Review: Blue Beetle Vol. 3- Road to Nowhere

Quick Summary

Pros: The main arc is great and tells a story that divides its time between fun moments of action and meaningful self-discovery. The conclusion to the collection works as a conclusion to the series. The artwork looks good and suits the story well.

Cons: The opening chapter starts a story that never ends up going anywhere.

Overall: This volume starts out rough but manages to quickly turn things around to create a volume filled with charm and entertainment. It primarily details a story about growing up, where friends face some realities about life while simultaneously trying to avoid being killed by a supervillain. The adventure is very entertaining and more than makes up for the volume’s lackluster opening chapter. Those who enjoy stories about young heroes or those who have enjoyed Blue Beetle’s adventures thus far should consider reading this book.

Story

Blue Beetle Vol. 3: Road to Nowhere has a lot going for it and is just as entertaining as the previous two volumes. The bulk of this collection tells a heartwarming story about a group of kids struggling with the reality of growing up. This challenge is approached with an excellent level of authenticity and just enough superhero action to keep things exciting. In the end, it helps close this chapter of Blue Beetle’s current story and give the series some resolution. The book has a few problems but almost all of these are in the opening chapter and do not take away from the rest of the book’s appeal. Overall, this is a very worthwhile comic centered around fun action and growing up.

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Hard Choices starts out a little rough, with a chapter that continues the story from the conclusion of the Justice League 3001 series. On its own, having this crossover is actually rather interesting. It helps give some character development to this comic’s supporting cast and also sets up a powerful enemy for Blue Beetle to face off against in the future. The problem is that most of this chapter is spent developing a story that never materializes. Instead, these plot threads are left completely unexplored and this trip into the future ends up feeling like a pointless distraction. It seems the early cancellation of this series forced these story elements to be abandoned and, unfortunately, doomed what would otherwise be an interesting chapter.

Luckily, the rest of the volume improves dramatically from this point onward and ends up telling an entertaining and delightfully heartwarming final story arc. This arc sees Jamie take a road trip with his friends and his girlfriend before they all graduate high school. Along the way, the group is attacked by a mad scientist’s cult and is also forced to face some personal drama.

Part of the entertainment from this little adventure comes from the conflict with the mad scientist. This battle allows for the expected levels of Blue Beetle action but also allows for a few courageous moments from Jamie’s friends. This more diverse mix of action is fun and fits well with the book’s overall narrative.

However, the best part about this arc is the personal challenges that goes along with it. Within these chapters, Jamie is forced to confront numerous aspects about growing up; he contemplates his post-high school plans, discovers that his friends are in a romantic relationship, and generally ponders the frightening unknown that is the future. Christopher Sebela is able to authentically capture what it feels like to move from one phase of life to the next and how terrifying such an experience can be. Jamie’s initial decision to run from his future is something with which most readers can empathize and his final decision to accept his future is inspiring. All in all, this entire portion of the book is charming and suits this particular character remarkably well.

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Art

Road to Nowhere sees Scott Kolins continue to deliver on the quality artwork that has helped make this Blue Beetle series a joy to read. The visuals here are full of life and energy, which is especially important considering the majority of this volume centers around animated expressions of youth. The visuals here are also wonderfully creative and help make things like the villain’s strange technology and Ted Kord’s lab feel like unique entities. It also helps that the entire work is structured well and full of detail. All in all, this is another visual win for the Blue Beetle series.

Continuity

Blue Beetle Vol. 3: Road to Nowhere continues the story from Blue Beetle Vol. 2: Hard Choices (Review).

The Blue Beetle series ends with this volume and does not currently continue in any specific comic.

This volume also references another comic book, detailed below:

• The first chapter in this collection is essentially a continuation of the story from Justice League 3001 Vol. 2: Things Fall Apart.