Out From the Ashes

"Out From the Ashes" from Blue Beetle vol.6 #1 (DC, 1986) by Len Wein, Paris Cullins and Bruce D. Patterson
Ted Kord joined the DC Universe right after the Crisis with a two-year stint in his own book. This was a solid, if standard, superhero book written by Len Wein, with pleasant, friendly art by Paris Cullins (I didn't care as much for other artists). Wein was big on setting up future threats in subplot pages, sometimes to the book's detriment (some of these moved slow indeed), and he created lots of villains who would never appear anywhere else (Firefist, Overthrow, the Muse...). At least Carapax made it into the Suicide Squad. So not the most memorable run, but not terrible either. It had the distinction of taking place in Chicago, not a place previously explored much in the DCU, and it introduced DCU versions of the Question (as the Charlton series had, and before the dark, mature readers make-over) and the Golden Age Beetle. By the time Beetle's series was done for, he had already been inducted into the Justice League and was on the road to comedy gold...