I picked up the recent Showcase Presents Blue Beetle volume from DC. I never got this title when it first ran in the mid 80's but I have in more recent years collected up the issues, though truth told I have never gotten around to reading them all through. With this purchase hopefully the hand nature of the phonebook reprint will encourage me to give them a proper read.
Of all the Action Heroes who DC picked up, Blue Beetle was the one least changed from his Charlton persona. What we have are the further adventures of Ted Kord as they pretty much left off nearly two decades earlier. Steve Ditko's The Question is a frequent guest-star and the other Charlton Blue Beetle, Dan Garrett gets lots of page time as well.
Here are the issues in this volume.
What put over the top on this reprint was the inclusion of the second issue of Secret Origins with some stellar Gil Kane artwork. This was a very neat series and this is one of the best issues, reprising the convoluted history of the character. Even though it preceded the series it's the last issue in the reprint.
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While I don't mind the cruder/simpler art from his earlier incarnations, it's interesting to see how much more sophisticated the art became at DC.
ReplyDeleteI like but don't love the DC version. Ditko's original was the ideal.
DeleteI remember picking up the first issue of DCs Blue Beetle at the time but and enjoying it , but at this time ( mid 1970s) my interest in superhero comics wasn't what it used to be. Saying that I love BB under Keith Giffen in the Justice League which you might cover?
ReplyDeleteSorry but no Giffen this time. Thought about it, but ran out of room. Maybe next year.
DeleteNever picked up his series even though he was a favorite on the Justice League. Might have to look for this, thanks!
ReplyDeleteI loved BB in the League. I got most of that in back issue, but when I finally did read it all, he and Booster were great fun.
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