The best comic you might not be reading: Booster Gold

BY DWIGHT BILLS

     I imagine that just about anyone involved in the comic book hobby knows at least something about Booster Gold.  His time in the Justice League alongside Blue Beetle, Guy Gardner, Batman, and the rest of the Giffen/DeMatteis crew are near legendary for the level of screwball humor they brought to DC’s flagship ‘superteam’ book.  He had his own series back in the 80’s as well, but it never really took off.  He seemed destined to forever be a goofy character, saddled with the gimmick of being ‘from the future’ so that he could theoretically use his knowledge of crimes that hadn’t been committed yet to bring himself fame and glory.  However, this new title twists that in a way that definitely has Michael Jon Carter at the top of his game.

BOOSTER AND THE REST OF THE JUSTICE LEAGUE GET TRASHED BY DOOMSDAY SHORTLY BEFORE HE WHACKED THE MAN OF STEEL!

     Of course, things weren’t always fun and games.  Booster fought alongside the Justice League during the ‘Death of Superman’ storyline, even earning the distinction of naming the monster Doomsday during their first encounter.  Booster also saw the death of another team member when Ice was killed (of course, this is comic book land, so neither Supes nor Ice has actually stayed dead…but I digress). 

     However, certainly the most damaging blow came in the lead up to the Infinite Crisis storyline, when Booster’s best friend Ted Kord (Blue Beetle, the real one, not the kid running around in that goofy getup today) was killed by their old ‘ally’, Maxwell Lord.  The shockwaves from this betrayal seemed to set Booster off on a series of poorly thought out publicity stunts, including selling advertising on his suit (think Nascar…or European hockey jerseys) and using his knowledge of future crimes to make himself a hero on the level of ‘The Big Three’.  Of course, it backfires, and Booster found himself disgraced – and then, apparently, redeemed himself by sacrificing his life during the ‘52’ storyline. 

     But, here comes the big whammy.  That death was a fakeroo, and Booster doubled back on the time jumping thing by hooking up with Rip Hunter and actually becoming the biggest hero in the DC Multiverse – though nobody knows it.  In this new series, Booster works behind the scenes to avert various time line disasters that would wipe some of the greatest champions of Earth from existence.  With guest appearances galore, and fantastic writing from Geoff Johns (no surprise there…you ARE reading Green Lantern and JSA, right?), we’ve already seen Booster tangle with the likes of Sinestro, The Joker, and his own Dad(!), not to mention saving the existences of a few very prominent members of the DC superhero community.  Oh, and did I mention Jonah Hex in a mainstream book?!?

BOOSTER'S TIME TRAVELING HIGHJINKS GET HIM A FEW MOMENTS OF QT WITH BARRY ALLEN AND A YOUNG WALLY WEST!

     And the promise of things to come is even better – because Booster is determined that after he ‘fixes’ all these timeline problems, his payment will be the chance to save his best friend’s life.  Rip Hunter tells him it can’t be done – but I think Michael will have something to say about that.