As Blue Beetle prepares to embark on his latest adventure, DC plans to introduce a new hero in a new mini-series. Screenwriter Josh Trujillo discussed how Blue Beetle: Graduation Day will draw attention not only to Jaime Reyes, but also to a brand new Beetle.
In 2021, DC Comics introduced the Round Robin contest, which will allow fans to vote for ideas they would like to turn into full-fledged comics. The tournament provided sixteen potential titles, and with each round the fans saw the potential stories better. One pitch, Blue Beetle: Graduation Day, reached the semifinals, but lost to the seventh Suicide Squad. However, fans of the young hero got an epic surprise when Round Robin returned the following year, and DC announced that the Blue Beetle comic will see life in the form of a six-issue miniseries.
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Now the details are starting to leak out, and it looks like the hero is about to experience some interesting changes. As part of DC’s “Comics are Entertainment for Everyone” panel at Comic—Con in San Diego this year, Blue Beetle: Graduation Day screenwriter Josh Trujillo revealed some plot points of the upcoming miniseries. He says Jaime is entering a new phase of his life after graduating from high school, and Blue Beetle has to find the right path for himself. The writer also promises several familiar faces, such as Starfire, as well as new additions to the DC universe, such as the new location of Palmer City. Readers can also expect a brand new character in the series, Yellow Beetle. Although Trujillo was silent about their mission, he mentions that the character “will only make things more difficult” for Jaime. Respect was paid to the artist Adrian Gutierrez, who, according to Trujillo, “killed him with his design.” Gutierrez posted a look at the new character on his Twitter account.
One of the things that excites me the most about Blue Beetle graduation day is the opportunity to create new characters with this wonderful team that we created with @amarino2814 and @losthiskeysman.
💛🪲💛🪲💛🪲💛🪲
THAT’S IT! #SDCC2022 pic.twitter.com/8kYrPCEITE
— Adrian Gutierrez (@Agutierrezart) July 23, 2022
Josh Trujillo pointed out the bodybuilder physique of the new DC comics character and hinted that strength would be an important aspect of their strength kit. While fans will have to wait to see how the addition of Palmera City and Yellow Beetle will affect the DC universe, the creative team is absolutely thrilled that their title got a second chance at publication after losing in Round Robin.
Unfortunately, the circular system usually publishes only one name out of sixteen fields. This is a big missed opportunity to expand the DCU with new characters and locations. When Blue Beetle: Graduation Day dropped out of the first-year tournament, it seemed that the book was closed for Jaime Reyes at the moment. But, fortunately, the series got another chance, and the fans got a new character that opens up a lot of potential. What the Yellow Beetle will bring remains to be seen, but they will almost certainly have a big impact on the Blue Beetle and the DC universe.
