Blue Beetle #25

Just because I'm too angry to blog about the government right now -- seriously, they would come and get me if I actually typed what I'm feeling -- doesn't mean I'm not writing non-screenplay material. Second Year arc of Blue Beetle closes out with issue #25. Here's the solicit cover for #25, out in March. I'm posting it just because I think Rafael hit this one with the fat of the bat. This year ends with a three-parter which wraps up Beetle's origin mystery -- and a couple mysteries in the Beetle legacy that are something like thirty years old, now that I think about it. That's a full two years spent on Jaime's origin, and as opposed to the "Hey, you've got powers now!" bang-off intro most characters get. Some people found this a little off-speed. Giff originally envisaged taking this much time, and I think it makes a difference. Our guy has a (small but) devoted following, and is an actual character who reads in an identifiable, consistent manner when he pops up in other titles. I'm just happy DC gave us the time to do it this way.

For those of you still pissy over Ted's death -- actually if you're reading the book, you've long since forgiven all. But let's just say that line up on the cover ain't a coincidence.

And for those of you who are still concern-trolling over Jaime being Hispanic, and hey you're not a racist but that might alienate other readers ... bite me. Seriously. It's the 21st Century. Get over it, go in the basement and rend your garments over Sodom Yat references and leave those of us who want to have a little fun alone.

For the other twelve of you who read the book or care about comics -- Year Three stories will be in a slightly different format. It's been interesting, learning how to write comics while an actual readership watches and comments. Year One was "Who is the Jaime Reyes", where we spent an entire year hashing out his supporting cast, mainly hanging about in El Paso. Trying to make him a full character with a life. Family, friends, actual life goals that don't involve cape stuff, just a teenager with an otherwise full life who happens to have a homicidal bug suit welded to his spine. Year Two -- really starting with #11 -- was "How Does Jaime Fit into the DCU?", where we integrated Jaime -- and his family, of course --


-- into the general superheroing business. In Year One, Keith did all the plotting and pacing, while I learned to script and work with the artists. In Year Two we went from the long intro to a series of one-and-dones. This was to both capitalize on the new folks coming to the book after we started getting shiny reviews, but also just so I could learn how to write one-offs. They're tricky as hell, but they really force you to boil down the essence of the character and conflict. A bit like writing wind-sprints. Year Three will be one long story but broken up into three or four distinct adventure arcs of three-four issues each. This is the more traditional storytelling pacing right now, and it'll be interesting to try that structure.

Every writing you do, in whatever format, informs all your other writing. Somewhere along the line I'll wind up using some trick I picked up scripting comics while writing a TV show or movie. Never assume any medium or even genre has more or less intrinsic worth than any other, when it comes to adding wrenches to the toolbox.