Having this week resisted both a takeover bid from a major media conglomerate and the suggestion that we should change the site’s name to Entertainment Daily, we continue unabated with your weekly batch of capsule reviews. Under the microscope this week are Amazing Spider-Man, Booster Gold, Hulk Team-Up and Thunderbolts.

Review: Amazing Spider-Man #604
Fred van Lente’s Chameleon arc has had its moments – a particularly chilling reinterpretation of the villain chief among them – and continues to do so in its closing chapter, with some good Jameson/Spidey material (”Look at his moustache!”) and in finally giving us the much-promised conversation between Peter and MJ (although frustratingly doing little to clear up what’s now supposed to have happened between them, and where they stand – particularly as regards MJ knowing his identity, given that nobody was supposed to know it post-Mephisto). But it’s never really recovered from that unconvincing attempt at a shock cliffhanger – and if you have to spend two pages on the character explaining through narration just how they escaped the death trap, then your storytelling’s lacking a bit. And as for the last page, well… lord save us from yet more Kraven the Hunter offspring, frankly. [SP]

Review: Booster Gold #24
Okay, first things first – if anyone can tell me why this issue is an “epilogue” to the current storyline, I’d be grateful. As far as I can see, it’s simply another chapter – and not even the last one, at that. Still, that quibble aside, this is relatively entertaining – if unchallenging – stuff. The Black Beetle may be turning into DC’s equivalent of the Red Hulk – disappointingly all-powerful, with the drawn-out mystery of his identity and origins becoming ever more tedious by the month until you just wish they’d get it over with – but while the ongoing mythology stuff falters, there’s still a fun little alt-history story here. Any sort of promised throw-down with Trigon fails to materialise (he’s merely an already-victorious background presence, rather than a foe to be challenged), but there are good touches throughout – Hal Jordan’s power ring seeking out its new owner years after it should have done, Booster taking the place of Deathstroke in order to make the events of that Titans issue pass as they should have done (and throwing in a retrospective reference to Morrison’s Batman at the same time), and Luthor being forced to team up with the heroes (despite the fact that his voice feels oddly wrong, and indeed that he’s forgotten about halfway through the issue). The backup strip, meanwhile, brings the Blue and Black Beetles together, and makes for an interesting development in the relationship between Jaime and the scarab – but it still feels like ten pages in the back of another series simply isn’t the deserved place for Blue Beetle. [SP]

Review: Hulk Team-Up #1
The X-Men and the Hulk don’t really seem like a natural pairing, but somehow, Hulk Team-Up #1 (optimistically described as a one-shot by the indicia) really makes it work. It’s certainly advantageous that the story is set definitively in recent Hulk/X-Men continuity (Hulk issues #4-6, in fact) and that it uses the X-Men’s San Francisco setup to full effect, giving it a relevance in continuity that many team-up books lack. There are plenty of things to like, though. The use of “X-Men” to mean characters other than Wolverine, Emma Frost and Cyclops, for example. The fact that the story loosely builds off a classic Hulk annual which also featured Angel and Iceman. The fact that there’s a thematic link between the Hulk and Angel. Sure, it’s never going to set the world on fire, but it’s enjoyable and inoffensive. Well, mostly, anyway – the Dazzler-meets-Bruce backup strip would be enjoyable and inoffensive, were it not for the art. Chin draws a very good Hulk, but her ridiculously-proportioned Dazzler looks like she stepped right out of a saucy 1970s Playboy comic strip. [JHu]

Review: Thunderbolts #135
Diggle’s run on the title might be nearing its conclusion, but much like Ellis’ appearance, it’s going to make for a surprisingly complete arc – although we probably could have done without the Deadpool crossover mid-way through. Although the return of Songbird and the former Thunderbolts cast has probably been the most fan-pleasing element of the title, it’s good to see Diggle moving new characters forward. Just as the original Thunderbolts managed to take a team of mostly c-list villains and turn them into characters capable of appearing in Marvel’s flagship Avengers title and computer game spin-offs, so Diggle has done stellar work on turning c-list villains into credible characters here. This issue sees Mister X posing the kind of threat he never could’ve over in Wolverine, while Ghost gets another moment of morally ambiguous brilliance. If there’s any problem, it’s that the stakes feel far too high for a book of Thunderbolts’ profile, and that sucks the credibility out of the final few pages. Even so, it’s a great read for those that have stuck with it through the constant reworks and creative shuffles. [JHu]

