Blue Beetle, Vol. 2: Blue Diamond

Blue Beetle (2011)

by Tony Bedard, Keith Giffen, Ig Guara (Illustrator)

Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes has abandoned his friends, family and home, setting out on a path that brings him to New York City. As Beetle struggles with the curse of the scarab that is the source of his powers, a loathsome threat emerges - a predator who stalks runaway children!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

233 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 5, 2013

About the author

Antony J. L. Bedard is an American writer and editor who has worked in the comic book industry from the early 1990s through the present. He is best known for his work at CrossGen Comics, where he was under exclusive contract, and for his run writing Marvel Comics X-Men spin-off Exiles.

Reviews

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally a fun volume of the Blue Beetle's continuing adventures. Some of the issues were quite strong (especially the Green Lantern team-up) and some where quite weak (especially the sadly boring issue #0), but as a whole this was worth reading.

The only major glitch in the volume is the crossover with OMAC. Not only does DC omit the OMAC issue (despite it containing a *major* plot twist for Jaime), but they don't even mention it, so you're just reading, and suddenly things have changed with no explanation. As far as I can tell, this is the crazy way that DC is dealing with crossovers in the New 52 TPBs, which leaves a lot to be desired.

I guess I should just be happy that DC even published this book. In Old 52 days they never bothered to publish the last TPB of many series after they were cancelled, leaving TPB readers with numerous incomplete stories. And this is a nice hefty volume too. A great deal for just $20.

[Gavin · Rating 2 out of 5]

No doubt as to why this was cancelled. Aimed at kids for sure, but even then, do these kids have brain damage?
When the most exciting parts are the interactions with other DCU peeps (Kyle Rayner GL and his Red and Orange homies; Booster Gold, and Mr. Bones). I like Mr. Bones, he needs a series.
The fight between Booster and Beetle is interesting, as I grew up with them being best friends (this being the Ted Kord BB) and here, BB says something about hoping they'd be friends, and Booster replies something like 'Not in this Life'. An OH SO SUBTLE reminder that this is the NEW 52. We're going to replace a fun buddy relationship with more dark and grit. Yay.

Then shit gets weird with Jamie in space for no clear reason...and a bunch of people want to kill him/use him/take his suit back. Ya. I did a lot of skimming.

But don't worry, his adventures will continue in: THRESHOLD!

Anyone know what that is?

Anne, don't read this book.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I really like Jaime and his characterization, I felt that his story was forced in the wrong direction. It was much more interesting to see him struggle with keeping a secret from his family and friends and try to find a new identity in the city than it was to see him somehow get involved in an intergalactic conflict. As soon as this story became "Blue Beetle in Space", I lost interest. It marked a drastic change in the quality of writing and artwork as well. The story felt disingenuous, and all that work on building Jaime's emotional conflicts was thrown out the window, and for what.... A backstory for the scarab? Yeesh!

Also, how did the body of the previous scarab-host end up on the Reach's home planet? Didn't we see the host pull the scarab to his grave in a previous issue? Seems like there is a big hole there.

I'm not too surprised that this title was cancelled. It started off strong in volume one, but quickly degraded in volume two. Filled with missed opportunities.

3/5

[Annice22 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure what issues are in the trade but I read the single issues #7-16 including #0. I really enjoyed this series and I still don't understand why it was canceled. The only issue I don't really think is worth reading was issue #0, it was just a filler. The only thing it focused on was the backstory of Jaime Reyes' scarab.

[Geoff Derks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minus the visual reminder of Kyle Rayner's dead girlfriend stuffed in a fridge by Major Force (that is somehow still part of the DCnU?!?!), this was a lot of fun and shows huge promise for this title. Oh wait! DC cancelled it. Thanks again DC! Thankfully it picks up again in the new comic, Threshold.

[Júlio Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acompanhar essa run do começo ao fim foi de pegar realmente um herói e se conectar com ele, muito bom o desenvolvimento tanto do Jaime quanto do Escaravelho, os personagens que aparecem são muito gostaveis e o final, nossa toda a run foi concisamente boa mas o final foi realmente um ápice emocionante, o personagem merece mais amor e mais histórias.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blue Beetle has a lot to deal with, red scarabs and everybody thinking he is a bad guy. There's some nice character bits in this, and the appearance of Booster Gold was a bonus. It's a nice, light and fun read that reminds me slightly of Spiderman. A good read.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I've read WAAAAY more books than I've had time to review, so... time for some knee-jerk reactions.**
- I am REALLY enjoying this. Getting the next part of the story in "Threshold" is going to be tricky--I can't find it at my library!!
- I love watching Jaime interact with the Scarab--and watching both learn and grow with and from each other.
- I kinda prefer Paco the way he's portrayed in Rebirth (more like a goofball).
- All in all... Blue Beetle needs more love, guys! How can we get more graphic novels like this?

