CBR:Quickies Booster Gold (2007-2011)

Guess who's back in all-new adventures!

No, not "Green Lantern", I mean Booster Gold, The greatest hero you've never heard of!!

More BWA-HA-HA reviews in these links below!

Blue Beetle: Secret Origins / Blue Beetle (1986-1988) / Blue Beetle (2006-2010)
Booster Gold (1986-1988)

I still remember reviewing Booster Gold's entire classic series, and it was apparently a hundred comic book reviews ago already...

Remember Booster Gold? Let me refresh your memory:

Michael Jon Carter never was much of a hero.. that is while he was a quarterback for Gotham Knights in the 25th century! Michael threw off a game to make some money, but ended up losing his entire career. Now a janitor in a museum, he saw another chance at glory in the form of old superhero gadgets and weapons. With the help of a Time Machine he was able to go back to our present day, with a security bot Skeets tagging along.

That is when Michael started questioning his quest for fame and began to actually do some good.

In the Justice League International he met the one who would become his best friend, Ted Kord aka the Blue Beetle.

And also the one who would kill Ted, Maxwell Lord.

Booster Gold's second on-going series was launched shortly after the big epic DCU storyline "52" which saw our hero and several other "C-lister" superheroes take a more prominent role during the year Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman went missing. Which would result in a "One Year Later" storyline in DC Comics' entire lineup.

In this new series Booster finally found his destiny, and went from wannabe hero to time master!

Comic title: Booster Gold: 52 Pick-Up
Written by Geoff Johns & Jeff Katz 
Art by Dan Jurgens
Format: Trade Paperback collecting issues #1-6 of Booster Gold (vol.2).

The story starts immediately in the aftermath of "52".

After a smooth recap of the situation we find our hero Booster Gold about to make a dream he long had come true... to be asked to join the new Justice League of America!

But he soon has to abandon this dream to join Skeets and the DC Universe's resident Time Master Rip Hunter. He has to travel through time to fix the ravaged timestream after the damages done in the big epic.

Booster just wants to save his best friend Ted Kord, but Rip doesn't allow it. He explains the concept behind this series how you shouldn't mess around in time it only causes more problems.

Booster Gold meets Jonah Hex in an hilarious old west issue (dressed as Woody from Toy Story!).

And then runs into The Flashes!

Who is the new Supernova messing around in time? (in 52 both Booster and his ancestor Daniel Carter dressed as this figure) Turns out it's another relative!

He's been causing these anomalies...but who is he working for?

Rip gives Booster the mission to save Barbara Gordon, ex-Batgirl turned Oracle for the vigilantes, from The Joker. Only for Booster to fail many times to learn you can't change "turning points" in history.

Suddenly an unknown Blue Beetle from the future appears out of thin air. He has assembled a team of Beetles - including Dan Garret and Jaime Reyes - to help him save Ted..

Overall: A really great pitch for a new series!

It's great o have our hero back. And his original Dan Jurgens creator on the art!

Writer Geoff Johns really got into the concept and attached to the character with 52. (he's the one who tried to introduce Booster into other mediums including his appearance on Smallville)

It's such a simple fun concept! A hero from the future turned protector of time!

The series allows itself to alter time in the DCU and play with alternate realities, yet some things cannot be changed, only delayed.  Our as Rip puts it, you can't change"solidified time", it is history.

Also making its shy first appearance is the idea Rip Hunter is such a master of time he notes several on-going threads, future storylines and hints at DCU events on his chalkboard.

A classic rebooted series for the new millennium!

I give this one a: 3 / 3 Score!

Comic title: Booster Gold: Blue and Gold
Written by Geoff Johns & Jeff Katz 
Art by Dan Jurgens
Format: Trade Paperback collecting issues #0, 7–10, 1000000 of Booster Gold (vol.2).

After we get another recap, we're back in the middle of action.

Ted Kord is back!

Booster Gold and the Blue Beetles get attacked by Parallax (Hal Jordan) at the end of time.

After all this trouble, the Blue & Gold are reunited! But it seems now the world's gone all wrong. The OMAC Invasion has destroyed most of the world, since Ted never got to help prevent Maxwell Lord's schemes.

And turns out that future Blue Beetle is actually the Black Beetle, a future enemy of Jaime! The villains even have their own evil Skeets!

Booster and Beetle join the resistance, which consists of Green Arrow, Hawkman, Pantha and Wild Dog.

But they need some actual fire power. They gather the old gang of the JLI.

52's main foe Mr. Mind was controlling Michael's dad!

Ted has to sacrifice himself to restore the time stream.

