On the Shelf: 11.5.12

Reading:

I cracked open the old Blue Beetle comics this weekend, and by old I mean they came out in 2006 and by cracked open I mean I opened them in Comic Book Reader. But petty details and logical inconsistencies aside, Blue Beetle is completely worth rereading. 

As I'm sure few (none) of you are familiar with the Blue Beetle legacy, a little backstory seems necessary. For those of you unfamiliar with comic books, titles like Flash, Batman, Green Lantern or Robin are usually given to legacy characters, so when the first one dies, retires or is somehow unable to continue to hold the mantle, the title is passed on to the next generation. 

Thus far only three people have held the Blue Beetle title. The first, Dan Garret was an archaeologist who discovered the scarab (the beetle part of the title) on a dig. So naturally he dug up a suit and became a superhero when he found out 'magic words' make the scarab shoot lightening. The second, Ted Kord worked under Dan Garret and he got the scarab when Garret was forcibly retired. Unfortunately the powers that be decided the second Blue Beetle just wasn't cutting it and the mantle passed on to a third generation: Jaime Reyes.

Now typically superheroes become superheroes for one of two reasons: 1.) they were born with powers and someone recruited them to fight the good fight or 2.) Something tramautic happened (usually a parent or guardian's death) and they devote themselves to crime fighting.

Neither of these things happen to Jaime. Instead he finds a beetle on his way to school and, like any sixteen-year-old with a healthy sense of curiosity, he takes it home. Where it attaches itself to his spine. And thus the third Blue Beetle is born! 

So now you have a kid with a relatively normal life (stable family, supportive, if sarcastic, friends and decent grades) thrown into the world of constant battles, fantastic creatures and alien invasions. And all things considered, Jaime copes pretty well. 

But Blue Beetle is greater than simply Jaime. The side characters - the disgruntled Green Lanterns, the gruff Peacemaker, his worn, but loving family, the quirky tech support and Jaime's close friends make a fully engrossing universe and add well-developed characters that seem increasingly rarer after DC's reboot. 
(Not to mention the art is quite lovely. Not Marcus To-level stunning, but far from an eyesore.)

Watching: 

The Diary of Anne Frank, the play (the musical is only in French) mostly from behind scenes as I'm crewing the show this week. As I wish away my free time for the next week, I can't help but fondly await the sight of harried actors, stressed-out stage managers and aggressive directors. But we all know the final result is worth it, so it almost makes up for the fact that few people will actually appreciate the 100 plus hours spent on the production.

Following:

barackobama's tumblr. Political beliefs aside, the interns running this blog know what they are doing and it is perfectly geared towards the 15 - 25 demographic that populates tumblr. (I have yet to see Romney use the "all of the feels" or the "OTPs" tags on his tumblr. Or get ride of infinite scroll.)

Listening:

To the Indiana's State Marching Band competition. And proud Band Parents triumphantly chanting "Homestead, Homestead, Homestead" as our school was awarded second place for "The Lost Melody". But, hey, we beat Avon I still have no idea what their show was about) and Carmel (Indiana State Champions for Class A) had a pretty awesome show.

Eating:

Pumpkin Pie. Because Birthday cake is overrated I made Birthday Pie for a friend's birthday this Monday. As I am not know for my baking skills (for good reason) my fingers are crossed hoping it turned out okay.