Because not only does this issue see Booster thrown slap-bang into the middle of the events of an old DCU comic, but it’s one that’s a bona fide classic. Regular readers will know of my affection for Marv Wolfman and George Perez’s New Teen Titans, and in particular issue #2 is actually one of the first comics that I remember ever reading. So having the events of its pages – and there’s as much story in that one issue as you’d see in a six-part arc nowadays – as the backdrop to this issue holds immediate appeal from the start – but it’s even more pleasing that it’s done in a clever and involving way.

The line that Jurgens has chosen to take with this particular excursion of Booster’s is to have the Ravager story play out almost exactly as it did in that issue – except to account for the presence of Booster and the villainous Black Beetle. So to begin with, the difference is mild, and Grant Wilson’s vendetta follows a familiar course – but as the story rolls on, it deviates further from established “history”, culminating in a surprise ending. Dialogue is either faithfully reproduced or altered to suit the changed circumstances while remaining familiar – and various scenes will strike a chord for anyone who fondly remembers the original. And yes, Jurgens even finds time to alight on a certain memorable poolside scene – although, as with Perez, there’s a slightly more innocent feel to the artwork than if someone like Ed Benes had drawn it.

Indeed, this facet actually gets to the nub of why having this comic intersect with New Teen Titans works so well. Wolfman and Perez’s work was magnificent, but it also looks quite old-fashioned nowadays – but the thing is, so is Booster Gold. In the ’90s, Jurgens may have been “cutting edge”, but neither his writing nor his art style have really moved on at all from then. Which is actually fine, so long as you like it (and I do) – but the point is, this isn’t a very “modern” comic, and its charming old-fashionedness therefore  goes hand in hand with the similar attributes of the comic that it’s essentially throwing Booster wholesale into the pages of.

Meanwhile, of course, Booster now shares his pages with a 10-page Blue Beetle strip. And it’s decent enough, really, like much of Sturges’ run on the cancelled title was – a fairly straightforward action story with solid artwork and a handful of amusing character moments. I’m not sure it’ll do much to get people buying Booster Gold purely for it (aside from those who were already fans of Jaime) – you’d probably need John Rogers back for that – but it’s just nice to see stories featuring the book’s set of characters again, and I hope DC continue to see it as a good idea.

As it happens, underneath a  wonderful Hamner cover (echoing his equally wonderful cover to #1) is an issue that sees the title going out with a bit of a whimper, rather than a bang. There’s a definite sense of trying to tidy up Jaime’s individual mythology and supporting cast as quickly as possible – so as to leave him little in the way of unnecessary baggage for his ongoing team-based adventues – and it’s probably this that results in the rushed and somewhat ill-thought-out sudden death of one of those secondary characters. There’s nothing like enough page time for the likes of Paco, Brenda and Traci – the people who’ve helped make the book so distinctively great – and the battle with the Kdra, despite its tragic consequences, feels too inconsequential when compared with the final issues of Rogers’ run. Visually it suffers, too, and you can’t help but wish Hamner had been able to return for the interiors as well as the cover. It feels rushed and particularly sloppy in the closing pages, while I still can’t get over how Barberi misinterprets the “horns” on the back of the costume, especially as you’ve got them being done properly on the issue’s front.

But Sturges still knows how to throw out some neat moments, and he – like Rogers – is suitably respectful of the legacy of the Blue Beetle name, so there’s plenty of spiel in Jaime’s “hero reconsidering his role” internal monologue (a standard feature of any character’s final issue) about living up to Kord and Garrett. Indeed, it’s this that leads to perhaps the best moment of the writer’s brief run – as Jaime falls through space, he ponders that “Dan Garrett in this situation would probably have done something dashing and bold that got him out of the scrape just in the nick of time. Ted Kord would have done something clever and out of left field. And he would have chuckled while he did it. But I don’t know what Dan would have done. And I don’t know what Ted would have done. I’m not them,” before coming up with a solution that combines the best of both of them. It’s a lovely moment, and demonstrative of what this character and series are… were… capable of.

