What I’d Like From A Blue Beetle TV Show

Column by Craig Byrne

Yesterday at the Comic-Con International in San Diego, Geoff Johns showed off the test effects footage for a TV series based on the DC Comics character, the Blue Beetle. The Beetle involved in the test footage is the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle, a young man who first encountered the scarab that gave him powers during the Infinite Crisis cross-over, replacing the long-standing (and popular) hero Ted Kord in the role.

Being a long-time comic book fan, and someone who’s been following superhero TV for over 15 years now, of course I have opinions on what I’d like to see if such a series were to come from these effects tests. Here are a few of those things:

Jaime Reyes’ supporting cast from the comics. One of the best things about the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle is that he is one of those newer comics characters with a fully fleshed out supporting cast. His family and friends are as much of a part of the story as the Scarab and I think many viewers, regardless of racial background, would enjoy seeing them.

The gap in time. Early on in the Blue Beetle comic book, Jaime Reyes spent a year away with his family having no idea where he’d gone. This made for good drama and interesting situations. I’d like that.

Ted Kord. This is the biggest deviation I would want from the source material. I really, really like Ted Kord. He’s one of DC’s best creations (actually, the product of Charlton Comics, with Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko involved), and he’s a sign of the legacy of the character. He doesn’t need to be dead to do that. Get someone who’s in their 30’s and attractive – someone along the lines of Matthew Bomer from White Collar – and it’d work (although sadly, Bomer is busy with a successful show). I’d even like it if Ted Kord appeared on Smallville for a few episodes to spin it all off, only to be replaced in a new series pilot or something. And that brings us to…

Guy Gardner and Booster Gold. Guy might not be able to happen, because of the Green Lantern movie, but maybe if his “Warrior” persona was used there wouldn’t be rights issues? And Booster Gold is just awesome, no matter which Beetle he’s on the other side of.
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Okay, that mouth thing looks weird. I really liked the effects test that we’ve seen thus far, but one thing really bothered me – the Beetle’s mouth. It looks really cool in animation and comics, but it looks really awkward (and expensive to maintain) in live action. Maybe revealing the lower part of Jaime’s face as Ted Kord’s has been might work, or maybe there should be no visible mouth at all. That just didn’t work for me.

I applaud Geoff Johns and DC Entertainment for wanting to try something with one of their characters who – despite a comic book series that lasted three years and appearances on Batman: The Brave and the Bold – hasn’t yet had a huge profile. The fact that the Blue Beetle character legacy dates back to around 1940 makes it even more appealing. Hopefully we’ll be learning more about the possibilities of the Beetle on TV at Comic-Con.

The early adventures of the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle are now available in a trade paperback! Check it out!