After a trip through the year one million (an old event DC One Million from Grant Morrison), Rip decides to give Booster a break. And he saves Booster's sister from the death she went through in the original series! Michelle Carter is will now live in the time lab with our heroes!

Overall: Another great adventure through DC history. And for longtime fans, a nostalgia trip through old events and plotlines.

Lots of fanservice, from the old Parallax story to more obscure characters like Pantha.

Geoff Johns is having fun with his DCU knowledge, Jurgens gets to draw old classic characters of his.

Everybody wins!

I give this one a: 2.5 / 3 Score!
 

Comic title: Booster Gold: Reality Lost
Written by Chuck Dixon & Dan Jurgens 
Art by Dan Jurgens
Format: Trade Paperback collecting issues #11–12, 15–19 of Booster Gold (vol.2).

A robbery is going on in a local museum. But fear not, the caped crusader and the boy wonder are here to save the day!

Things go wrong, history gets messed up and guess who will have to fix it?

In "Vicious Cycle", Batman, Robin, and Batgirl fail to stop a robbery and the timeline changes radically.

Killer Moth goes from minor villain to huge annoyance for the entire superhero community.

Booster Gold and Michelle now going by the identity of Goldstar try to correct time.

Booster gets some help from the Elongated Man.

Our hero ends up fighting in the Great War with the future grandfather of Maxwell Lord!

In the second tale "Reality Lost", Booster fights Chronos and Goldstar learns about her death at Vanishing Point. Michelle runs away after discovering the truth.

Overall: Another great installment of Booster Gold adventures!

The first feature is one of Chuck Dixon's last stories for DC Comics.

I really loved that "time loop" story. It is really fun and totally plays the time travel card of this new series more than ever.

Dan Jurgens takes over as writer after Johns' departure. He's still the best when it comes down to these characters.

My only problem is how there's missing filler issues they couldn't fit in this trade.. and never did so in any of the later TPBs. (more on that below)

I give this one a: 3 / 3 Score!
 

Comic title: Booster Gold: Day of Death
Written by Dan Jurgens & Keith Giffen
Art by Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund & Pat Olliffe
Format: Trade Paperback collecting issues #20–25 of Booster Gold (vol.2) as well as The Brave and the Bold #23.

Rip Hunter is left back at the Time Lab badly beaten with only clue "Magog".

It has to be about that Magog villain the JSA fought to prevent the Kingdom Come! Booster Gold is back in time once again to fix a wrong...

In "1952 Pick-Up", Booster takes some time off, in the 1950s. And meets the Task Force X.

The Black Beetle is back!

This time he meddles with the original New Teen Titans, leading to the conquest of Earth by Trigon!

It's all part of Black Beetle's! The erratic new timelines creates a new Red Scarab!! Black Beetle had already mastered time travel, but now with the altered alien technology he will get even more powerful.

Finally, Booster has to get rid of the Joker's photos that showed him attempt to save Barbara Gordon in the previous storyline.

Overall: More time travel shenanigans!

Dan Jurgens seems to be having fun with the concept behind this title.

Booster continues to learn how he can not change the past... which doesn't change the fact that the future laid out in front of him is still pretty unpredictable.

This books marks the return of writer Keith Giffen on the character for the first time in a very long while since the 1980s JLI! 

I give this one a: 2.5 / 3 Score!
 

Comic title: Booster Gold: The Tomorrow Memory
Written by Dan Jurgens 
Art by Dan Jurgens & Norm Rapmund
Format: Trade Paperback collecting issues #26–31 of Booster Gold (vol.2).

First we have "Dead Ted", a Blackest Night tie-in!

After a little recap page in which we are treated to both Booster and Beetle's respective origin stories, a Black Lantern Ted Kord comes out of his grave!

Skeets asks for some help from Jaime Reyes.

Zombie Ted attacks Daniel Carter who is quick enough to suit up as Supernova. Zombie Ted tries to kill both Booster and Jaime!

Booster is finally able to give Ted a proper burial at Vanishing Point.

In the second tale, we find Michelle back in time. She chose Coast City around the time after the Death of Superman at the hands of Doomsday.

She remembers how bad a timing that was and runs into Cyborg Superman!

Booster Gold meets another time traveler, a government agents Sondra Crain here trying to prevent the destruction of Coast City as well.

We find out Booster Gold will one day be Rip Hunter's father and in a strange twist of fate, Rip has to be the one to teach him how to become the time master he's meant to become.

Finally, in a cliffhanger to be continued Rip discovers some traces of Batman in prehistory?!

Overall: This is it!

