Booster Gold: Blue and Gold [Paperback]

After all this time, Michael Jon Carter a.k.a. Booster Gold remains a fun character to read about. From being the first major superhero introduced after the big DC Comics reboot in the '80s (Crisis on Infinite Earths), dude's gone thru some trying times, what with the deaths of his sister Goldstar and his best friend Blue Beetle, not to mention undergoing his own "death." But Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz manage to bring out the lighthearted essence of Booster. Remember that this 25th Century cat time-traveled to present-day Earth to become a publicity-seeking superhero, saving lives to gain fame and garner endorsement deals. Booster Gold's original series run - created, written, and illustrated by Dan Jurgens - worked as a blithe deconstruction of the superhero mythos. Booster Gold was fun, even before he joined the JLI.

And now, years later, he's back in his own series. After his featured role on 52, Booster Gold was raring to step back in the limelight, this time as a true hero. The Justice League had even offered him a spot on the roster. But his time-travelling pal Rip Hunter had shown up with dire friggin' news. Seems that their vanquishing of Mr. Mind had the fallout effect of weakening the temporal stream. Rip needed Booster to help him patrol the temporal stream and safeguard space and time. He needed Booster to become the greatest hero the world has never known. Because, to be truly effective, Booster had to perpetuate his rep as a glory-seeking buffoon. He even had to pass on the JLA invite. Booster agreed to go along with this, with the caveat that Rip help him go back to the past to prevent the murder of Blue Beetle. All this is in Booster Gold: - Volume One 52 Pick-Up, which also tells of how Rip Hunter reneged on his promise.

Doesn't matter, though as Ted Kord (my favorite JLI member) got saved, anyway, thanks in part to past and future reincarnations of the Blue Beetle. Which brings us to BOOSTER GOLD Vol. 2: BLUE AND GOLD, which collects issues #0, 7-10 and 1000000, and treats us to more time-traveling shenanigans by Booster and chums. It soon dawns on Booster that averting Ted Kord's murder carries world-shattering implications. Booster faces a new reality, in which Max Lord's plan was never unearthed and, so, the O.M.A.C. program was never thwarted (O.M.A.C.s are humans infected with a techno-virus, turning them into cyber-drones who target metahumans). With the O.M.A.C. army in global control and having taken out most of the metahumans, only a tiny resistance force still fights back, spearheaded by a squabbling Hawkman and Green Arrow.

BLUE AND GOLD also delves a bit more into Booster's origins and features the reunion of the Justice League International. The final issue in this trade propels Booster to the year One Million and has him tangling with Peter Platinum, a far-flung futuristic imitation of Booster. Meanwhile, the Time Stealers, a sinister group comprising several of DC's supervillain heavy hitters, continue to eff with past and future history.

I wonder how long this series can ride time travel as its ongoing plot device, before it suffers from Too Much of a Good Thing syndrome? So far, it's getting away with it. But there's already a sense of too much going on, of events being too hectic. Big gobs of kudos go to Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz for the effort and attention to detail they've put in to keep continuity on the up and up. When time travel's your shtick, that's a lot of back-checking and cheat sheets. BOOSTER GOLD certainly doesn't lack for guest stars, culled from the past, present, and future. As such, Booster and crew even tangle with Zero Hour's Parallax and Extant. Anthro and that anti-terrorist Wild Dog also pop in, as members of the resistance force. There continues to be movement with Booster's regular supporting cast (Rip Hunter, Daniel Carter, Rose Levin and Supernova), but prep yourself for two humongous revelations. Oh, and Skeets keeps on doing his faithful sidekick droid thing.

Dan Jurgens currently handles the artwork, and his stuff is very nice. Johns and Katz don't necessarily drown their pages in goofball banter, so if you're hankering for relentless Blue & Gold dialogue, you'll be let down. Still, their deep friendship manages to shine thru. Plenty of twists and furious superhero action and a bittersweet resolution (but we all see this coming, right?). And, in the It's Nice to be Appreciated Department, one superhero does get clued in as to what Booster's really up to.

With Johns and Katz leaving after issue #10, Dan Jurgens is slated to take over writing duties (after two-issue stints each by Chuck Dixon and Rick Remender). I'm crossing my fingers, praying that Jurgens doesn't produce another Zero Hour-type crudfest. I'm curious to see what plans Booster's creator has in store for the Greatest Hero the World Has Never Known. I'm also curious to see how much longer BOOSTER GOLD can hang on, what with the recent wholesale killing off of DC comic book titles (SHADOWPACT, BLUE BEETLE, BIRDS OF PREY, ROBIN, NIGHTWING, etc.). I only hope this series can keep on keeping on as, with the arrival of a character discarded long years ago and the feel-good ending of #10, I now find myself anticipating the new character dynamics. Welcome back, somebody!

In parting, for those wanting to check out the original series, DC's put out this mammoth, black & white trade: Showcase Presents: Booster Gold, Vol. 1.

The second collection of the recent "Booster Gold" comics, "Blue and Gold" presents Booster Gold in an epic time traveling adventure fighting for the life of his best friends and trying to hold together the entire course of history. The art is excellent and, while the plot continues to grip the reader, there are also moments of laughter. Booster is a very human superhero. He cries, he gets angry, he gloats, he wants fame and fortune over his duty and destine, and he goes through moments of self doubt and even despair. Booster is one of the few super heroes who actually seems to have matured over the years. Fans of the old JLI as well as the Ted Kord version of the Blue Beetle will particularly enjoy this collection. Above all Booster's many faults and his many virtues flesh him out and make him golden.

This is by far the best comics i have ever read. it better then any marvel comic that is out now. Booster gold vol.2 is much better than vol.1 anyone who likes a good story will like this.

just make sure you read vol.1 before you read this one.