Rehash? What rehash? Me see no rehash.
This is by far the best issue of Blue Beetle yet. We start off where we last left off with a blade in Paco's chest, Jaime horrified what the scarab - and he - has done. Jaime uses all of his will to force the scarab to provide medical treatment for Paco to save his life. The scarab refuses but Jaime over powers it, which shocks the scarab that Jaime was able to do so.
Afterwards, Jaime takes Silverback to an abandoned place to grill him for info on who he works for. It turns out that Silverback's mind is that of a human but is temporarily transferred into the robot body. But there's a time limit and he can't move. Know how heroes tend to create their villains? I think Jaime has now done that here when he leaves Silverback behind to go check on Paco in the hospital. The scene where Jaime is waiting is really drawn well. It's mixed between a normal scene and whitening out, indicating the situation Paco is in right now, as his life hangs between life and death.
Brenda and her aunt stop by and Brenda starts crying into Jamie's arms, thinking she is responsible because she turned Paco down for a date. La Dama, meanwhile, wants to talk with Jaime. In private. At her house. Jaime goes with her, against the wishes of the scarab, saying that she is lying. But Jaime has a choice between the thing that stabbed his friend and the aunt of one of his best friends, who do you think he'll choose?
Meanwhile, in space, the Reach above Earth have received orders to join a massive invasion of Odym, home of the Blue Lantern Corps. For more on the battle though, we must wait until Green Lantern: New Guardians #10. Given that it is written by Tony Bedard as well it makes sense, but this is good. The Reach are enemies of the Green Lanterns, but they have never appeared outside of Jaime's series. Tony Bedard is changing that now, even if it is his work. The Reach need to have more contact with the Lanterns.
La Dama is devilish as she traps Jaime in a magic circle at her house, already deducing that he has her prize, the blue beetle idol. The scarab defends itself by throwing La Dama's henchman at her, disrupting the magic and blowing Jaime out of the house, followed by the house disappearing. Brenda will not be pleased by that.
Finally, something that has never happened but some fans have wished happened happens now in the final pages of this issue, but these are majpr spoliers so I suggest you stop now if you haven't read the issue, unless of course these spoilers make you want to read the issue, in that case, read the spoilers.
A hospitalized patient (most likely Paco) has been turned into a scarab warrior, much like the one on the cover to issue 8. His mission: destroy Khaji-Da.
This issue really shows the emotions really well, as Jaime and Brenda worry about Paco's fate and Jaime's relationship with the scarab. La Dama is starting to really become a major villain as she uses her magicks to get the scarab, weird tattoos appearing on her body. And Jaime has no mercy when you attack his friends, as Silverback found out and will be ticked at Jaime later for what he's done to him. The final page was drawn really well, depicting the scarab warrior in a far different way than Jaime or Khaji-Kai. You can tell he's a Reach agent but he far different, in coloring and the little antennaes above the eyes.
Blue Beetle keeps getting better and anyone who left because it seemed like a rehash or dull should come back NOW.
5/5
