not to be missed; for comic fans old and new

books:

	• Blue Beetle (Book 1): Shellshocked Keith Giffen DC Comics, 2006 - 144 pages average customer review:based on 5 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Highly recommended

I got into comics as a kid; they fired up my imagination, taught me about heroic ideals, and reinforced my interests in science, space, and fiction in general. These days, comics are still aimed at my generation -- only now that we're twenty-plus years older, the content is darker, morally ambiguous, and in some aspects unsuitable for younger readers.

While I enjoy the more sophisticated comics now available, it's hard to find mainstream titles appropriate for younger readers. With the arrival of the new Blue Beetle, there is now a book I can enthusiastically endorse.

Jaime Reyes is the third hero to be called the Blue Beetle, a good kid who is thrust into a world of superheroics that he is entirely unprepared for. For decades afer his debut in 1962, Peter Parker hid his activities as Spider-Man from his Aunt May for fear of giving her a heart attack. In contrast, Jaime reveals his secret early on to his family and friends. Their reaction is believable: there's a good deal of freaking out involved, but being family, they find a way to support each other through the inevitable complications.

Cully Hamner's art is excellent, and the writing by Keith Giffen and John Rogers features great action, interesting plots, smart dialogue, and well-realized characters.

I only hold back one star because there are so many references to characters and events in the larger world of DC Comics that may be confusing to readers new to comics in general.

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Great intro for a new hero

Those who are new to DC comics (Like myself) will find this trade paperback confusing. That's okay, because the hero himself is unsure what is happening to him, allowing you to learn things along with him. The cast for this story is very strong, and all the questions you may have are answered in the second trade. I don't know how many times I've reread this story since it arrived.

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This Isn't Your Dad's Blue Beetle

The New series starts with a new Beetle, Jaime Reyes is a teen who lives in Texas near the Mexican border. The books starts off with his disappearance and then his readjustment after he comes back one year later. And he starts off as a reluctant hero and then starts to get his wings and become a full fledged hero. The art is nice too and I would have to say this is definitely worth the buy.

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not to be missed; for comic fans old and new

This book collects issues #1-6 of The Blue Beetle.

During the INFINITE CRISIS, the Blue Beetle scarab found young Jaime Reyes for its new champion and with the scarab's help he assisted Batman and the other superheroes. This book, BLUEBEETLE: SHELLSHOCKED picks up right where INFINITE CRISIS ended.

BLUE BEETLE is one of those "smart" books that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. This is a fun book about a teenager with superpowers and anyone who is a teenager or has ever been a teenager will get into it.

There were parts that made me laugh: like the dynamic between Jaime, his sister, and his mother. It reminded me of my family growing up.

And there were parts that really got me choked up, like the reaction of his mother upon Jaime's return. Or when the Blue Beetle says, "I don't care about being a superhero but this is a baby. I'm not letting anyone hurt a baby."

And there is some incredible action. The book opens with a fight in the desert between one of the Green Lanterns and Blue Beetle. And the fight on the freeway involving Blue Beetle, Peacemaker and a psychotic demon is gripping.

But what really sends this book over the top is the relationship between characters. Everyone of them is very real and complex. Jaime has a real family, real friends, and real villains. La Dama, his arch-nemisis in the book, is no 2-dimensional bad guy.

Anyone who considers himself or herself a fan of comics but isn't reading this title is really missing out. I bought a copy for myself and a couple more for my nephews.

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A new Beetle for a new era

With Ted Kord dead, the Blue Beetle scarab was discovered by teenager Jamie Reyes during the cataclysmic events of Infinite Crisis, and thus a new Blue Beetle was born for a new era. Blue Beetle is undoubtedly one of the best ongoing titles to come out of DC in the post-Infinite Crisis universe, and thanks to the talents of Cully Hammer and the great Keith Giffen, the wonder and awe one would experience becoming a superhero is here in spades, and that's what makes this title so good. In this first TPB collection, we meet Jamie's family as the Crisis has ended and he contemplates his destiny and newfound powers. We get treated to some guest appearances from other DC characters, and we get the first real, big time villain for Jamie to tangle with. There's nothing really outstanding about Blue Beetle, but you can't help but enjoy it for what it is, and in that department alone, this book shines. All in all, DC readers new and old should definitely give this book a look.

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