It’s a crying shame that DC haven’t given this excellent title more support – I know that when something’s just not selling, it’s not selling, but I’ve never seen promotional material for it like I have for, say, Captain Britain, and simply not bothering to try and capitalise on the success of Jamie’s Brave and the Bold episode was downright baffling – and it makes me more than a little annoyed at them. I’ll be trying to keep up with Jaime’s future adventures as best as possible, and hopefully his supporting cast will still be around as well – but the unique little niche that Blue Beetle had carved out for itself will be sorely missed.

Review: Blue Beetle #35
I’m getting sick of comics that I enjoy getting cancelled. It’s been on the cards for Blue Beetle for a while – and truth be told, the series hasn’t been five-star-excellent since John Rogers left – but even so, it’s sickening reading the “next issue” blurb confirm that #36 will be the last one, particularly as this issue seems to do a fair bit in the way of setting up a potentially longer plotline (is this all really going to be resolved in one issue?) and expanding the character’s mythology. It’s not really the best issue, mind – it’s a bit light on the usual wit (Paco’s “trying to usher in a pantsless society” aside – but the running joke about installing Linux on a toaster is a bit much), and the art (from two different people as the issue goes on) is inconsistent, in one instance getting part of Beetle’s costume (the bits that stick out of his “backpack”) completely wrong, and in another turning Brenda into a standard “comic book” teenage girl (all breasts and legs) instead of the refreshingly normal way she looked before. Still, though, it remains a fun book, and it’s going to be a crying shame when it’s no longer around. [SP]

Review: Daredevil #115
Brubaker puts a fairly revelatory spin on what appeared to be a rather by-the-numbers “new villain” story. Daredevil’s relationship to The Hand is given an interesting twist after years of having them show up as ridiculously crap ninjas for him to beat the hell out of, and Master Izo is probably the best new character to show up in Daredevil’s run yet. While Brubaker’s early Daredevil stories seemed eager to ape Bendis’ take on the book, his last couple of arcs have really seen him come into his own as captain of the Daredevil ship. It’s been a short arc, but justifiably punchy without an inch of fat on it. Very, very good. [JHu]

Review: Mister X: Condemned #2
Matters come to a head more quickly than expected, with the architect managing to expose the conspiracies surrounding Radiant City before even reaching the half-way mark for his four-issue return. It’s a commendably bold move, suggesting that Dean Motter had more ambitious plans for his creation than a brief comeback tour. The first issue’s multi-character approach is maintained, although the writer is careful to show how their fates are intertwined a little more explicitly than before. A fascinating break from the norm. [JHa]

Review: Ultimate Spider-Man #130
Bendis is clearly struggling with this. He’s trying to juggle a storyline about Aunt May having to deal with the consequences of Peter being Spider-Man – something which is presumably the culmination of a long and carefully-planted process over the book’s life – and at the same time deal with the fact that the entirety of New York has been flooded in Ultimatum – something which clearly isn’t. Oh, and you’ve got the return of Peter’s female clone thrown in there, as well. As a result, a once reliably-strong superhero title is currently feeling like a bit of a disjointed mess (particularly with having to waste an entire page on that bloody picture of bloody Magneto sitting on his bloody chair with bloody Thor’s bloody hammer), with strong moments, typically good dialogue and character material, and the usual great art from Immonen – but wrapped up in a story that just feels like an entirely wrong fit for the title. I can only hope (although I think it’s a futile wish) that the whole thing comes out of the other side of Ultimatum unscathed, and get back to the levels of excellence it was scaling only a few short months ago. [SP]

Shameless Plug : Zur-en-Arrh!
Just a quick plug that I forgot to do last week – I recently posted on sister site Noise to Signal the first of a three-part series called “Zur-en-Arrh!”, which involves my re-reading the entire Morrison Batman run and summarising and commentating on it as I go. It’s partly a guide to what was a Big Talked-About Comics Story for those who are interested but haven’t/won’t read it, and partly a bit of analysis for those of us who have. So if you’re interested, you could do worse than pop along and check out part one, which covers the “Batman and Son” storyline and the “Clown at Midnight” one-shot. [SP]

Another batch of capsule reviews from the Comics Daily team, including Blue Beetle #33, Captain America #44, Secret Invasion: Inhumans #4, Ultimate X-Men #98 and X-Force #9.

