DC Comics reviews 1/24/23 – The Human Target #11, Justice Society of America #2

Blue Beetle Graduation Day #3

Jaime is still seeking answers as to why so many new colored Beetles are popping up trying to kill him. Good thing he’s got Starfire watching his back in the field and Ted Kord talking Batman down before the full-on Beetle hunt gets underway.

Writer Josh Trujillo keeps the pace of the issue moving smoothly. Starfire seems like an unusual mentor for Jaime, but they have more in common than it might seem at first. It’s certainly an inspired pairing. This issue introduces another threat beyond The Reach, one that is just opening its first salvo in its quest to take down Blue Beetle unless his allies can help stave off this potential invasion.

Adrian Guiterrez’s art is a little inconsistent particularly with the expressions where some characters look totally different from panel to panel based on their extreme reactions, but there’s no denying the dynamic, energetic quality of the pencils.  The color work from Wil Quintana complements Guiterrez’s art very well.

Blue Beetle is a throwback title in the sense that the stakes aren’t universe changing, but have major impact on its title character. The creative team isn’t afraid to throw in multiple cameos from the rest of the DCU making for a breezy and entertaining title that should appeal to readers ready for a book that is content to just be fun.

Rating: 8 out of 10