Blue Beetle: Rebirth #1 Review

The Blue Beetle is back as part of DC Rebirth. And he has brought Ted Kord with him to make for one fantastic comic book.

Blue Beetle: Rebirth #1
Written by Keith Giffen
Art by Scott Kolins
Color by Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Published by DC Comics

Ted Kord was one of the first heroes I followed when I first discovered DC Comics way back when. Batman just entered his grim and gritty phase. So to see a millionaire decide to fight crime with a smile, a witty quip, and a giant ship shaped like a bug was something very different. That appealed to me.

Then of course DC killed Ted Kord. Shot in the head by Maxwell Lord in the pages of Countdown to Infinite Crisis. And while Jamie Reyes was perfectly fine as the Blue Beetle, the title was just lacking something.

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Now Ted Kord is back thanks to DC Rebirth. He is now mentoring Jamie Reyes as the latter reluctantly continues his career as a superhero.

And the best part? The Bug is back too!

Blue Beetle: Rebirth #1 sees Keith Giffen and Scott Kolins kick off a new era of Blue Beetle greatness. And after just one issue, it is safe to say it is going to be great indeed.

This special Rebirth issue sets everything up for newcomers while giving longtime fans of both version of the Blue Beetle something to enjoy. Giffen and Kolins deciding to bring back Ted Kord was enough for me to buy the issue sight unseen. But it helps that the characterization is spot on.

The cover to Blue Beetle: Rebirth #1

Giffen serves up a plot that sees Jamie Reyes go up against a pair of bad guys by the names of Rack and Ruin. The book is filled with the kind of silly banter and fun moments you would expect with Griffen at the helm. It perfectly sets up the relationship between Kord and Reyes for the reader while never bogging things down with a lot of exposition.

This also applies to the art by Kolins, which is just as great as the script. I became a Kolins devotee when he worked on The Flash with Geoff Johns. He has actually gotten better since then. His art is tighter, the storytelling smoother and his Jamie Reyes actually looks his age.

And unlike in the past, the new Blue Beetle actually looks and moves a bit like a bug. It’s a small thing, but it enhances the character that much more. It easily makes Blue Beetle: Rebirth one of the best looking Rebirth titles published yet.

But there’s more!

The icing on the cake? Doctor Fate is also going to be supporting cast member. My heart broke because the new Doctor Fate title was getting cancelled. Consequently, knowing he will be in Blue Beetle makes a great book even better.

must read: Supergirl: Rebirth #1 Review

The Bottom Line:

Blue Beetle: Rebirth #1 is fun from cover to cover. It is just what we need in a world filled with Civil Wars and needless character deaths. While I was never a big fan of Jamie Reyes in the past, that is quickly changing. And with Ted Kord and Doctor Fate along for the ride, what’s not to love?

If you love great comics, Blue Beetle: Rebirth is one you cannot miss.