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Writer Julio Anta and artist Jacoby Salcedo take readers on a gripping and inspiring journey filled with both high stakes and heart as Jaime embraces his new calling as Blue Beetle!Jaime Reyes is an ordinary high school student in El Paso, Texas, with a deep love for his family, culture, and home. Whether its working with his dad at the auto shop or a multi-generational barbecue filled with music and dance, Jaime loves nothing more than his neighborhoods spontaneous gatherings that go late into the night. But lately hes begun to realize that he and his border community are being used as pawns in an increasingly toxic immigration debate.The last few months have seen armed troops deployed along the U.S. and Mexico border, manufactured crackdowns at official border crossings, and now at the community level, a mounting resentment amongst a group of disaffected and reactionary youth who believe theyre being replaced by El Pasos growing immigrant population. And to make matters worse, one of Jaimes oldest friends, Riley, has bought into the propaganda. What started off as innocent web searches has now led Riley down a path to joining an unabashed hate group with a chapter in El Paso looking to cause some real-world violence.But Jaimes problems get even more complicated when he finds an odd bug-like artifact while stargazing. He starts feeling a little differentlike theres another voice in his head pushing him towards his most base instincts. And to make matters worse, hes been having surreal dreams that show him that the true threat El Paso faces isnt illegal aliens, but actual aliens known as the Reach. In fact, according to his dreams, Jaime is meant to pave the way for the Reachs impending invasion!
