Blue Beetle #5 Preview

[KoriandrJean]

From Doomrocket.com ...

http://doomrocket.com/dcp-blue-beetle-5/

It looks like it's all about to hit the fan ...

[El_Gato]

Mordecai looks exactly like Green Beetle from Young Justice! I wonder if they're supposed to be the same? Anyway looks good to me! Sucks that the book isn't doing well in sales but hey what do you expect when the book is stuck in its own niche corner of the DCU and has no promotion :/

[ross61]

Mordecai looks exactly like Green Beetle from Young Justice! I wonder if they're supposed to be the same? Anyway looks good to me! Sucks that the book isn't doing well in sales but hey what do you expect when the book is stuck in its own niche corner of the DCU and has no promotion :/

What do you mean by no promotion?

[skyvolt2000]

What do you mean by no promotion?

Like he said NO PROMOTION.

NOBODY talks about this book. I forget it is even around.

Has there been anything done for this book since it came out?

If so many websites were not attacking Marvel based on WHO is on the cover and actually talked about books that MAYBE are doing it right when it comes to diversity. Maybe this book will get mentioned.

[Robotman]

The villain looks kinda interesting but I still dislike the fact that Blue Beetle is now a magic based character.

[Nix Uotan]

Mordecai looks exactly like Green Beetle from Young Justice! I wonder if they're supposed to be the same?

Considering the theme of scarab being magic, I doubt that there will be any similarity beyond the name but we will see.

Anyway looks good to me! Sucks that the book isn't doing well in sales but hey what do you expect when the book is stuck in its own niche corner of the DCU and has no promotion :/

Yeah the way things are I have doubts on whether this will survive as a book It's hardly talked about or promoted online.

[Frontier]

How do we define "no promotion?"

Not being central to the Rebirth plot like Titans or promoted as a flagship title? They gave Jaime, Ted, and Fate their own sequence in the Rebirth special.

Have they given it more promotion then they have a book like Aquaman or Green Lanterns? Is there more talk about those books by comparison? A lot of the discussion on the DCU boards is generally quite, I feel, if only because fans don't have much to complain about these days in regards to Rebirth. I could mention a few solid Marvel titles that get about as much discussion as BB does around here.

Was there a way they could've promoted it harder?

I'm not trying to argue or anything, but I'm just trying to see where DC could have improved in their handling of this book, which I'm enjoying even if I could see why it would not be everybody's cup of tea.

[J. D. Guy]

Woah, KoriandrJean. I see what you mean.

Looking forward to this issue! I also like the designs of some of these superpowered Posse individuals. It's obvious Blur is one of the ones they want to focus on, but Cowboy Kid (not his real name) seemed pretty cool too. Hope he isn't dead, though.

Mordecai looks exactly like Green Beetle from Young Justice! I wonder if they're supposed to be the same?

Definitely not the same. Mordecai's appearance could well be a homage to Green Beetle's design, but that would be it, and that would assume it's not simply a coincidence .

The villain looks kinda interesting but I still dislike the fact that Blue Beetle is now a magic based character.

Technically, he's now magic based again. The Blue Beetle started off magic based, went alien, and is now back to it's magic roots.

[KoriandrJean]

How do we define "no promotion?"

Not being central to the Rebirth plot like Titans or promoted as a flagship title? They gave Jaime, Ted, and Fate their own sequence in the Rebirth special.

Have they given it more promotion then they have a book like Aquaman or Green Lanterns? Is there more talk about those books by comparison? A lot of the discussion on the DCU boards is generally quite, I feel, if only because fans don't have much to complain about these days in regards to Rebirth. I could mention a few solid Marvel titles that get about as much discussion as BB does around here.

Was there a way they could've promoted it harder?

I'm not trying to argue or anything, but I'm just trying to see where DC could have improved in their handling of this book, which I'm enjoying even if I could see why it would not be everybody's cup of tea.

This poster pretty much speaks for me ...

Like he said NO PROMOTION.

NOBODY talks about this book. I forget it is even around.

Has there been anything done for this book since it came out?

... (snip) ...

Keith has done a few interviews on Newsarama, but other than that, crickets. Especially when Rebirth was first announced - and everyone picked up on the elephant in the room immediately - that Ted Kord was alive and well again.

After being erradicated from the DC Universe, basically because of one man's vicious spite ...

