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I think that this is one of Ted Kord's first appearances in the DCU post-Crisis, and post DC acquiring the rights to the Charlton heroes. It came out the same month as Watchmen #2, significant because the original premise of Watchmen utilized the old Charlton heroes, until the higher-ups at DC decided they could squeeze a bit more money out of them if they were a part of the regular DCU. Honestly, it's weird to think of a DCU that didn't feature the Beetle, or the Question, or Captain Atom. Would Watchmen have been as successful if it had seemed more like a Charlton heroes story than a standalone continuity? Probably not, but it would have been cool to see.
Today's featured artist is Paris Cullins. A quick check of the GCD yields numerous comics, and a check of my own database reveals a number of Mr. Cullins' works in the collection, notably an issue of Grant Morrison's Animal Man, one of the great superhero series of all time (IMHO, of course).
There's a dynamism to the art in this comic that really fits nicely with Blue Beetle, or the Ted Kord version of the character, at least. To me, before the Giffen/DeMatteis "Bwah-ha-ha" teaming of Beetle and Booster Gold, Blue Beetle had the potential to be a more Spider-Man-like hero. Unlike his predecessor and successor, Ted did not gain his identity from the mystical scarab that gave the other Blue Beetles superpowers. Instead, he based his identity off his old friend Dan Garrett, who was the original Blue Beetle. Ted is a scientific genius and adrenaline junkie, and Paris Cullins' art really captures that desire for action and excitement that Len Wein projects in the dialogue. There's even something of a manga look to some of the panels, where the characters are a little more-than-usually stylized, and their eyes are verging on dinner plate size. Whether this is actually anime influence or simply Cullins' style is neither here nor there - the art suits the energy of the story and the character very nicely.
While Blue Beetle has always been a less-serious character than some who inhabit the DCU, he sadly becomes something of a comedic relief character once 1987's Justice League is published, at least until he uncovers a giant conspiracy in the DCU and is shot dead by a supposed friend. But don't worry, I think he's back from the dead these days and hanging around with Jaime Reyes, the new Blue Beetle. I think. I don't keep up with DC much these days.
More to follow.
Today's featured artist is Paris Cullins. A quick check of the GCD yields numerous comics, and a check of my own database reveals a number of Mr. Cullins' works in the collection, notably an issue of Grant Morrison's Animal Man, one of the great superhero series of all time (IMHO, of course).
There's a dynamism to the art in this comic that really fits nicely with Blue Beetle, or the Ted Kord version of the character, at least. To me, before the Giffen/DeMatteis "Bwah-ha-ha" teaming of Beetle and Booster Gold, Blue Beetle had the potential to be a more Spider-Man-like hero. Unlike his predecessor and successor, Ted did not gain his identity from the mystical scarab that gave the other Blue Beetles superpowers. Instead, he based his identity off his old friend Dan Garrett, who was the original Blue Beetle. Ted is a scientific genius and adrenaline junkie, and Paris Cullins' art really captures that desire for action and excitement that Len Wein projects in the dialogue. There's even something of a manga look to some of the panels, where the characters are a little more-than-usually stylized, and their eyes are verging on dinner plate size. Whether this is actually anime influence or simply Cullins' style is neither here nor there - the art suits the energy of the story and the character very nicely.
While Blue Beetle has always been a less-serious character than some who inhabit the DCU, he sadly becomes something of a comedic relief character once 1987's Justice League is published, at least until he uncovers a giant conspiracy in the DCU and is shot dead by a supposed friend. But don't worry, I think he's back from the dead these days and hanging around with Jaime Reyes, the new Blue Beetle. I think. I don't keep up with DC much these days.
More to follow.
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