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    Blue Beetle #2

    Blue Beetle » Blue Beetle #2 - This City's Not For Burning released by DC Comics on July 1986.

    Short summary describing this issue.

    This City's Not For Burning last edited by Liberty on 05/18/23 06:15PM View full history

    Seeking revenge on firemen for his gruesome fate, Firefist sets out to burn down the Chicago Museum of Firefighting.

    Firefighters rush to save their own as the Firehouse of Ladder 47 burns to it's core. Inside that building is Blue Beetle left by Firefist to die under tons of rubble. Beetle uses the things around him and struggles with all his life and three and a half pages later he manages to get free. Outside the building the fire chief gives Beetle up for dead. It is just at that time Beetle breaks out of the collapsing building. The firefighters help Beetle who quickly makes his exit.

    Meanwhile Firefist goes back home and thinks about his past and how he became the Firefist. His name was Lyle Byrnes, a researcher for a lab that worked in the field of pyrotechnics. One day at work an explosion trapped him under rubble. A firefighter tried to save him but was also buried by rubble. A second firefighter came in the room and saved the first fighter but left Lyle. Lyle was only saved when the floor beneath him weakened. He was thought to be dead but he survived with horrible burns all over his face and body. He became so consumed by his rage at not being saved that he set out for revenge against all firefighters or at least the ones in Chicago. He knows that all he has worked for is finally at an end and tomorrow he'll have his revenge.

    At Kord industries Melody Chase and Jeremiah Duncan have finished analyzing a piece of wood that Ted Kord asked them to analyze. They've figured out that the fire was caused by something similar to the legendary Greek fire.

    Back at the Beetle lair Blue Beetle takes off his uniform and goes back home as Ted Kord.

    On Pago Island Dr. Conrad Carapax is determined to find out what is on this island that Dan Garrett was willing to risk his life.

    When Ted finally get to his luxurious apartment on Lakeshore Drive he is ambushed from behind by who at first he thought was a prowler but turned out to be Melody Case looking for a little evening delight. Outside the apartment looking up is Lt. Maxwell Fisher. He knows that Ted has something to do with Dan's death and he intends to find out what.

    The next day Dr. Takamato and S.T.A.R. Labs guards take an armored carrier with a block of promethium to Kord Industries for testing. The whole thing is watched by the janitor of S.T.A.R. Labs. He is a mysterious man who will turn out to be none other than Dr. Alchemy.

    At Kord Industries Ted and Melody show up twenty minutes late and have a quick banter with receptionist Angela Revere who is stealing from the company. It is not revealed in this book why she is doing it but she feels very guilty for what she is doing. Ted and Melody go to the lab were they have identified the ingredients of the stimulant that made the fire that Firefist was using. Ted asks for a list of places that sell those chemicals and then makes an exit to change into the Blue Beetle.

    Meanwhile Dr. Takamato gets four flat tires on the freeway. Dr. Alchemy was trying to stop the truck but his powers were too week. By the time Dr. Takamato got out of the truck the tires were fine.

    Beetle has traced his leads to Firefists apartment. He finds a burnt copy of yesterdays Sun Times and calls Melody to see if she can read it to him. When she does Beetle knows Firefists next target is going to be at a dedication to a new firefighters museum.

    At the dedication Firefist attacks just as the ribbon is about to be cut. Blue Beetle arrives seconds later. They get into a fight that leads to Firefist burning up the museum. The fight is all over the museum and ends on the roof when beetle removes Firefists mask and in a rage Firefist falls through the roof. No body is ever discovered.

    The closing page of the book shows Beetle and the Fire Chief talking about what had happened. Beetle feels that the people of Chicago will never forget such brave firefighters.

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    Incendiary 0

    I loved this book.  It is the second part to the story but the story and conclusion in this book is great.  The villain in this book is not a murderous rampaging sociopath/psychopath villain who kills just for the love of it.  As are the cliches in comics of today.  Firefist the villain is a tortured individual with with a traumatized past that sets him on his path as a criminal.  He is much more like classic Batman villains such as Two-face and Mr. Freeze.  I like a villai...

    2 out of 2 found this review helpful.
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