[Jordan Lombard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really good, but it ends on a cliffhanger that never gets finished which is sad and frustrating.

I picked up Blue Beetle because of the movie coming out that looks interesting, but also because it seemed more accessible to a newbie than most superhero comics. Anyway, there are crossovers here, but I went into them knowing I’d likely be some amount of confused.

I think there’s a lot that could have been fleshed out more, including the crossovers, but I liked the premise and Jaime and his friends, which counts for a lot, I think.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

SO, this was pretty bad. Ig Guara and others did a really good job on the art side but the story was near terrible. Jaime is best when he's dealing with teen drama and superheroics on the side. Here he's thrust into battles with lame villains, Tony Bedard's Green Lantern world, and the depths of space that no one cares about and never will. The Reach/Scarab's story is full of plot holes and contradictions and is so uninteresting. The story doesn't even end. It continues in a worse book. Insane. Jaime deserves much better. Overall, flip through it but that's it.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of all the individual issues I read between the two volumes, this arc was the most enjoyable to me. But the second half of volume two left me skimming as Blue Beetle in space battle held little interest for me to begin with. Jaime doesn’t feel like an active participant, lacking a sense of agency. I can understand why it ended so soon.

full review: https://faintingviolet.wordpress.com/...

[Clive Barnard · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first volume was a strong showing for the new Blue Beetle despite less links to the original. This volume sort of advances the story but also gets muddled by too many crossovers and the story leaps between issues. It is OK but then you need to read another crossover to complete the story.

I just wish they put an explainer between issue as to what we missed by reading just the character we want to read about.

[Raul Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely liked the first volume better, but vol 2 was still entertaining, and action packed.
I really liked the appearance of the green lanterns, and booster gold
This series had so much potential and don’t understand why they cancelled it ,but hopefully the threshold series can give closure to some of the plots that went unresolved.

#boostergoldisagirlbossandyoucantconvincemeotherwise 😮‍💨

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The emotional story of Jaime Reyes expands as the mythology of the Blue Beetle. At times, it gets trite and overlong.

But I love the dynamic the Scarab and Jaime continue to have

I won’t be reading Threshold. So I’m now left hanging how Jaime gets back to Earth. Oh well . . .

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love Blue Beetle's concept, and while Vol. 1 had a lot of promise, I hoped the character would've been taken somewhere else (both figuratively and literally). The adventures of Blue Beetle in space are barely tolerable at a worldbuilding level, but they're not really enjoyable. That and the fact that this is continued in "Threshold", which is regarded as one of the worst New 52 volumes, and is almost 300 pages long, makes me wish I could skip ahead to Rebirth and read some GOOD Blue Beetle. Giving 3 stars because the first half is fun and entertaining, and shows the character at his most likable.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than the first volume. Slightly annoyed that the story continues into a book called Threshold that the local library doesn't have....

[Andrew Alvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really liked this, the artwork was pretty decent and the story/actiom certainly kept things from getting stale.

[Ahdom · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable second volume in the New 52 Blue Beetle era. I wanted to become more familiar with the character. Now, I plan to check out some Rebirth story. Some really fun panels in this one.

[ISMOTU · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume explored the Reach in more detail and brings Jaime far from home as he tries to figure out how to deal with the Scarab.

[John Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just feels like a super-derivative Spider-Man/Venom pastiche.

[Nicolas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the character and was ready to roll with it, but this volume can't seem to settle on a tone. We go from Jaime on the run in the city to Jaime plotting to destroy an entire world. Also, the Lantern Corp was there for a sec, and Booster Gold for a hot minute. Not quite. On to Rebirth!

For more, I invite you on our Comic Book Coffee Break:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umujo...

[Andrei · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This adventures of Blue Beetle continue in New York, where he tries to get to grips with his new life where he's bound to the scarab. He meets a few baddies, but also the New Guardians (Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, a Red Lantern and an Orange one), Booster Gold and a guy called Mister Bones (who seems like a sort of Nick Fury for DC). Then something happens off-page and Blue Beetle is suddenly in a far away corner of space surrounded by other scarabs, and some other adventures follow.
While the story is fun to read and the art is still great, it feels like there are lots of events happening off-page in other DC books that aren't at all explained, and it gets kind of annoying after a while. This series ends on a cliffhanger, and supposedly picks up the story in a different series (Threshold).

