Summary
Warning: contains spoilers forBlue Beetle#11!
DC is finally calling out the total disappearance of a once major member of theJustice League. For a brief period in the DC Universe, Naomi McDuffie was seemingly everywhere, and waseven a member of the Justice League. Then, Naomi disappeared as quickly as she arrived, with no real explanation. Naomi’s disappearing act gets a callout inBlue Beetle#11, as DC finally acknowledges it.
Blue Beetle#11 was written by Josh Trujillo and drawn by Adrian Gutierrez. Jaime Reyes, the Blue Beetle, is enjoying some downtime with his family, who he sees less of these days. As they catch up, one asks Jaime if he is seeing anyone, following up by asking what “happened to that nice Naomi girl?” After reminding them that whatever he had with Naomi was a long time ago.
Finally, Jaime’s father remarks that Naomi “just disappeared one day.”
Naomi’s Origin in the DC Universe, Explained
Naomi Was Poised for Great Things
In 2018, DC Comics lured writer Brian Michael Bendis away from Marvel, where he had been exclusive for many years. DC rolled out the red carpet for Bendis, allowing him to curate an imprint, called “Wonder Comics.”Naomiwas the imprint’s flagship title. Named in tribute to the late Dwayne McDuffie, Naomi was arguably one of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe. When Bendis took over writing duties for theJustice League, he added Naomi to the team’s ranks. Naomi experienced one of the fastest rides to the top in DC history.
Writer David F. Walker and artist Jamal Campbell helped create Naomi alongside Bendis.
The sky seemed to be the limit for Naomi. Just a few short years after her first appearance, Naomi received one of comics’ highest honors: her own live-action series. While this should have pushed Naomi into the mainstream’s notice, the show was canceled after one season. Then, shortly afterward…Naomi just vanished. Not only did her television show flop, but her book was canceled as well. In addition,the Justice League disbanded.While no in-universe reason was given for Naomi’s disappearance, the truth might lie with her co-creator Bendis’ exodus from DC.
Will Naomi Ever Return to the DC Universe?
Naomi Is Full of Story Potential
For a short period, Naomi’s star burned bright in the DC Universe, and then flared out. She has not been seen in a DC comic for a while now, andBlue Beetle#11 is the first mention of Naomi in recent memory. While her co-creator is no longer at DC, it need not be the end for Naomi. The character was brimming with potential, a potential that was not fully explored during her time with theJustice League. Naomi is too good a character to remain missing for long, but it remains to be seen if she will ever return.
