by Tony Rhea, Reporter

What do you do when you’ve got a super-powered enemy hunting down you and those you care about? If you’re Jaime, you mop floors! Jaime has a seemingly impossible choice to make this week in Blue Beetle #4!

Official Description:
Things start to come together after Jaime’s recent trip to the tomb of Pharaoh Kha-Ef-Re, the place where Dan Garrett originally found Khaji Da! What does the Blood Scarab need Khaji for, and what does this mean for Jaime Reyes?!

Creative Team:
Writer – Josh Trujillo
Artist – Adrián Gutiérrez
Colorist – Wil Quintana & Nick Filardi
Letterer – Lucas Gattoni

Jaime is dealing with a lot lately, and does what he can to stay close to the people he cares about. Oo’li shows up, and puts Jaime in a scenario he wasn’t expecting. Jaime looks to a friend for answers, and turns to someone more devious for help. Plus, the identity of the Blood Scarab is finally revealed!

It’s safe to say that Blue Beetle remains a compelling title in the DC library, and it’s a great thing that Jaime isn’t the only character this book is leaning on. Trujillo has done a great job developing the threat of the Blood Scarab, and presenting an enemy that makes Jaime question himself and his actions. Now that the identity of this character is revealed, I’m hoping that Trujillo delivers a fantastic backstory. I’m loving the characterization Trujillo has given all of the characters so far, but as much as this is this comic should be focused on Blue Beetle, I’m hoping some of the character’s motivations start spreading out beyond Jaime. There is a great chance to expand on Xiomara’s character, for example, and it seems like we were on the cusp of it, before her thoughts turn back to Jaime and how powerful his Scarab is. Jaime is interesting, but these other characters are just as compelling, and that speaks to Trujillo’s story-telling ability.

Gutiérrez certainly knows how to draw a beautiful comic, with an art style that is unique and fits Blue Beetle perfectly. I want to give some love to Quintana and Filardi for their wonderful use of color. I’ve spoken about how great Blue Beetle looks before, but this issue highlights these colorists’ ability to give life to a world. There are so many colors throughout this issue, and they all work wonderfully in the panels to make it a spectacle for the eyes. While lots of artists like to utilize specific color palettes, what makes this issue amazing is the broad spectrum of colors that is utilized to tell this story. These two artists are a large part of what is bringing me back week-to-week, and their work shouldn’t go unnoticed.

Blue Beetle #4 brings us a story about growth and difficult choices, and I hope that this growth is delivered for more than just Jaime, as Trujillo has done a great job of making readers invested in these characters thus far. The potential is definitely there, and I am here for it.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Blue Beetle #4 – 4 out of 5 awkward alien dates!

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