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping Volume 2 would break the 5 star barrier, but not quite. It had a lot of action, a lot of humor, and a lot of plot twists to keep me entertained, but it went on a bit too long during the non-Earth plotline. The focus on boobs seemed to let up in this Volume, which I thought was an improvement, but that was offset by the decreased focus on family interactions and development that I liked so much about Volume 1. Some of the most poignant moments in this series have been when Jaime has to make painful choices regarding his friends and family, or when he weighs the global good against personal consequences. It's hard to maintain that relevance when you're out shuttle-hopping alone in space, which was basically the entire second half of this Volume.

Unfortunately, this series was cancelled at the end of Volume 2. For completists, you can follow along as the Blue Beetle character is plopped into the crossover series Threshold, but I have heard bad reviews of the Threshold series and it was cancelled after issue #8. I am sad to see this new Blue Beetle series end, as it had great character development and looked exciting and promising. Alas, the other big name action heroes seem to get all the love.

[Cale · Rating 2 out of 5]

This really seems like it should have been two separate collections. It contains 10 issues, the first half of which tell a very definite story, complete with a good stopping point, as Jaime runs away to New York, meets some other heroes, fights basically everyone (unwillingly in many cases), and finally reunites with friends and family and comes to terms with his situation. It's not a bad story, and the use of family and friends in the actual story is a nice touch.
Then the book takes a complete right turn, starting a story with Blue Beetle literally halfway across the universe, with a single large page touching on an event (apparently in some other title) to explain how he got there. The rest of the collection is Blue Beetle in space, which has its moments, but leaves Jaime more like a leaf on the wind than an active participant in his destiny, and ends the series with a cliffhanger (I guess it's resolved in the Threshhold collection, but I don't really remember his part there).
Jaime really was ill served by his series in the New 52 - what was an interesting, sympathetic character got neutered and lost his sense of agency in the reboot, and I can understand why it ended so soon. Maybe he'll get a better representation in the next reboot.

[ruta · Rating 1 out of 5]

How to ruin a series? Don't worry the answer is near: make not one, not two but three crossovers in one volume.

This book follows directly from the previous volume's events. And after only two issues, it makes a crossover with Green Lantern Corps, with that at least you see the whole picture and wonder to yourself, was this really necessary? The answer is simple once again: it wasn't. 2 more issues go by and we arrive at the #0 issue mark and suddenly learn there has been yet another crossover with the Justice League International, do we get any information at all? No, but now we hate O.M.A.C. for some reason and on a spaceship headed to Scarabworld. Some action ensues, no one cares, and the END. But no, it's a cliffhanger and now we have to read the Threshold to learn what will become of Jaime Reyes.

[sixthreezy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think this second volume from Bedard quite catches the magic of the Blue Beetle like it has been before. I prefer the series started by Keith Giffen over the Tony Bedard New 52, but it is still very much readable. Issues with identity and family take center stage in this volume, and leaves Jaime to wonder who can be trusted and who is an enemy. His ongoing struggle with the bugsuit is funny at times, but most of the time it is pretty boring. I would like to see a little more action, and some understanding that the Blue Beetle is actually a hero, and not a villain like he was perceived in this one.

[the Kent cryptid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Jaime Reyes, and I was sad to learn after finishing this that the title was cancelled in 2013. There are two very distinct stories in this trade: starting with Jaime's adventures in New York and continuing with his attempts to get home after being thrown far into deep space.

The stand out moments for me were Jaime being rescued from being beaten up by Booster Gold by his grandma and a passing cohort of latino New Yorkers, and the widening out of the world as we learn more about Jaime's useful but amoral and unpredictable scarab parasite.

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

So halfway through the book the series reboots? and throws the title character into space? After an apparent crossover with O.M.A.C. that was never mentioned before or since? Ad where the subtitle "blue diamond" comes from I still don't know?

All these and more are questions that will never be answered if you bother to read this (mercifully canceled) crap.

[Lillian Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

#7-9 Jamie has run away to New York to keep his family and friends safe. I liked these 3 issues especially the one with Green lantern (Kyle) in. Art is great.
#10 - 12. Booster Gold appears in this. Ties to JLI annual #1.
#13 - 16. Jamie has been zapped to outer space. Not resolved by final issue. Bittersweet.

I enjoyed this series, didn’t understand why they pulled the plug.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wish there was a .5 for all of the stars. I thought it was good, just not something I would choose to read again.

Very interesting that the scarab is learning about sacrifice from the life of Jesus.