"Blue Beetle" (US Rated PG-13)

Cast: Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez, Susan Sarandon

Genre: Action/Adventure

Where to watch: In Theaters

Dwight's Rating: 2 stars out of 4

In this month's edition of "Comic Book Superhero Monthly", we've got something "new" for our readers.

It's been a busy year for this publication, and a busy one for comic book superhero factories Marvel and DC. They've been see-sawing with their new releases, but between them, they've fully blanketed movie theaters with their presence.

February's issue started off with Marvel's "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" - a franchise that's begging to swallow an entire planet-worth of kryptonite (sorry, that's DC, and an incompatible reference).

Then in March, we featured DC's "Shazam: Fury of the Gods", which while not worse than its predecessor, was certainly not better.

In May's issue, we told you about what will (hopefully) be the final installment of Marvel's once-outstanding "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise, which went out on an outstandingly mediocre note.

Then in June, we had a big double issue with details about Sony's superb "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" - the animated film which might be better than its fantastic prequel, and is among the best movies of any kind this year.

We also had the solo origin story of "The Flash", which is possibly DC's best film in years. Unfortunately, released just days after "Across the Spider-Verse", and with similar themes to Sony's live-action 2021 "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (and with some potential moviegoers turned off by the off-screen shenanigans of star Ezra Miller), that film is more associated with "flop" than "flash".

For this month, though, DC is back at it, and with yet another origin story. This time, we have "Blue Beetle".

Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) suddenly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology called the Scarab. When the Scarab chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he's bestowed with an incredible suit of armor that's capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero Blue Beetle.

How many superheroes have gained their powers after being unwittingly attacked by or attached to something? Well, we've lost count here at "Comic Book Superhero Monthly", but the number is likely close to the number of months in a century.

This all helps to contribute to a repetitive feeling of familiarity and sameness plaguing this genre. And with the exception of "Across the Spider-Verse", there's a notable dearth of innovative, creative and unique concepts each time one of these films is released (i.e. almost every single blessed month).

However, while "Blue Beetle" doesn't exactly break new ground, it can claim to be a bit "different".

Swap out the child/teen hero family unit of "Shazam" for Jaime Reyes' colorful Mexican-American family, and you get the picture. The featured aspects of the Mexican culture are refreshing and a definite change of pace for a live-action superhero picture (even if Miles Morales in the animated "Spider-Man" franchise traversed similar cultural waters first).

The film's score seems to be '80s inspired. Why? We can't exactly say. But it sounds pretty good. Perhaps the popularity of Netflix's "Stranger Things" is fueling a resurgence in a love for synthesizers.

Maridueña as Jaime Reyes and title character is a charismatic and charming lead. The rest of cast is pretty decent, including comedian George Lopez, and Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon as a wacky villain.

So "Blue Beetle" is entertaining and a bit "different", and certainly better than anything the folks at rival Marvel have unleashed on us so far this year.

But slapping on some cultural references here and there with occasional regional and ethnic music can't stop the "Groundhog Month" perception that these films are all essentially clones of each other.

Nevertheless, coming up in future issues this year, a sequel of sorts to "Captain Marvel" called "The Marvels". And from DC, another sequel: "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" - hopefully, it won't be as waterlogged as its progenitor.

Remember, you can unsubscribe to "Comic Book Superhero Monthly" at any time. But note, this publication will keep chugging along, as the bench of comic book-based superhero movies is apparently multiple universes deep, and will continue to infinity and beyond (Oops! That's a reference from an entirely different set of never-ending sameness!)

• Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of "Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio and station manager. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.

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