BB Q&A 2

Extended in a separate post, as some people pointed out to me that an edited post could screw up those who read in RSS.

The Scarab for years we've assumed it's all mystical in nature. Tied into the whole Shazam/Eygpt thing. But the new BB looks very high tech. So is the Scarab actually mystical? Or is it different from that now?

It WAS mystical, but ... Suuuuuperboy PUNCH! Now it's from the future!

It's the same Scarab. Its nature is part of the mystery of the book.

Will we ever see the return of Ted Kord's Bug? It would be nice to see BB learn a little about the history of the name. But I note he HASN'T named himself just yet - others have named him.

Jaime will soon start doing what anyone in his position would do -- poke around in the history of the name. And the Bug was actually destroyed in re-entry. (That is not a joke. it was damaged on Brother Eye, and came apart, so the heroes had to return in a Green Lantern thingie.)

Oh and when you know who somehow fights his way out of you know where can we expect one of his punches to bring Ted back?

See, before, his punches could affect reality since he was outside reality. But now he's trapped in this universe, and so he can no longer accomplish such effects. (That's not canon, but I just solved one of DC's problems. They can sned me candy whenever they want)

Is there a story behind 'Jaime' as the character's name? How much confusion have you seen over the pronunciation of his name?

Not any story, really. The first name of a friend of mine from college, and Keith picked it, so it worked for me. Some confusion on pronunciaton, but people seem to be coming 'round.

Any inspiration from a certain British series in Jaime's "one night=one year" surprise?

No, but the bits were written roughly concurrently. It was more one of those things that when I saw it on Dr. Who, I was comforted by seeing it work in action. something extruded from idea-space, go figure.

When will we see a trade? Because I'm buying single issues right now, but it feels so 20th century.

No exact ate, but as we're in the third printing on #1, I gotta assume there will be a trade sooner than later.

So... Do you catch it in a tissue or just let it spray? -- Giffen

Baby. Jesus. Wept.

Issues #3 and #5 are solicted with different artists. Please tell Cully Hamner is still in for the long haul! His work on this book has been great so far.

Cully had to finish up some other work from before BB, hence the fill-ins, but as far as I know he's in with us through #12. As far as Keith and I are concerned he's a co-creator and stays as long as he wants.

Do you ever think you'll get to that point where you'll parade about the house or in public in a Blue Beetle costume?

You know, my friend Mike George has a great line about the event horizon of fandom. As he says "I love The Simpsons. But I don't dress up like Homer to watch the show."

Will there be any connection to the Scarab miniseries by John Smith from Vertigo a bunch of years back? I'm just thinking Scarab gives powers, Phantom Stranger shows up, kinda reminiscent. I greatly enjoyed that series.

Nope.

Ongoing book or at 12-issue series now? I've heard conflicting stories.

The first arc is two years. The book is ongoing, God willing.

Given the scarab's Egyptian origin, could there be some sort of Thanagarian/Cult of the Seven Devils connection? That would seem to neatly explain the Green Lantern rings' reaction to its presence.

or (and this is just crazy, I know) yellow combined with blue making green, could the scarab actually represent some other component of the Oan Power Battery that the Guardians forgot about, but is just as bad as, or worse than, Parallax?

Not quite on the first, and not at all on the second. I'd actually forgottenabout the "color" thing Johns did a while back in L. But we're not that.

So we will be seeing more of the Posse, right?

Oh sure. Just not in the way most people thought.

Thanks again, all. See you when #3 comes out, guest-drawn-artist-ed by Cynthia Martin.