Review: Blue Beetle #33
It’s completely ridiculous that this series is getting cancelled when books like Titans and Hulk can exist (and sell far, far more copies). Alright, so it’s not as downright brilliant as it was in the John Rogers days, but Matthew Sturges has still maintained the book’s reputation as a pure, straightforward yet sharp and entertaining superhero title. There’s some excellent material here with both the Peacemaker and Paco and Brenda, the joy of which is tempered somewhat by the knowledge that we probably won’t see them any more when Jaime’s only appearances are in Teen Titans. Despite the cliffhanger ending, Doctor Polaris hasn’t been the most threatening of villains, but this is still confident and easily solid superheroics that’s more worth reading than a lot of the junk out there. [SP]

Review: Captain America #44
Ed Brubaker steers the book back into familiar territory here, with Bucky putting his hesitation over his new role aside as he closes in on a sinister conspiracy in the international intelligence and diplomatic community. The Winter Soldier’s past has been a solid source of material for the title even before the death of Steve Rogers, and the writer obviously has no intention of abandoning this element of the book. There may be a slight element of predictability to the story now that the winding long-term arc is on longer explicit, but this is still quality entertainment. [JHa]

Review: Secret Invasion: Inhumans #4
One of the better-conceived Secret Invasion wraps up in quite an unexpected fashion, as the Kree and Inhumans form an alliance that leads inexplicably not towards the resolution of Secret Invasion, but Marvel’s incoming cosmic crossover, War of the Kings. Still, it’s markedly more in-step with the crossover than series like Civil War: X-Men were and it was a good Inhumans story that focussed on them, wrapped up what happened to Black Bolt and made itself important in the overall arc of the Inhumans’ story too. A surprisingly decent read, and – writers take note – a good template for other crossover tie-ins. [JHu]

Review: Ultimate X-Men #98
This Rogue-heavy story makes a bit of a mess of itself as the main cast duly head off after Magneto following the events of Ultimatum #1, leaving Rogue behind because they can’t trust her. The issue further re-iterates the “fact” that certain X-characters are dead, but frankly the idea that they can be considered so when they died off-panel is nothing short of a joke in comics terms. We don’t believe it, so why should the characters? The introduction of an Ultimate Stryker is misconceived, and it’s hard to imagine a 3-issue arc built around this will be a fitting end for the series. [JHu]

Review: X-Force #9
Kyle and Yost hit a bit of a rocky patch here, with their second arc slightly running out of steam. The problem is that this issue feels too jumbled, with the Proudstar/ Ghost Rider team-up removing the feeling of logical progression that had characterised Logan’s investigation to date. The writers clearly have to juggle a shopping list of elements here, in order to set up material that the main Bastion story will subsequently play with, but they show their hand a little too obviously. Mike Choi continues to deliver some superb art, but unfortunately isn’t given anything too interesting to draw. [JHa]

The instinctive reaction, of course, is to say “What? Another Batman cartoon?” And coming so soon after the disappointing The Batman, it’s probably a valid one. However, targeted as it is at something of a younger market, The Brave and the Bold is arguably more distinct from the Dini/Tamm Batman series than the Begins­-inspired effort, and quite frankly it’s all the better for it. Following in the footsteps of the likes of Teen Titans Go, it’s a slick, light-hearted, extravagant slice of all-ages fun, and well worth checking out despite its apparent simplicity.

It’s strange, though, in that it takes its cues from a version of Batman that was once the most common public perception of the character, but which has been finally eroded by two different movie franchises and the aforementioned early ‘90s animated classic. It’s Silver Age, pure and simple. This is a Batman who’s known more as a “superhero” than a grim vigilante, who bats nary an eyelid at flying through wormholes with rocket-powered wings, and who actually… you know… smiles.

