DCU Book Club Week 37: BLUE DEVIL (1984-) #1-5

Greetings and welcome to week 37 of DCUBC!

This week, we explore the origins of Blue Devil! Danny Cassidy is a special effects master and stuntman who becomes a… superhero? Let’s make sure our camera man, Norm Paxton, gets it all on camera as we read and react to Blue Devil!

:books:WHAT TO READ :books:
BLUE DEVIL (1984-) Issues 1-5

Our spoiler discussion begins now and ends at the end of the day on Sunday, June 2nd. So jump right in and share your thoughts!

:eight_spoked_asterisk: DISCUSSION QUESITONS:

  1. Is this your first time reading Blue Devil?

  2. What superhero tip(s) could be given to Blue Devil?

  3. Who was the most memorable supporting character to you?

  4. What do you think of Dan Cassidy?

Feel free to share your thoughts, favorite moments, and reactions to the story.

Want to catch up on our previous DCU Book Club discussions? The DCUBC Archive can be found here: https://discord.gg/kfSNQP6

Questions, Comments, Concerns? Feel free to reach out to me, JLWWSM, on Discord or via email: JLonDCU@gmail.com.

:eyes: :cinema: Did you spot Blue Devil in the Extended Teaser for Swamp Thing? https://youtu.be/mhtqTUZKzfM

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All in!!! A fun fantasifle ride!!!

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Huh, okay. Yeah, this would be the first time I’ve really read him as the focus of a story, outside of seeing him in magic books like Shadowpact. I can’t say he’s a character that I really care that much about, but I’m willing to see if these five issues can make a believer out of me.

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This is a super idea! Impeccable timing @JL!
All aboard for the fun prepared & speculative.
:smiling_imp:

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Nice choice! Blue Devil is a fun character.

  1. I’ve read portions of Blue Devil before. It was a long time ago though, so I’m looking forward to a re-read.

  2. Advice…pants. I love his 80’s look (especially his turn on JLU), but…yeah. Pants. Luckily he wore them in the 90’s in Justice League America, the 00’s in Shadowpact and wears them in the current volume of Justice League Dark.

  3. I’ll get back to this one after the re-read.

  4. I like Dan Cassidy. He’s a fun guy. His name reminds me of David Cassidy from The Partridge Family.

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  1. First time, learned of the character via JLDARK comic books :books:
  2. You will always need others in life.
  3. Will keep reading (just read issue 1.)
  4. This is gonna be fun! :smiling_imp:
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:seedling: I did catch that Blue Devil in SwampThing teaser! I am totally stoked. I was the right age for 90210 back in the day - so, yeah! Oh yeah! This is gonna be good! :seedling:

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In my formative years, never did I think that Steve from Beverly Hills 90210 would be a DC hero.

What an age we live in.

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At first, I didn’t know what to think of casting Ian Ziering in the role, but after reading Blue Devil 1-5, I think is going to rock his role so hard! :clap:

Too bad Jenny Garth isn’t Abby.

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  1. This is the first time I actually read Blue Devil own comic series, I have only seen him in minor speaking roles on shows and comics and I enjoyed the idea of how he became a superhero but the Nebiros storyline was losing appeal to me. I wonder how modern Blue Devil stories have told his origin.

  2. As far as tip for the hero, I would only advise that he considers a new look if he continues to be a superhero. He seems to be learning the right things about what it means to be a hero so not much to advise outside of saying his name to everyone he meets.

  3. I think that the most memorable supporting character is Norm Paxton since he was willing to still film for this movie being made (that sounds like a mess) despite everything he has witness. Plus he helped fight against Nebiros so extra points for that. Sharon was an interesting character but her role was minor in the first five issues so tough to say.

  4. I enjoyed Dan a lot more than anticipated. Maybe it was the growing acceptance of his new identity or his personality shining the most during his fights with any villain or his reactions with the JLA members but I am sold on him as a hero and I think he can really shine with more stories. I think what stands out the most about Dan is that despite his insecurities, he does what he believes is right and that comes a long way as a hero. But his costume might need to be changed…

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Excited to check this out! Very topical pick, @JLWWSM

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Gotta make time for this! I have had to sit out of book club because I haven’t had much time due to a new job. This being said, I have been very interested in reading Blue Devil. When they had one issue up before the huge expansion occurred, I read it. I enjoyed it and wanted to read more, so this gives me an excuse. I also didn’t know Ian was playing Blue Devil, so that makes me even more interested in it.

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This may be off-topic, but I’m new to the community and I came across this thread and I have to say that I really think the idea of a book club centered around comics is really cool. As someone who really loves comics it’s hard to find people in my area who appreciates them the way I do. So I think this is a great idea and just being able to connect with like-minded people about comics makes me happy. Sorry again for going off-topic.

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@Darius
Welcome to the community! There are many clubs in the comics section of the community, I look forward to hearing your thoughts and reactions to any club you join. Book clubs are super fun. I, too, do not have people in my area that I can discuss comics with, so this is a fun way to share comics and discuss them =) Again, welcome!

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@Don-El
I love hearing your enthusiasm! =)

@Jay_Kay
I’m curious to see if your view of him changes after reading 1-5. Thanks for joining along and giving it a try!

@Vroom
Pants is a good one! :laughing:

@toonatonian
For 2, I agree with you - we need each other in life. Glad you enjoyed it so far!

@Oscarar
Welcome to bookclub! Nebiros’s story kinda pushed a bit long in the last two issues for me. Norm Paxton’s bravery really stood out. I’m with you on the costume change! =)

@MattMcDonald
Thank you! I’m excited to hear what you think of this character.

@PrincessAmethyst
Congrats on the new job! I’m glad we have more issues now and can explore a full arc. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

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Issue 1# is a nice straight forward origin story. We meet all the main players and their relationship to one another. The story and art are competent, but honestly nothing that says you must keep reading this. That is until the final page. Blue Devils discovery is a very nice hook, that makes you want to stick around for issue 2#.
Only complaint is gopher, even as a kid I wasn’t a fan a kid mascots. Reminds me of the mop haired kid and his robot dog on Battlestar Galactica.

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@msgtv
This panel was great - thanks for mentioning it. =)
I’m not sure if Gopher plays a more pivotal role later in the series. In the beginning, he doesn’t add much value, IMO.

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Just finished up issue 2. What a fun read. Poor Dan, just trying to be a decent human, when low & behold he gets stuck in his work uniform. Geesh! Can you imagine. Just a Job… Turns into just your average superhero life… Dan is still playing the part & working on just getting to be a person in this world. Hopefully, some time at STAR Labs will assist him in the adjustment. So many parallels could be pulled from these 2 issues. A change, life event, could make anyone’s head spin. Dan is dealing with a definite life change & I am looking forward to seeing how he goes about adjusting, then accepting, next exploring it, then enjoying it. We will see… Till next time! Have a Super Day Super Fan Friends! :smiling_imp:

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Read #'s 1-3 earlier. Good, fun stuff! I loved seeing Metallo and Superman in #3.

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