Dan Jurgens last tenure on the title! (he would only come back for a tie-in I'll discuss about later on)

It's another fine last trip through DC history with Jurgens if anything a bit underwhelming. More of the same I would say.

Booster Gold ends up meddling with past DC Comics history he shouldn't, then tries to make amends and fix things back. At least the story progresses a bit on Michelle and Rip's side (Michelle decides to come back and accept things as they are, Rip reveals us his own secret origin).

This shouldn't have been Dan Jurgens' last big Booster Gold storyline...

I give this one a: 2 / 3 Score!
 

Comic title: Time Masters: Vanishing Point
Written by Dan Jurgens 
Art by Dan Jurgens & Norm Rapmund
Format: Trade Paperback collecting the six issues mini-series Time Masters: Vanishing Point.

It's really confusing to try summarize this title in only a few lines but I'll try anyway...

During the latest crisis of the DC Universe, the Final Crisis, the Dark Knight was zapped by Darkseid's Omega Beam.

The story opens with a young Rip Hunter and his dad an older Michael Jon Carter. It's a continuation of Dan Jurgens' last Booster Gold issues.

Rip found traces of Bruce Wayne all over history. That means Batman is actually not dead but was sent back through time as a punishment from the Apokolips God!

Rip and Booster get some help from Green Lantern Hal Jordan and Superman and go on an adventure back in time. But they are always one step too late...

In the end they face off against Professor Zoom who profited from this incident in the time stream and the real villain behind this, the now Red Beetle!

Oh, and Rip sees his chalkboard announcing the future Flashpoint storyline...

Overall: It's an okay storyline...

It's great to have another Time Masters mini-series after such a long time (I'll review the original some other time).

But the problem lies in the problem between the DC Comics editions, the editors on the books and Dan Jurgens in this title. It seems a problem of communication made this good idea suffer.

It serves as the unwanted epilogue to Final Crisis. Turned into some promotion for Jurgens' characters & series.

It was meant to explain what happened to Bats and would be followed by Batman the Return of Bruce Wayne but in the end it's mostly a not necessary tale and was even ignored outside these pages...

Oh, and Green Lantern is supposed to be in this book but he barely does aynthing.

I give this one a: 1 / 3 Score!
 

Comic title: Booster Gold #13-14
Written by Rick Remender
Art by Pat Olliffe & Jerry Ordway
Format: Single issues.

Booster Gold is back in time to correct a wrong once again.

We finally see Goldstar in action along Booster, which is nice.

When they come back to the Time Lab, they find Rip under the mind control of a Starro alien creature.

It appears Starros also got Chronos and his Lady Chronos (as seen in The All-New Atom), they were able to conquer Earth across time and reshape our world to their image.

Booster is left alone to fix this mess he didn't cause for a change.

Overall: It's a fun little filler arc, only available in issues.

The story offers a little break from the usual on-going Rip Hunter or Black Beetle storylines.

I personally am a fan of Pat Olliffe "messy" art. It's also a nice change from Dan Jurgens' super clean lines.

And it's great to see both Chronos used in Booster Gold as well as a story using Starros that isn't a long epic event.

I give this one a: 2 / 3 Score!
 

Comic title: Booster Gold: Past Imperfect
Written by Keith Giffen & J. M. DeMatteis
Art by Chris Batista, Pat Olliffe & Keith Giffen
Format: Trade Paperback collecting issues #32–38 of Booster Gold (vol.2).

This new volume takes us to the Planet Daxam, in the 30th Century.

Booster tries to prevent another time disruption but ends up saving a little girl naming Rani. He brings her back to the Time Lab.

Rip Hunter discovers that Maxwell Lord appears to have been brought back to life!

It ties-in the events of Brightest Day and the story in Justice League: Generation Lost where several DC characters are brought back to life. And some members of the old JLI have to join force once again to stop their old friend Max.

But this ain't your ol' pal ol' buddy Maxwell Lord, he erased his existence from everyone's mind. Booster Gold still has some memories of him while everyone else seems to have forgotten who he ever was.

Booster goes back in time, back in the days of the JLI to come back with some tangible proof. He has to avoid meeting his former past self while trying to hid he's from the future to both J'onn J'onzz the Martian Manhunter and Ted.

He even has to dissimulate from an old friendly Max before everything went bad.

Stuck in the past, Booster Gold ends up fighting giant monsters and evil alien lords alongside Ted, Mister Miracle and Big Barda... yep, just like in the good ol' days.

Ted gets turned into a chipmunk. That's right.

They have to break from a prison and escape space pirates.

The book closes on a filler issue with a Captain America & Bucky parody.

Overall: I forgot how much I missed these characters, this sort of character interactions, this slapstick humor...