But while there are tropes clearly lifted from the ‘60s TV series – a wry musical sting here, a rope-tied deathtrap cliffhanger there – there’s a crucial difference in that this Batman isn’t camp in an Adam West kind of way. There’s a sense of fun, and there are jokes, but it never takes the piss (even with comedian Diedrich Bader giving a suitably bombastic lead vocal performance) – the superheroics are genuinely on the level, and a strong balance is maintained. It’s nice to see a nod, too, to one of the strongest ever examples of the fusion of comedy and non-parodic superhero stories – the villain in the throwaway pre-credits sequence, the Clock King, while he’s changed quite significantly, is drawn from Giffen and deMatteis’ seminal Justice League run.

Another masterstroke, meanwhile, is in the use of the new Blue Beetle as the first episode’s guest character (each weekly, unconnected tale features, as if you hadn’t guessed from the title, a different character teaming up with Bats). While a few obvious changes and simplifications are made, it’s generally a note-perfect rendition of one of the DCU’s best new characters of recent years (we even get an appearance by Paco!), and merely strengthens the opinion that he (a) shouldn’t have had his series cancelled, and (b) should quite probably get his own cartoon. The young, generally-unsure-of-himself but occasionally-gets-carried-away hero is a good foil for a square-jawed, all-hero Batman, and his origins and power set fit well with the outer-space theme of the episode.

Topped off by some genuinely brilliant animation – fast-paced and McCracken/Tartakovsy-esque, with some absolutely lovely flashes – it may be a little simple and straightforward, but it’s a very well-produced cartoon, and it’s clearly got its heart in the right place. It’s not going to set the world on fire, but given the generally po-faced and overly “dark” nature of most DC properties nowadays, it’s nice to see someone doing something a bit lighter.

As you may have seen, this coming week’s Blue Beetle #26 – the first after the departure of John Rogers as writer – is an almost entirely Spanish-language issue. To be honest, I have to say that this struck me as a fairly strange idea from the outset – while the cultural surroundings of El Paso have been an important part of the series so far, I just wonder who the issue is really supposed to appeal to. At the end of the day, it’s a book being sold to an almost entirely English-speaking market – and yes, while there will be readers who speak Spanish as well, they’re surely a pretty small minority. Meanwhile, those of us with standing orders or subscriptions for the title are actually having to pay more for the extra page count demanded by including the original English script at the back (in itself surely an irritating way to have to read it). I’m not averse to the idea of trying to open up Blue Beetle to a Hispanic/Central American market (that in itself makes a fair amount of sense) – but why not just put out a specific title designed to be sold there?

Even aside from my own opinion on whether or not it’s a good idea, though, what makes it worse is the fact that it’s not even being written by a native, fluent Spanish speaker – it’s been written in English by Jai Nitz, and then translated. And according to some comments here, it’s been translated badly. So not only will it not make sense to English speakers… but it’s pretty nonsensical for Spanish readers as well! Ludicrous stuff – and a crying shame that it had to happen to what was previously one of the most exciting and vibrant books in DC’s stable. (SP)

Hey kids! It’s Batman Speculation Time! Apologies to our chum Julian Hazeldine for nicking this off him, but I’m sure he won’t mind his theory being put forth, as it’s a pretty good one (although, to be fair, he probably isn’t the first to have thought of it). Quoted from a text message received by yours truly : I know Morrison would never be so obvious as to repeat himself, but after this week’s issue, I can’t help looking at Jet and thinking “Xorn”. Remember the bit last issue where he started wondering what his ultimate enemy might look like?

I can’t say this one had occurred to me, but it makes a certain amount of sense when you consider the strangely muted portrayal of her so far. Still, “Batman RIP” is almost upon us, so answers can’t be far away. And I’m still sticking with my prediction that it’s going to involve the faking of the death of one or both of Bruce and Batman… (SP)

As for the usual links roundup, my Alternate Cover column on Den of Geek last week was titled “How I learned to stop worrying and love Brand New Day.” I won’t bore you with the details, but if you’re still undecided over the whole Spider-Man fiasco, consider this one last attempt at snapping you out of it. Meanwhile, if you’re even a little interested in the Iron Man movie (you know, being comics fans) I attended the Iron Man press conference in London, which I also wrote up for Den of Geek.(JH)

Ed Brubaker’s latest Criminal TPB – Lawless – gets looked at by James, there’s some scary news about the future of Buffy Season 8, a tip about one of comics’ up-and-coming artist offering cut-price commissions, some speculation about just what’s going on with the GL Corps’ new rivals and a little more about Morrison’s Batman.

