Officially created by Charles Nicholas Wojtkoski in 1939 (working for the Eisner and Iger shop), Blue Beetle is a superhero that started his career at Fox Comics. Charlton Comics acquired FOX Comics and, ultimately, was itself bought by DC Comics. That’s how Blue Beetle joined the Justice League. In truth, the original Blue Beetle was not the same as the one that became friends with Booster Gold.
Everything began with Dan Garret, the original Golden Age Blue Beetle. Introduced in Mystery Men Comics #1 (August 1939), Dan was a Rookie patrolman and the son of a police officer killed by a criminal. He simply became a vigilante, without powers, who wore a bulletproof blue costume–looking a lot like the Phantom. At some point, he temporarily gained power with the help of a special vitamin. He even got a sidekick named Sparky. Also, during World War II, Garret became a government agent–a got his cop uniform back after the war ended. As time went by, he gained even more powers, but that didn’t save him from Fox Comics going out of business.
Charlton Comics reprinted some Blue Beetle stories for a time and, during the Silver Age of comics, launched a new series–in 1964, written by Joe Gill. This time, Dan Garrett (with two “t”) was an archaeologist who discovered a mystical scarab during a dig in Egypt. This artifact gave him superpowers. Like Shazam, he only needed to say the word (“Kaji Dha!” in his case) to transform into the Blue Beetle. This Dan Garrett only got two years on the newsstand before getting replaced.
Introduced by Gary Friedrich and Steve Ditko in a backup story in Captain Atom #83 (November 1966), Ted Kord was a genius-level inventor and a gifted athlete without superpowers who operated out of his airship, “the Bug”. When he died, Garrett passed the torch to Ted–years later, DC Comics retconned his origins by adding that Ted was a former student of Dan Garrett. The series was canceled shortly after its launch.
When Charlton Comics went out of business in the early ’80s, AC Comics bought the right to the character, among others, did some stories, then the rights reverted back to Charlton and DC Comics purchased them.
Using the Crisis on Infinite Earths event, DC introduced Charlton’s characters into its own universe. After the Crisis ended, Len Wein wrote a new Blue Beetle series after penning Secret Origins Vol. 2 #2 in which he rewrote Ted Knight’s origins. After 24 issues, the series was canceled, but Blue Beetle joined the Justice League not too long after and found a new life. Ted became Booster Gold’s best friend, a relationship that defined the hero as a proper character in the DC Universe.
In 2006, DC Comics decided to retcon and expand upon the Blue Beetle mythos with the help of Jaime Reyes. Introduced in Infinite Crisis #3 (February 2006), he really became the new Blue Beetle in Infinite Crisis #5. Created by Keith Giffen, John Rogers, and Cully Hamner, Jaime bonds with the scarab, and it is revealed that it is an artifact alien in origin. Soon, Jaime became friends with Booster, and joined the Teen Titans and even the Justice League.
Blue Beetle Reading Order
The Blue Beetle adventures from the Charlton Comics era are hard to find and not really connected to the character as we know it since the late 1980s. The reading order is focusing on the DC Comics era. Though, if you want to read Steve Ditko’s Blue Beetle series, it has been collected in Action Heroes Archives Vol. 2.
Also, as a member of the Justice League, Ted Kord appeared as a guest star in multiple other series. The reading order does not list all of them.
Ted Kord as Blue Beetle
Ted Kord was integrated into the DC Universe in 1985 during the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event (to learn more about this event, go to the dedicated reading order). After that, he got his own Blue Beetle series, written by Len Wein–24 issues published from June 1986 to May 1988.
- Crisis on Infinite Earths (the 2001 TPB edition)
Collects Crisis on Infinite Earths #1-12.- also available in a 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition.
- Legends
Collects Legends #1-6. - Secret Origins #2
- Showcase Presents: Blue Beetle
Collects Blue Beetle vol. 6, #1-24.- Those issues are also available on Comicology.
After his solo series concluded, the Blue Beetle became a member of the Justice League by Keith Giffen and Jim DeMatteis. This is during that time that the character really developed. This is where you should start with Ted Kord.
