REVIEW: ‘Blue Beetle’ Issue #10

Blue Beetle #10 is published by DC Comics, written by Josh Trujillo, art by Adrián Gutiérrez, colors by Qil Quintana and letters by Lucas Gattoni. With an extremely powerful beetle abomination leaving a wake of destruction in Plamera City, it’ll take more than just Blue Beetle to bring it down.

The whole issue has the air of a boss battle to it. The stakes are as high as ever in this series, with the entire city at risk of being demolished. There’s a build-up towards the fight that takes up half of Blue Beetle #10, but the pace is rapid and heart-pounding for the entirety of the issue.

The location is split between Jaime hurtling towards Pinnacle, a beetle tampered with and turned into a war machine, and Ted and Victoria Kord working on their plan. The adrenaline and energy are exhilarating, with a real sense of danger throughout the book. There has always been a Power Rangers influence on this Blue Beetle series, and at the end of this arc, it has become a Megazord battle. The ending is cataclysmic and phenomenal, using everything in the beetle fight.

Trujillo forced Blue Beetle to grow up fast, and that maturity can be seen at the start and finish of this issue. The issue begins immediately after the previous chapter, where Pinnacle badly injured his best friend, Brenda. It is an example of how far things have gone and how dangerous the situation is. It also changes the mood Jaime is in as he goes from desperation to rage. By the end of the comic, that anger is still there, but it is settled and scary. During combat, he may give some quips to alleviate the mood, but there are consequences for harming his friends and the city.

Elsewhere, the severity of what Victoria Kord has done in creating Pinnacle resonates closer to home. The return of her brother Ted, an earlier generation Blue Beetle, is a welcome voice of reason and calm for the situation. Trujillo likes to utilise older heroes, who he figures Jaime can lean on even as he gains experience as a solo hero. And even with the supporting cast, there has never been doubt about whose story this is.

The art is sensational. There is exhilaration in every moment, with the rampant nature of the battle pumping through the line art. Blue Beetle hurtles through the air with palpable speed and energy. The book has a cinematic quality, from the panel layouts to the blockbuster qualities. This can be seen in the speed and scale of the spectacle.  The size difference between Blue Beetle and Pinnacle is exceptional, and the general design of the giant beetle is terrific.

Pinnacle is a cross between living and artificial, an alien lifeform that has been tinkered with. Its healing capabilities are illustrated fantastically, making the threat even more dramatic. Within this series, technology has always looked like it’s living, because the scarabs actually have a form of sentience. While the similarities of the Power Rangers can also be seen, there are also elements of a Kaiju story, with the shadow of Pinnacle looming in the distance.

The colors are glorious. Vibrant and powerful, the Blue Beetle’s intense blue goes up against Pinnacle’s purple neon. Its shades are darker and more ominous, its power leaving a glow on Jaime even long after the attacks. Quintana often implements a single-color background, prominent and bright, again energizing the comic. The lettering captures the exhilaration within the issue with dynamic word balloons.

Blue Beetle #10 is a boss battle for the ages. The spectacle is astounding, and the fight scene is terrific. All the unease and mistrust bleeding into every issue of the run reaches a peak. It culminated in calamity and destruction, with innocent women severely wounded in the middle. Jaime’s growth in the run is becoming clever by the page, cementing his place as the official and undisputed protector of Pelmera City. And whilst he has had guidance from older heroes, he is making the decisive moves to keep those he loves safe.

Blue Beetle #10 is available where comics are sold.