It's a return of the old dialogue heavy-oriented JLI days.

In pure Back To The Future fashion, we have time travel, two Booster Golds, our hero going along with the events in the past while trying to avoid getting things out of control.

This was the final Booster Gold trade paperback to date. The rest of his series as either gone uncollected or can be found in an unrelated book (Flashpoint).

The art looks great. Kevin Maguire is back to provide some gorgeous covers like I hadn't seen in years.

Great art from Chris Batista while Keith Giffen handles the present (or is it the future?) scenes at Vanishing Point.

A return to fun adventure hijinks.

I give this one a: 3 / 3 Score!

Comic title: Booster Gold #39
Written by Keith Giffen & J. M. DeMatteis
Art by Chris Batista
Format: Single issue.

Booster never go a chance to take a break. And at least process everything he's been through as of late.

He's been really feeling nostalgic (so as we all and the authors no doubt).

Michael just misses having a stable friendship, his ol' buddy ol' pal. Ted Kord.

Rani tries to boost his morale.

Issues closes on Ted's tombstone, safe, out of time.

Overall: What a sad issue.

I don't mean it's bad. It's just a sad little overlook on the way things aren't as simple and fun as they were back in the day.

Even trying to arrest someone, who turns out to just be a kid, Booster just doesn't have the heart in it.

A lovely little break from the pace.

My only problem once again is why this and the following issues weren't collected in the above TPB as an oversized last Booster Gold volume....

I give this one a: 3 / 3 Score!
 

Comic title: Booster Gold #40
Written by Keith Giffen & J. M. DeMatteis
Art by Pat Olliffe & Rich Perrotta
Format: Single issue.

DC Comics' iconic month!

This issue wants itself a little recap of the series, a starting point for newcomers and a little filler before the next arc.

Doctor Nishtikeit and his army look into the long dead General Glory. They appear to know all about Booster Gold as well.

Well, the big lines at least, they do get some details about his past wrong here and there.

Booster fights some robot in the streets.

Back in the Lab their systems appear to have been hacked. Rip recaps some of their recent tales.

Oh, and surprisingly Rip Hunter attacks Booster in the end. Looks like he's never been judged for stealing the artifacts from the museum all those years ago. And he needs his states to be cleaned if he wants to properly "time master" the DCU someday.

Overall: The sudden twist at the end appears out of nowhere.

It's a fun recap, but not that well hidden or stretched into an actual issue.

It feels a bit forced.

But it's not a bad issue... just not a very interesting one.

I give this one a: 1.5 / 3 Score!
 

Comic title: Booster Gold #41-43
Written by Keith Giffen & J. M. DeMatteis
Art by Chris Batista & Rich Perrotta
Format: Single issues.

Booster Gold is forced to go under trial in the 25th century.

But first Booster and Goldstar fight the army of Doctor Nishtikeit who wants Rip Hunter's time technology.

Rip convinces Michael it is for the best.

Booster has a cellmate under the same roof, The Perforated Man.

A mysterious crazy man with a broken mind. He appears to be dislocated in time, suffering from having traveled through time too much. One second they are in their cell, the next they appear to be in the middle of prehistoric times!

He starts to get to Booster's own sanity. How long has he been imprisoned, how much time has passed since they started to argue? Booster has grasp on time anymore!

The Perforated Man is suffering from a "chronal leprosy" that has torn him inside out. And wait until you see who he actually is...

Booster is sent in the future to have the Legion try to cure him for now.

Overall: It's an original story, I have to say that.

What a very strange finale story Keith Giffen & J. M. DeMatteis chose to tell with Booster Gold...

It certainly brings new answers as well as raise a few new questions. Like who is Rani or at least who is she destined to be...?

Nice story, if a bit of a downer.

But fear not, it was not the last we'd see Booster Gold who would go on to four more issues which I won't be reviewing or talking about here.

I give this one a: 2 / 3 Score!



~


Booster Gold series would end at issue #47 actually.

The last four issues are crossover "tie-in" issues to DC's 2011 mega-event Flashpoint which would see The Reverse Flash messing up time to see The Flash never getting his super powers... only to cause the DC Universe to be incorrectly put back together resulting in a new altered universe that goes by the name of The New 52 (the current on-going DC Comics).

Booster Gold's role in all that?

His last issues are collected in the Flashpoint TPBs and see our hero ending up in that altered new world, trying to understand all that but not being able to do nothing really. And forgetting how things were once in The New 52 (or DCnU as it's usually referred to now).

Booster has been present and had some new adventures in this new universe, but that is a story for another time...

 

That's all for this time's Quickies!