REVIEW: ‘Blue Beetle’ Issue #7

Blue Beetle #7 is published by DC Comics, written by Josh Trujillo, art by Adrián Gutiérrez, Natacha Bustos, Howard Porter, Cully Hamner, and Scott Kolins, colors by Wil Quintana, Bustos, Hi-Fi, Laura Martin, and Luis Guererro, and letters by Lucas Gattoni. Booster Gold summons Blue Beetle, needing his help to journey into the Timestream and find Ted Kord, his predecessor.

Much of this issue serves as a relief after such a heavy ending to the previous arc and a tribute to the great Keith Giffen. The plot takes the classic partnership of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold and sends them on a journey through many of Giffen’s most iconic characters. The emotional rollercoaster is rapid and chaotic; suffering from that chaos is the plot. Ted Kord is scattered across time, so Jaime has to travel to different points in time. The why and how are glossed over. Trujillo aims to keep the energy and humor moving the whole time, which keeps the book interesting.

Different figures across time witness Blue Beetle prompt questions about his origin and the lore of the Scarabs. That is something to hold onto during the adventure, as it becomes much more critical by the end of the comic. That ending is a complete surprise, breaking all physics and rules within comic storytelling. That hammers home the point that this chapter is a bit of fun. But alongside that madness are moments of touching sentiment that will likely have lasting consequences.

The characters within Blue Beetle #7 are delightful to see. It is a display of Giffen’s most prominent stories and creations. He had notable stories with all of them, even if he did not have a hand in their births. There are glimpses of their adventures and personalities, but there is no time to invoke huge conversations. Through the likes of Maxwell Lord, Booster Gold, and the Legion Heroes, the writer displays a spectrum of what DC was creating at the time and Giffen’s experimental mindset. And at the forefront of the comic is one of Giffen’s most important creations: Blue Beetle himself. Amidst the chaos, Trujillo finds time to slow down and gives Jaime a chance to speak to a family member. It’s poignant and touching, which calms the comic down for a while.

The art is a fantastic jam issue. For the first time in this series, Gutiérrez is collaborating with other artists to offer a variety of visuals throughout the points in time. Each new segment has a different artist. It not only intendes to depict a distinct time but an entirely different comic book. That meta aspect of the comic becomes more evident by the end of the issue. Some artists, such as Porter, completely alter how the problem looks. The Legion of Superheroes segment is surprisingly depicted in a rough style, diverging from their usual cleaner visual representation.

Porter’s art is grungy, scruffy, and fantastic, adding a different tone, altogether the futuristic force of heroes. Elsewhere, Bustos has cartoony attributes that add space and funny facial expressions, whilst Hamner can quieten down the noise and create a brilliant domestic scenario. His facial expressions are just as detailed and impressive as Bustos’, but with severe consequences instead of comedic ones. And Koblish is there for when the book gets really weird. Seeing how the multiple artists illustrate such a distinctive and complicated costume design is also fascinating.

Various colorists enter the book and switch the colors depending on the artist. The changes in tone are mild and obtrusive. What became mindblowing was that the shades seemed to alter on the same page, merging to match the particular scene that would be approached next. It adds fluidity to the book and connects the periods instead of having a jarring separation. The lettering is just as adventurous and varied as the art and colours, but it is always easy to read.

Blue Beetle #7 is a chaotic celebration of a career. The issue is more of a touching tribute than a coherent story, which is acceptable for a creator like Keith Giffen. The premise is purely there to send Blue Beetle on his adventure with Booster Gold, which is enough. The energy and the pace generate enthusiasm. This book has both fourth-wall-breaking madness and some genuine and gentle family moments, which have just as much power.

Blue Beetle #7 is available where comics are sold.