Yet, there have been no visits from Superman, the only one who would recognize what a miracle this was. As he recognized the return of Wally West I, as a fellow refugee from his reality, and hastened to pay him a visit.

I think DC overlooked the fact that Ted's real fame and glory came after he became a Justice League member - and that's what Blue Beetle fans want to see again - a vastly intelligent, non-jackass, human superhero in the Justice League. Not disrespected and treated as a "joke", but every bit as good as a combatant as Batman is, and even better as an engineer/tech.

Or, was that last bit above the real reason Ted was so brutally taken out?

[Frontier]

Keith has done a few interviews on Newsarama, but other than that, crickets. Especially when Rebirth was first announced - and everyone picked up on the elephant in the room immediately - that Ted Kord was alive and well again.

After being erradicated from the DC Universe, basically because of one man's vicious spite ...

Yet, there have been no visits from Superman, the only one who would recognize what a miracle this was. As he recognized the return of Wally West I, as a fellow refugee from his reality, and hastened to pay him a visit.

I think DC overlooked the fact that Ted's real fame and glory came after he became a Justice League member - and that's what Blue Beetle fans want to see again - a vastly intelligent, non-jackass, human superhero in the Justice League. Not disrespected and treated as a "joke", but every bit as good as a combatant as Batman is, and even better as an engineer/tech.

Or, was that last bit above the real reason Ted was so brutally taken out?

Well, it could be Giffen just didn't have much interest in exploring the Rebirth storyline with Ted outside of detailing the new Blue Beetle status quo, and didn't want to bombard the book with guest stars early on.

Should DC have had him do more interviews? Should Didio, Lee and Johns talked about the book in all their interviews?

[Dr. Cheesesteak]

The villain looks kinda interesting but I still dislike the fact that Blue Beetle is now a magic based character.

I had mixed feelings... In general, I disliked the idea as well. But it at least allowed for one more mystical title to be published besides The Hellblazer. Ultimately, after 2 or 3 issues of each, I decided to drop BB and keep Hellblazer. But now I'm itching for some more mysticism and am really tempted to catch back up on BB and add it to my pull list, regardless how good or not good I think it is.

Should DC have had him do more interviews? Should Didio, Lee and Johns talked about the book in all their interviews?

Well, I think there are other ways to promote a book besides the suits talking about them in interviews. More advertising in other comics, include it in parts of those DC Access pages or app. And as I always suggest - put a big creative team on it (I know, not always in DC's control). But all the promotion in the world may not help a title if it's just not that good (not saying that is my opinion of BB).

However, BB is going to be in the new Injustice game. That should definitely give him more pub. Not sure if it'd help increase sales (if the title is even around by the time Injustice 2 is released)

[KoriandrJean]

Well, it could be Giffen just didn't have much interest in exploring the Rebirth storyline with Ted outside of detailing the new Blue Beetle status quo, and didn't want to bombard the book with guest stars early on.

Should DC have had him do more interviews? Should Didio, Lee and Johns talked about the book in all their interviews?

YES. (10 char)

[skyvolt2000]

Well, it could be Giffen just didn't have much interest in exploring the Rebirth storyline with Ted outside of detailing the new Blue Beetle status quo, and didn't want to bombard the book with guest stars early on.

Should DC have had him do more interviews? Should Didio, Lee and Johns talked about the book in all their interviews?

Or offer a free mini book or preview like Marvel did with Mosaic.

[Starocotes]

Since there seem to be some people here who read the Blue Beetle book I want to ask if the role that Dr. Fate plays in the book is significant. I bought the book mainly for his appearance in the Rebirth Special but had to drop it with issue 2 since the main story didn't grow on me.

[J. D. Guy]

Since there seem to be some people here who read the Blue Beetle book I want to ask if the role that Dr. Fate plays in the book is significant. I bought the book mainly for his appearance in the Rebirth Special but had to drop it with issue 2 since the main story didn't grow on me.

He thus far been a recurring background element, especially in issue #4 where he was a small but big part of Dan Garret's last day, though issue #6, next months, seems to up his role in the arc a bit, but we'll need to see. Fate's role, beyond the cryptic message to Ted and extreme reluctance and fear of letting Jamie be, is still largely still unknown, but it seems to have something to do with him being opposed to whatever or whomever the "Big Bad" of this arc is.