If you’ll excuse the self-promotion, I thought I should bring to everyone’s attention a review I did of Brubaker’s Criminal Vol. 2: Lawless for Den of Geek. I’m not a huge fan of crime comics, but it turned out to be fantastic. Couldn’t get enough of it. It’s not enough to make me a monthly Criminal reader, but if all the other TPBs are this good, I’ll certainly be looking into them. (JH)

In a CBR article discussing Buffy #12, the schedule of Buffy writers for the remainder of Season 8 has been noted down, with one worrying new piece of information: #20 Jeph Loeb. I don’t like to knock things down before they’re built but the question must be asked: Is it too much to hope that this is the one comic in 2008 that Loeb doesn’t screw up? We’ll have to wait until November to find out, but god help me, I’m not looking forward to it. (JH)

And in further not-so-fun upcoming comics news, John Rogers has announced that he’s leaving Blue Beetle when the current storyline is finished. It may only be temporary, but it’s still a shame – nobody really gave him much thought when he came onboard, but both with and without Keith Giffen as co-writer, he’s turned the series into one of the best things DC has put out in years. It’s only to be hoped that his successor, whoever they turn out to be in the long-term, can keep up the momentum of smart, character-driven action comedy that the book has built up so well over the last two years. (SP)

Up-and-coming artist Jamie McKelvie, the man behind (and sometimes in) Suburban Glamour currently has a sale on commissions going. I bought one of his prints once and if we were to use the eBay scale, it would be graded “AAAA+++++++ would buy again” Visit his Livejournal for details. If you’re unsure what to go for, can I suggest that a John Byrne-style 6-Fingered Invisible Woman? Get ‘em now before he becomes really famous, and secure yourself an investment in the future! After all, comic artists can’t be allowed to snap up all the sports cars. (JH)

I’ve always been more of a fan of the idea of Green Lantern, and the GL Corps, more than any actual GL comics themselves (remind me, though, to tell you one day about my idea for a GL Corps TV series). So I tend to keep my eye on what’s going on with the concept, without ever being that bothered about reading the titles, as it’s rare that creators I like ever end up on them. I am aware, though, that it’s one of the more ludicrous-sounding names and concepts to describe to people less au fait with comics – and so, surely, one of the crucial ways of approaching the series is to try to minimise the “silly” factor. Sadly, that’s a memo that Geoff Johns appears not to have got. Having already introduced the yellow, fear-powered Sinestro Corps – an idea that at least has some roots in the series’ mythology – he’s now going the whole hog, introducing an entire spectrum of differently-coloured ring bearers. Red Lanterns powered by rage? Kind of makes sense. But… Indigo Lanterns? Violet Lanterns? All that’s making me think of now is “Brown Lantern? That’s a little too close to Shit Lantern…” (SP)

Newsarama have printed the final part of a quite excellent interview with Grant Morrison. Some good nuggets in there, including news on the final three issues of the magnificent All-Star Superman (and a possible continuation thereafter), the long-awaited sequel to Seaguy, the progress of the We3 movie, Flex Mentallo, Superman and marriage, and a lot more. Part two of the chat also includes some good material on his Batman run, and is well worth checking out – it’s particularly interesting that, although the run that will culminate in “Batman RIP” will take the form of one big story, he’s still considering sticking around after that to do a more “conventional” run. Well worth a read, anyway – and it’s interesting to see him speaking positively about a Millar book… (SP)

It helps, of course, when the storyline is as fanboy-pleasing as the current Blue and Gold, in which Booster has managed to rescue best friend Ted Kord from the head-shooty fate that awaited him at the end of Countdown to Infinite Crisis (god, how long ago does that feel now?). We know, of course, that due to all those laws about mucking-about-with-history, this can’t possibly last – but there’s a sneaking feeling that a workaround (the fact that no-one can know Ted is alive, and so his existence must remain as secret as Booster’s) might just be in place to keep him around. Still, though, the title of the book is Booster Gold – so unless they’re planning on renaming it, we may as well just enjoy it while it lasts.

