Blue Beetle (Book 1): Shellshocked [Paperback]

Keith Giffen (Author), Cully Hammer (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics; 1st edition (December 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401209653
• ISBN-13: 978-1401209650
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.2 x 10.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #451,599 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars not to be missed; for comic fans old and new, May 8, 2007

By 

Jason McDaniel (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Blue Beetle (Book 1): Shellshocked (Paperback)

This book collects issues #1-6 of The Blue Beetle.


During the INFINITE CRISIS, the Blue Beetle scarab found young Jaime Reyes for its new champion and with the scarab's help he assisted Batman and the other superheroes. This book, BLUEBEETLE: SHELLSHOCKED picks up right where INFINITE CRISIS ended.

BLUE BEETLE is one of those "smart" books that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. This is a fun book about a teenager with superpowers and anyone who is a teenager or has ever been a teenager will get into it.

There were parts that made me laugh: like the dynamic between Jaime, his sister, and his mother. It reminded me of my family growing up.

And there were parts that really got me choked up, like the reaction of his mother upon Jaime's return. Or when the Blue Beetle says, "I don't care about being a superhero but this is a baby. I'm not letting anyone hurt a baby."

And there is some incredible action. The book opens with a fight in the desert between one of the Green Lanterns and Blue Beetle. And the fight on the freeway involving Blue Beetle, Peacemaker and a psychotic demon is gripping.

But what really sends this book over the top is the relationship between characters. Everyone of them is very real and complex. Jaime has a real family, real friends, and real villains. La Dama, his arch-nemisis in the book, is no 2-dimensional bad guy.

Anyone who considers himself or herself a fan of comics but isn't reading this title is really missing out. I bought a copy for myself and a couple more for my nephews.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great intro for a new hero, December 1, 2007

By 

P. A. Romei "romorini" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Blue Beetle (Book 1): Shellshocked (Paperback)

Those who are new to DC comics (Like myself) will find this trade paperback confusing. That's okay, because the hero himself is unsure what is happening to him, allowing you to learn things along with him. The cast for this story is very strong, and all the questions you may have are answered in the second trade. I don't know how many times I've reread this story since it arrived.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A new Beetle for a new era, August 30, 2007

By 

N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blue Beetle (Book 1): Shellshocked (Paperback)

With Ted Kord dead, the Blue Beetle scarab was discovered by teenager Jamie Reyes during the cataclysmic events of Infinite Crisis, and thus a new Blue Beetle was born for a new era. Blue Beetle is undoubtedly one of the best ongoing titles to come out of DC in the post-Infinite Crisis universe, and thanks to the talents of Cully Hammer and the great Keith Giffen, the wonder and awe one would experience becoming a superhero is here in spades, and that's what makes this title so good. In this first TPB collection, we meet Jamie's family as the Crisis has ended and he contemplates his destiny and newfound powers. We get treated to some guest appearances from other DC characters, and we get the first real, big time villain for Jamie to tangle with. There's nothing really outstanding about Blue Beetle, but you can't help but enjoy it for what it is, and in that department alone, this book shines. All in all, DC readers new and old should definitely give this book a look.