Robert Greenberger

by Robert Greenberger

Showcase Presents Blue Beetle

Often overlooked, the Blue Beetle remains a popular character and while he may be best remembered from his partnership with Booster Gold in the pages of Justice League, he was also the star of his own title. Now, those 24 issues are being collected in Showcase Presents Blue Beetle.

It’s easy to forget that the Blue Beetle is one of the longest running characters in comic books since his arrival in 1939 was overshadowed by the smash success of Superman and other colorful heroes from National Comics, MLJ, and Timely. When Dan Garrett debuted in Mystery Men #1 (August 1939), the Vitamin 2X-powered Blue Beetle proved enduring. He even had a daily newspaper strip that was briefly drawn by young Jacob Kurtzberg.

After Fox Comics, the character wound up taken over by Holyoke, then back to Fox until that shop closed in the 1950s and he was acquired by Charlton Comics. He appeared briefly then faded away until Executive Editor Dick Giordano launched his 1960s Action Heroes line. Now, Ted Kord fought crime with a distinct Spider-Man vibe which made sense since he was now handled by writer/artist Steve Ditko.

In the early 1980s, DC Comics’ Paul Levitz acquired those heroes for Giordano and he sat on them until the heroes and their Earth-5 arrived in Crisis on Infinite Earths #1. As the Crisis wound down, the question of what to do with them was low on the list as the company focused on revamping their big three. But Giordano wanted them used and fully integrated into the newly uniformed continuity. Len Wein was more than happy to accommodate that request.

A fan of Ditko’s happy-go-lucky approach, Wein got a quick approval for an ongoing series. Although Julie Schwartz was credited as editor, he was more a caretaker for Wein who largely determined the direction on his own. This came as he was transitioning from staff editor to full time writer and was relocating to the West Coast. At the time, Wein was one of the strongest writers of superheroics the company had and he knew a thing or two about building up a strong supporting cast.

Blue Beetle #3

To properly set the stage, the second issue of Secret Origins in 1986 featured Wein’s retelling of the origin and the handing off of the powerful scarab from Garrett to Kord with lovley art from Gil Kane (and it’s a real shame it has not been included in this collection). A month later the new series arrived from Wein and artists Paris Cullins and Bruce Patterson. Cullins, a hyper-energetic and imaginative artist, was well-suited the high-tech setting of Kord Omniversal Research and Development, Inc. and S.T.A.R. Labs. Wein wisely set the series in Chicago, not normally a home for heroes so he had room to maneuver without bumping into others.

Although Karen Berger and Denny O’Neil succeeded Schwartz, this was clearly Wein’s book as he developed a large supporting cast and wove in threads from across the DC Universe so it felt as if the Beetle was always a part of the firmament. He mixed his opponents, beginning with Firefist, an original concept, then followed with the Beetle’s Charlton nemesis the Madmen and Flash foe Dr. Alchemy. And before O’Neil brought his signature style to the Question, Wein reintroduced Vic Sage and his faceless alter ego in the early issues.

Blue Beetle #12

Sub-plots were always one of his strong suits and Wein does a fine job here with slowly revealing larger issues and nicely ties in one of his players, Angela Revere, to David Clinton, a.k.a. Chronos, who recurs during the book’s run. Since he dialogued Legends, it’s no surprise the two tie-in issues are particularly strong ones. Additionally, Wein picked up on using the newest — and now forgotten — team, the Hybrid (Pterodon, Touch ‘n Go, Sirocco, Gorgon, Harpi, Behemoth, Prometheus), first introduced a few months earlier in New Teen Titans #24. As a result, issues #11-13 also guest star the Titans, almost crowding the Beetle of his own book.

But, Wein quickly shifted the focus to Pago Island, where Garrett found the scarab and died, handing it off to Kord. A new serial picks up from there with the threat of the mechanical Carapax and a resurrected and therefore grumpy Garrett. Back in Chicago, we also finally meet S.T.A.R.’s founder Garrison Slate and one of his employees, former Boy Commando Alfred W. “Alfy” Twidgett.

Blue Beetle #22

With writing assistance from Randy & Jean-Marc L’Officer, Wein then launched into the title’s final stories. By this time, Cullins couldn’t keep up with the monthly demand and missed issues which were ably drawn by Ross Andru, also well-suited to the story’s demands. By the time the Madmen returned, both were gone and Don Heck turned up to complete the series as Ted loses the control over Kord Inc. to his father Thomas.

By this time, Beetle had been a founding member of the new Justice League and his popularity would only soar away from his own title, making him a popular supporting and ensemble player there and in Birds of Prey. Still, these 24 stories are good, straight-forward comics that combine action with strong plotting and good characterization so it’s worth a read.

Classic covers from the Grand Comics Database.

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Showcase Presents Blue Beetle