The series is not fully collected yet. You can go to our Justice League International Reading Order to learn what to read and in what order.
- Justice League International Omnibus Vol. 1
Collects Justice League #1-6, Justice League International #7-25, Justice League America #26-30, Justice League Annual #1, Justice League International Annual #2-3, Justice League Europe #1-6, and Suicide Squad #13. - Justice League International Omnibus Vol. 2
Collects Justice League America #31-50, Justice League Europe #7-25, Justice League America Annual #4, Justice League Europe Annual #1, Justice League Quarterly #1, and Justice League International Special #1. - […]
- Superman & Justice League America Vol. 1
Collects Justice League America #60–68 and Justice League Spectacular #1.
- The Death of Superman
Collects Action Comics #683-684, Adventures Of Superman #496-498, Superman #73-75, Superman: The Man Of Steel #17-19, And For The First Time Ever In A Collected Edition, Newstime: The Life And Death Of Superman. - Superman & Justice League America Vol. 2
Collects Justice League America #69–77. - Wonder Woman & the Justice League America Vol. 1
Collects Justice League America #78-85 and Justice League America Annual #7. - Wonder Woman & the Justice League America Vol. 2
Collects Justice League America #86-91, Justice League International #65-66, and Justice League Task Force #13-14. - […] Justice League America continued to run until Justice League America #113.
- Extreme Justice
Collects Extreme Justice #1-18. - L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons)
Collects L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons) #1-6.- At that time, Ted was also recurring in Chuck Dixon’s Birds of Prey, especially during the first 42 issues. See our Birds of Prey Reading order for a list of the collected editions (see issues Birds of Prey (vol. 1) #19, 22-25, 33-36).
- Formerly Known as the Justice League
Collects Formerly Known as the Justice League #1-6. - I Can’t Believe It’s Not the Justice League
Collects JLA: Classified #4–9. - The OMAC Project (Countdown to Infinite Crisis)
Collects: Countdown To Infinite Crisis, The Omac Project #1-5, Wonder Woman #219.
Jaime Reyes as Blue Beetle
Sadly, Ted was famously killed in the 80-page special Countdown to Infinite Crisis, an event that push the DC Universe into the Infinite Crisis–see our Infinite Crisis Reading Order for more information.
During that crossover event, Jaime Reyes became Blue Beetle’s new incarnation. Soon after, he starred in his own solo ongoing series initially written by Keith Giffen and John Rogers, with artist Cully Hamner.
- Infinite Crisis
Collects Infinite Crisis #1–7. - Blue Beetle: Jaime Reyes Book One
Collects Blue Beetle vol. 7, #1-12. - Blue Beetle: Jaime Reyes Book Two
Collects Blue Beetle vol. 7 #13-25.
Those last two books collect issues previously available in the following books:
- Blue Beetle Vol. 1: Shellshocked
Collects Blue Beetle vol. 7, #1-6. - Blue Beetle Vol. 2: Road Trip
Collects Blue Beetle vol. 7, #7-12. - Blue Beetle Vol. 3: Reach for the Stars
Collects Blue Beetle vol. 7, #13-19. - In the middle of that, don’t forget the Teen Titans:
- Teen Titans: Titans of Tomorrow
Collects Teen Titans vol. 3 #50-54. - Teen Titans: On the Clock
Collects Teen Titans vol. 3 #55-61.
- Teen Titans: Titans of Tomorrow
- Blue Beetle Vol. 4: End Game
Collects Blue Beetle vol. 7, #20-26. - Blue Beetle Vol. 5: Boundaries
Collects Blue Beetle vol. 7, #29-34. - Blue Beetle Vol. 6: Black and Blue
Collects Blue Beetle vol. 7, #27-28, #35-36, Booster Gold vol. 2, #21-25, #28-29.- Teen Titans: Changing of the Guard
Collects Teen Titans vol. 3 #62–69. - Teen Titans: Deathtrap
Collects Teen Titans Annual 2009, Titans #12-13, Teen Titans #70, and Vigilante #5-6. - Teen Titans: Child’s Play
Collects Teen Titans vol. 3 #71–78. Issues #77-78 are part of the Blackest Night event. - Teen Titans: Hunt for Raven
Collects Teen Titans vol. 3 #79–87.
