DC Comics has really done a good job with their young adult graphic novels recently, and This Land is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story is no different. You should definitely check it out.
To be completely honest with you, I don’t know a ton about the Blue Beetle. Prior to the recent Blue Beetle movie Xolo Maridueña, my only other experience with the character was in the animated show Batman: The Brave and the Bold (I still think it might be the best animated Batman show. It’s so good.). However, I think it’s a cool concept of a character for the DC universe, and one that’s very unexplored in the “mainstream”.
The story from Julio Anta follows Jaime Reyes in his hometown of El Paso. The racism from the anti-immigrant bigots is reaching a fever pitch, and the anti-racist community is trying to come together to fight back. When Jaime and the scarab become one, everything changes. Can Jaime juggle being there with his friends while also being the Blue Beetle?
I loved the art from Jacoby Salcedo and the colors from Francesco Segala. They really contributed positively to the story and let you feel the emotions of everything.
More Blue Beetle stuff is always appreciated. I thought this book was really good, and it’s a good lesson for kids that you can’t just be “not racist” but you need to be “anti-racist”.
You can pick up the book here.
Book: This Land is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story
Writer: Julio Anta
Artist: Jacoby Salcedo
Colors: Francesco Segala
Letters: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
