Welcome to Ink Spots, a quirky little corner of DC.com devoted entirely to all of our favorite Young Adult comics and fiction. In this new Book Breakdown, Kelly Knox is moved by Julio Anta and Jacoby Salcedo’s timely new Blue Beetle graphic novel.
This Land Is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story by Julio Anta and Jacoby Salcedo gives us an incredibly timely retelling of Blue Beetle’s origin story. Expertly juxtaposing conflicts both galactic and homegrown, this is one of Jaime Reyes’ most intimate stories yet. The threat of an alien invasion looms, but to Jaime, the more personal problems are his father’s failing business and helping a former friend who’s lost his way. What can the future superhero do when it seems like everything is spinning out of his control?
Ready to find out more? Read on for an out-of-this-world Book Breakdown of This Land Is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story!
Cover Crackdown:
You can’t have Blue Beetle without, well, blue, and the cool tones of the graphic novel’s cover deliver. An indigo night sky and the glowing sapphire scarab make for a gorgeous pair. Jaime Reyes gazes at the glittering lights of his hometown with a serious expression on his face. They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but Salcedo captures everything that makes Jaime who he is in this spectacular image.
Tell Me a Story:
Tensions are high in Jaime Reyes’ hometown of El Paso, Texas as a border shutdown and rising anti-immigrant rhetoric put a strain on its residents. Jaime’s friends are worried about their former classmate, Riley, and his possible ties to a vociferous hate group. As for Jaime, he would love nothing more than to hang with his friends and chat about his favorite topic, stargazing. But when he stumbles upon what he thinks is a fossilized beetle, his life takes off in unexpected directions. No matter what the world throws at him, Jaime keeps his focus on what’s most important: protecting his home.
Let’s Talk Art:
Jacoby Salcedo’s expressive artwork brings Jaime, Paco and Brenda to life as teenagers, complete with eyerolls and strong emotional reactions. His characters feel like real people with real feelings. And colorist Francesco Segala’s muted earth tones help keep the superhero tale grounded in reality, with splashes of blue to highlight the otherworldly nature of the scarab and the aliens known as the Reach.
Dialog Discussion:
Brenda is Jaime’s outspoken and passionate friend who’s never afraid to say what she thinks. She feels—correctly—that it’s important to call out injustice when it happens. Brenda doesn’t pull any punches when she says what she thinks, but just as remarkably, she later reflects on the things she said. She’s willing to reconsider her opinions or apologize when she’s being too hard on her friend Jaime. Did you ever have a friend who you thought might be able to change the world one day? That’s Brenda.
Voted Most Likely:
Sure, his head is usually up in the clouds, but Jaime’s heart is always in the right place. Jaime would be the likely winner of two high superlatives: Most Likely to Be Late to Class and Most Likely to Win the Nobel Peace Prize! He strives to help people find common ground, whether it’s deescalating a heated discussion in a classroom or calling for unity to face a galactic threat. That doesn’t mean Jaime is a pushover, though. He’ll speak up and fight for what’s right when the time comes.
By the Numbers:
Total number of pages: 208
Amazing DC T-shirts: 7
Times Jaime babbles about space: 3
Best group chat name ever: 1
DC Comics Easter eggs: I lost count
From an energy drink named Static to the Waller department store, there are a ton of DC Comics Easter eggs to spot in This Land Is Our Land’s colorful panels! But my favorite has to be the sign for Trujillo Ln. hanging on Jaime’s bedroom wall, a clever nod to Blue Beetle writer Josh Trujillo.
And a bonus shoutout for Paco, Brenda and Jaime naming their group chat “PB&J” and pairing it with a sandwich icon. Geniuses, each of them.
One Perfect Page:
When Jaime and the scarab, Khaji Da, complete their connection, the teenager takes flight into the night sky. But as much as Jaime loves to stargaze, the first direction he turns his eye is down, marveling at his hometown. He pauses to admire the Star on the Mountain, a real-life landmark that illuminates the side of the Franklin Mountains. This perfect page shows us the parts of Jaime who make him who he is: his community of El Paso and the superhero he’s destined to become.
The Final Word:
This Land Is Our Land is a superhero origin story, but it’s also a very American story. This powerful graphic novel couldn’t have come at a better time, as controversy over immigration dominates the news. By presenting a superhero story about actual aliens alongside rising tensions over illegal aliens, Anta and Salcedo make the argument that humanity is stronger when we stand together.
At the same time, Jaime learns to speak up for what he believes in, a power all teenagers can have—no alien scarab required. This graphic novel might just be the spark that encourages its readers to do the same.
This Land Is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story by Julio Anta and Jacoby Salcedo is now available in bookstores, comic shops, libraries and as a digital graphic novel.
Kelly Knox writes about all-ages comics and animation for DC.com. She swoons over Superman and wants to be BFFs with Zatanna. Follow her at @kelly_knox to talk superheroes, comics and pop culture.
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NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Kelly Knox and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