- Teen Titans: Changing of the Guard
At that point, Blue Beetle is already mostly absent from the Teen Titans but officially left with issue #83 and joined the Justice League: Generation Lost title.
- Justice League: Generation Lost
Collects Justice League: Generation Lost #1-24. - Supergirl #61-64
Blue Beetle during The New 52 era
Following the Flashpoint event (see reading order), DC Comics rebooted its universe with the New 52 initiative. Jaime Reyes is still Blue Beetle, but his story was in part retconned.
- Blue Beetle Vol. 1: Metamorphosis
Collects Blue Beetle vol. 8, #1-6.- Justice League International: Annual #1 collected in Justice League International Vol. 2: Breakdown.
- Blue Beetle Vol. 2: Blue Diamond
Collects Blue Beetle vol. 8, #0, 7-16, Green Lantern: New Guardians #9.
- Threshold Vol. 1: The Hunted
Collects Threshold #1-8 and Green Lantern New Guardians Annual #1.
The Convergence event is out-of-continuity, see the reading order for more information. The Blue Beetle issues featured Ted Knight, not Jaime Reyes.
- Convergence: Infinite Earths: Book 2
Collects Shazam! #1-2, Blue Beetle #1-2, Crime Syndicate #1-2, Convergence: Booster Gold #1-2 And Plastic Man And The Freedom Fighters #1-2
Blue Beetle during The Rebirth/Infinite Frontier era
Once again, DC Comics reset the timeline again. This time, Ted Kord is back as a mentor for Jaime. Again, the beetle’s origin is retconned (it’s not alien anymore, but magical, as it originally was).
- Blue Beetle Vol. 1: The More Things Change
Collects Blue Beetle: Rebirth #1, Blue Beetle vol. 9 #1-5. - Blue Beetle Vol. 2: Hard Choices
Collects Blue Beetle vol. 10 #6-12. The Dark Nights: Metal takes place after #12, not pertinent for Blue Beetle readers. - Blue Beetle Vol. 3: Road to Nowhere
Collects Blue Beetle vol. 9 #13-18.
- Batman/Superman Vol. 1: Who are the Secret Six?
Collects Batman/Superman #1-6. - Year of the Villain: The Infected
Collects Supergirl #36, Hawkman #18, The Infected: King Shazam #1, The Infected: Scarab #1, The Infected: Deathbringer #1, and The Infected: The Commissioner #1. This led to the Dark Nights: Death Metal event, once again, not pertinent for Blue Beetle readers.
Ted Kord and Booster Gold teamed up once more. This time, in their own miniseries, Blue & Gold (Jaime Reyes also appeared in some issues) while Jaime Reyes graduates a little bit later.
- Blue & Gold
Collects Blue & Gold #1-8. - Blue Beetle: Graduation Day
Collects Blue Beetle: Graduation Day #1-6
Blue Beetle in Dawn of DC
A new Blue Beetle series starring Jaime Reyes entering a new phase of his livfe in Palmera City, with Ted Kord as a supporting character, as well as Xiomara Erazo and Nitida (both introduced in Graduation Day). The world of Beetle is expanding!
- Blue Beetle (2023) #1-
Coming in September
You are missing The L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons), the ’99s six issue limited series and, may be not but I think he is important in Total Justice 1-3 (’96).
Yes, indeed, I apparently totally skipped The L.A.W. miniseries (and also Ted’s apparitions in Birds of Prey!). It’s not fixed. As for Total Justice, I’ll need to dig that up to see what’s what, thanks for your input.
Yes, I didn’t say anything about the birds of prey because you put this as something general and it was ok: “At that time, Ted was also recurring in Chuck Dixon’s Birds of Prey, especially during the first 42 issues…”
Thank you!