Review by Ian Keogh

Five years previously Jaime Reyes and Riley were mates, but army kid Riley has transferred to several other bases since the Texas border town of El Paso, and returns very much changed and wanting nothing to do with Jaime. Riley has fallen down the rabbit hole of right wing extremism, while Jamie’s interest has turned to the stars. As This Land is Our Land begins the border between El Paso and Mexico has been closed, there’s considerable anti-immigrant rhetoric and soon afterwards Jaime finds a glowing chunk of rock.

Taking its title from Woody Guthrie’s anthemic protest song, This Land is Our Land combines the origin story of the Blue Beetle with a debate about racism and immigration. Julio Anta starts in the classroom before widening the discussion, but creditably doesn’t take the most obvious route of establishing a one-dimensional wrong. The reasons for Riley’s isolation and conversion to views blaming immigrants for US problems are laid out. Meanwhile, Jaime has problems of his own as the rock affixes itself to his spine and is a communication device with an alien society. They claim to be benevolent helping planets on the verge of catastrophe, while the device can bestow Jaime with super powers.

Jacoby Salcedo collaborated with Anta on Frontera, which approached the immigration issue from a different perspective, and is neatly referenced near the end. He again supplies tidy cartooning strong on personality and showing how people feel at any given time, with Jaime in particular experiencing turbulent emotions. He devises a neat transparent digital effect for alien communications and aspects of what the powered-up Jaime is now capable of, while Francesco Segala’s sympathetic colours elevate the art further.

So much about this is so good. Jaime is a really appealing character, shown as someone who’d prefer not to be a part of anything that’s going on, yet gradually dragged in against his will by two separate sources. He’s balanced by a supporting cast with different views on what matters, and Riley is well characterised as his opposite. Anta, though, is true to life in ensuring people change their views when more information becomes available. While the personal problems and where they’re heading set up a strong story, there’s the additional suspense of what Jaime’s alien benefactors intend. He’s smart enough to be suspicious, so is he right?

It’s only in the final stages that the full Blue Beetle armour appears, and Salcedo sells that with grace accompanying power, but it’s the only slightly underwhelming moment. While the alien threat is a secondary plot, there has been considerable build-up, yet it’s dealt with all too easily, and one might have thought aliens would have a method of deactivating or neutralising technology they supplied. Otherwise, though, this raises issues and provides solutions while noting friendships require work in the course of a constantly engaging series of events.