This latest issue actually manages to tie in with the unloved Zero Hour crossover event from 1994 (hence the numbering – every major DC title had an issue #0 at the time to tie in WASN’T THAT CLEVER), which was the first attempt to tidy up the mess of Crisis on Infinite Earths by basically doing it all over again (sound familiar, much?) As Booster and the League Of Blue Beetles (don’t ask) encounter Zero Hour’s villains Parallax (Hal Jordan… don’t ask) and Extant (Hank “Hawk out of Hawk and Dove” Hall… no, really, don’t ask), though, what’s surprising is how much it’s played for laughs. The ridiculously pompous manner in which the overpowered Jordan spoke is quite deliberately replicated, and the villains’ plot shown to be the rather silly mess that it was. This is all the more remarkable when you consider that the writer of the original story, Dan Jurgens, just happens to be Booster Gold’s artist. And you’ve got to credit him – and DC – for at least recognising the somewhat-crapness of the story and being able to poke fun at themselves (even if DC are making exactly the same mistakes all over again with Countdown at the moment).

Speaking of Jurgens, his work here is about as good as it’s been at any point since his mid-90s heyday. Perhaps it’s working with material so close to him (in addition to Zero Hour, he was Booster’s creator, and big loud time travel stories have always been his forte), perhaps it’s having an inker as solid as Rapmund. But there’s a solid consistency to the linework that complements his always-strong character design and storytelling.

The second half of the issue, with its trip into the future – or, rather, Booster’s past – feels a bit unnecessary, as a lot of the background is stuff we’ve already garnered through exposition in previous issues (and the one main new point that’s made, about Michael’s sister, is ruined somewhat by giving her the wrong colour hair); nevertheless, when it focuses on the Booster and Beetle team being reunited, and retains that crucial sense of fun, this is really quite enjoyable fluff.

Despite my inherent anger at the prospect of replacing Ted Kord with some random new kid (knowing for the first time just how Hal Jordan fans felt in the mid-nineties, even though being a Jordan “fan” remains a bizarre concept), I gave the new Blue Beetle series a shot when it first launched. I’m glad I did, as it immediately established itself as one of the best pure superhero yarns DC has put out in years – smart, funny, character-driven and with neat technological tricks. It’s very much reminiscent of Spider-Man at its best, as a wisecracking teenaged hero struggles to get to grips with powers he never asked for, but feels a strong inherent sense to do right with. Sadly, an incident involving a bag and a bottle of water meant that I managed to wreck the complete run of the first thirteen or so issues that I had – and after that, I found it difficult to bring myself to keep buying it month on month, particularly as the storyline it was in the middle of at the time – involving Jack Kirby’s New Gods – was the least interesting so far.

I’ve been looking for a way to get back into it, however, and despite being in the middle of its first truly climactic story arc – Jaime Reyes having finally found out the secret behind the alien technology wielded to his spine, and the machinations of the race that created it – this issue provides an excellent jumping-on (or jumping-back-on) point. John Rogers, now in sole writing command after Keith Giffen departed in a manner akin to a parent steering their child’s bike along the first few yards then letting go, has kept the story building up to what looks set to be a storming conclusion, and has maintained the sharp character comedy, the zinging dialogue between Jaime and his friends Paco and Brenda still one of the book’s main selling points. The affectionate nods to the Kord era remain, as well – with two excellent gags, one involving Booster Gold, and the other on a first page which also provides superbly concise exposition for the new or returning reader. There are other neat touches, such as the Scarab finally speaking Jaime’s language for the first time, a moment which demonstrates its shift in allegiance from its masters to its host – continuing its progression towards being a “character” in its own right.

I’m struggling to remember a “main universe” title from either of the big two that’s been as entertaining as this in recent years. There’s a zesty energy to it that bounces off the page – and that goes for the art, too, even though Rafael Albuquerque doesn’t quite match the sharp quality of original artist Cully Hamner – and despite being full of potentially baffling garble about the alien antagonists and their technology, it never feels overwhelming. It’s deeply impressive how such a well-defined support cast has been established in such a short time, as well. And I’ll persist in my opinion that Beetle’s costume is the coolest in comics at the moment. Really, if you’re a superhero fan – and particularly a Marvel fan, as it’s the most Marvelish book they’ve never published – you’ve got no excuse not to be picking this up.

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