Review: Blue Beetle Vol. 2- Hard Choices

Quick Summary

Pros: The main storyline is full of epic action and some great character moments. The closing story is a relaxing complement to the main story and also helps set up the next story arc. The entire adventure is packed with charm from the characters. The artwork has a great energy to it and works well with the story.

Cons: The opening chapters are a bit chaotic and have issues with pacing.

Overall: This is a solid comic collection and a vote of confidence for the Blue Beetle series. It features multiple compelling narratives, likable characters, and a few tremendous battles. The entire collection also has a wonderful level of charm and energy, coming from both the narrative and the artwork. There are some pacing problems in the volume’s beginning but these are not significant enough to take away from the rest of the book’s appeal. Any fan of Blue Beetle, either Ted Kord and Jamie Reyes, should consider picking this book up.

Story

Blue Beetle Vol. 2: Hard Choices, by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and Scott Kolins, continues the fun and entertaining adventures from the previous volume. It details two separate story arcs, one with high-stakes battles and epic fights and the other with more grounded and personal struggles. Along the way, each of the characters has a chance to contribute something to the book’s appeal, whether it be lighthearted comedy or a compelling personal story of their own. The narrative stumbles slightly in the beginning but the rest of the book makes this initial stumble worth reading through. All in all, this is a very fun collection with an excellent cast of characters.

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The first few chapters of Hard Choices are a little rough, mostly due to some issues with pacing. At the beginning of the book, the characters take a minute to regroup after dealing with the most serious threat Jamie has dealt with thus far. Then, within a short period of time, Jamie loses the Scarab, Doctor Fate is defeated in battle, and an all-powerful evil is fully awakened from his slumber. Meanwhile, story elements from the previous volume, like the individual members of the Posse or any of Jamie’s personal struggles, are put on hold. Essentially, the first few chapters are a bit of a whirlwind that takes a moment or two to get used to.

However, once the action becomes more consistent and the story arc enters its main phase, things start to improve dramatically. The tension begins to ramp up at a far more acceptable rate and the general flow of the narrative becomes less chaotic. In the end, the battles that take place in this portion of the narrative are genuinely entertaining and contain some great moments. This allows Ted Kord to renter the field as a superhero and sees Jamie finally accept his role as the Blue Beetle.

After the big battle is over, Hard Choices changes up the pace by having Jamie take down a much smaller enemy threatening his local area. This change of pace is well-executed and allows readers to have a moment to rest between more epic encounters. It is also simply charming on its own. It has Jamie attempt to help a local villain, rather than simply beat him up, while also gaining the approval of Batman. Meanwhile, a background story begins to develop around Teri, which helps build interest in the next volume.

Alongside the entertainment quality of the actual plot, Hard Choices also does an incredible job with the characters. This is obvious in the case of Jamie, who really comes into his own as a hero over the course of this book. However, it can also be seen in the rest of the book’s main characters, who each show off what they contribute to the book’s overall dynamic. Each of them has a compelling personal story that adds to the book; Ted Kord is clearly suffering from an inferiority complex and is trying to make a difference in the world, Teri’s unique connection with the future sets her apart as a character and also helps set up the next story arc, and Jamie’s friends provide some carefree distraction from the rest of his adventure. When all of these characters come together, it feels incredibly natural and adds to the appeal of this comic.

(spoilers end here)

Art

The artwork in Hard Choices looks great all the way through and really complements the tone of this particular story. Scott Kolins brings the same energetic action scenes and power levels that were present in the previous volume (Review), ensuring that this collection has plenty of entertaining moments. However, since the battles are more epic in this volume, the artwork is able to be more creative as well. This volume contains awesome scenes where magical and technological blasts are flying around as great looking characters are introduced or reintroduced. All of this is then enhanced by the general charm of Kollins’ style and the bright colors from Romulo Fajardo, Jr. The overall effect is impressive and is definitely a positive for this collection.

Continuity

Blue Beetle Vol. 2: Hard Choices continues the story from Blue Beetle Vol. 1: The More Things Change (Review).

The story here continues in Blue Beetle Vol. 3: Road to Nowhere (Review).

This volume also references other comic books, detailed below:

• Ted Kord’s heart problems were originally revealed in issue #39 of the original (1999) Birds of Prey series.
• Tina mentions a battle on Paradise Island that placed her in her current position. This battle takes place in Justice League 3001 Vol. 2: Things Fall Apart.
• Tina also mentions the death of a specific superhero. This took place in Justice League 3001 #7, which is also collected in Justice League 3001 Vol. 2: Things Fall Apart.