons to separate them (like having Ted get gutted).

While I tend to agree that Ted and Jamie need some distance, again I gotta ask - since when is Ted from Opal City?

[Tzigone]

While I tend to agree that Ted and Jamie need some distance, again I gotta ask - since when is Ted from Opal City?

Yeah, that one's confusing me, too. I agree on the distance. Just let them each do their own thing.

[Eskana]

Follow up question... I had never heard of Opal City and had to look it up. I thought it was new like Palmera, maybe.

Since when is Ted from there? He was from Hub City, then Chicago... has this been a thing for a while?

[ducklord]

Follow up question... I had never heard of Opal City and had to look it up. I thought it was new like Palmera, maybe.

Since when is Ted from there? He was from Hub City, then Chicago... has this been a thing for a while?

Opal was introduced for Robinson's Starman, and has its history pretty well explored. To date, Ted Kord's Blue Beetle has not been a part of it.

I have a sneaking suspicion that this is an error that an editor did not catch.

[Robotman]

Oops sorry I meant Hub City.

[AJpyro]

Ted and Jaime being in separate cities is fine. Batman Inc has one in each country.

There's so much Ted could be doing while also assisting Jaime when he calls.