Booster Gold 42-47

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #42
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Dematteis
Art by Christ Batista

Booster Gold tells the story to his sister about his time in 25th century prison where he is cellmates with a man who is constantly fluctuating between time periods – the man is revealed to be a future version of Booster himself with “Chronal leprosy” which is actually really gross as drawn by Batista. Interesting issue. I enjoyed it I suppose.

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #43
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Dematteis
Art by Christ Batista

Booster finds himself running into the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st century which makes this a fun issue as Brainiac 5 works to cure Booster’ chronal leprosy. This was a fun issue. Giffen and Dematteis write some great dialogue between the legionaries and you can tell Batista had fun drawing them.  I wonder if the dangling plot points will ever get solved as I believe the next issue begins a flashpoint crossover.

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #44
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Jurgens

I was excited to read this issue despite it being a Flashpoint crossover (a mini-series I have never read and have no interest in reading considering it lead to the disgusting New 52) because I remember Dan Jurgens’s run on this book rather fondly. Jurgens’s art is as beautiful as always and he writes very well but damn I don’t really care about Flashpoint and could not get excited reading this issue. That being said, I love the shout outs to continuity about Coast City. Jurgens knows his continuity.

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #45
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Jurgens

The Flashpoint crossover continues here as we learn the girl Booster saved has powers. Who is she suppose to be? I am not sure. I do not recognize her name. This was another good issue by Jurgens – as the man can draw and write like a champ. But I still find it hard to care because I hate flashpoint. Albeit, I am intrigued by the mystery girl.

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #46
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Jurgens and Ig Guara

This was a very forgettable issue. I am sad this is the penultimate issue because this series is usually great under Jurgens but this flashpoint crossover is uninteresting. I really don’t care about seeing Booster Gold fight Doomsday again.

 

 

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #47
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Rick Leonardi and Jurgens

First of all, Booster calls the Flash Barry in this issue. Why would Booster Gold call him by his first name like they are friends? His character knew Wally West as Flash for his entire career. Ugh. It’s bad enough Barry Allen had to take up most of the cover on the last issue of Booster’s series. Jurgens only drew the last few pages and Leonardi is okay but he is no Jurgens. This just seemed last filler when it should have been a series finale. Disappointed.

Booster Gold 40 and 41

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #40
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Pat Olliffe

 

This was an okay issue setting up the threat, recapping Booster’s life, and a surprise ending. I am sure Rip has his reasons for this.

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #41
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Chris Batista

 

So were we supposed to recognize the guy at the end of this? And the idea that Booster would willingly turn himself in after all these years – or that Rip would think it was a good idea – is just absurd. Not impressed with this issue.

Bruce Remembers

Power Girl (Volume 2) #21
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Sami Basri

 

This was awesome for anyone enjoing Generation Lost as Power Girl manages to convince Dick Grayson with the help of Bruce Wayne of Max Lord’s existence and villainy. Bruce’s presence here was just awesome and it was great to see that he remembers Lord – because if anyone could it would be Bruce. I also loved how Basri got all the pre-infinite crisis costumes correct in the flashback. I know that sounds easy, and it is, but so many other artists at DC would have gotten it wrong cause their editors suck at their jobs.

Booster Gold 38 and 39

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #38
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Chris Batista

 

This was a fun story where Rani goes back in time to tell Maxwell Lord’s  mother on him! Hilarious and adorable and goofy old General Glory is in it too! I cracked up everytime his sidekick showed up. One thing that annoyed me is how could General Glory be in Europe when all metahumans couldn’t go to Europe during WW2 cause of hitler and his sphere of destiny?!! Come on Giffen and Demateis do your research!

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #39
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Chris Batista

This would have been a good issue where Booster Gold finally puts Ted Kord’s death behind him – if it hadn’t been done seven thousand times before! Ugh!

Beetle Puke

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #37
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Chris Batista

 

This was a funny issue with Booster having to deals a crazed oversexed alien woman named Estrogina who swallows the transformed Blue Beetle and Booster has to get her to puke him up. Yep that is what happens in this issue. It is all good and fun…but a part of me wants to get back to what is going on with Rip Hunter and Booster’s sister. I miss Jurgens on this book a lot.

The Prison’s Top Bitch Kitty

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #36
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Pat Olliffe

 

The title of this post is also what Estrogina – a new character I believe – refers to herself as in the last page of this issue haha awesome. I liked this issue and I like that they are tying into Invasion – which I didn’t expect to happen. But I don’t know, I am not sure that they have Skeet’s “voice” quite right. He is almost too human in this? Skeets is great and I think he is very human-like. But Jurgens always wrote him with less, smart ass remarks I guess. Either way, Giffen and Demateis have quite a lot going on here. It is pure craziness with Ted Kord turned into a chipmunk and a kitty bitch haha.

Going Global

Red Robin #16
Written by Fabian Nicieza
Art by Marcus To

 

Nicieza is such a fantastic writer – he really understands the character of Tim Drake and his history. I loved how Brentwood Academy is mentioned in this issue – Tim’s school from the Dixon era of his book. So many writers come on to book and dismiss anything that came before but not Nicieza. I can’t wait till next issue where we are promised Cassandra Cain! And I wonder where Tim’s new home will be – he says Gotham will still be his base but  he is going global? hmm. How cool would it be if Red Robin became the protector of Vanity – Aztek’s city.

Planet Pounding

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #35
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Chris Batista and Pat Olliffe

 

This is fun and action-packed and I liked that Ted knew that Booster was from the future all along and Barda admitting she actually does like Ted and Booster but hmmm…I guess I really don’t care about the overall plot and this planet pounder thing, I would rather get back to the Maxwell Lord stuff. Having the darkstars show up was pretty cool though.

Poor Skeets Was Locked In A Box

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #34
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Chris Batista and Giffen

 

Goldstar returns just as Booster goes back-in-time and gets stuck in a little adventure with Ted searching for the stolen cliff-notes version of the book of destiny. It is a wacky plot featuring a villain called the Underachiever and it was a fun read. I feel like the balance between comedy and seriousness is still there even though it almost went over to the side of pure comedy here. I love the character of Rani and I hope the little girl will become a permanent fixture…will she become the new Goldstar? She is a little young for that right? Haha the funniest joke had to be Skeets explaining that he was never around in the JLI years because Booster had him locked in a box behind his pornos hahaha.

Artifacts

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #33
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Chris Batista

 

Haha this was a fun romp! Booster travels to the past to the JLI days to gain evidence of Maxwell Lord’s existence. Brilliant idea but it doesn’t quite work because the artifact – a videotape- doesn’t come back with him for some reason. I am not sure that I understand why but Rip says it is something to do with a chain. Anyways, a lot of interesting stuff was shown besides how great it was to see the JLI and everythig – apparently Maxwell Lord was not always evil and that Martian Manhunter scanned his mind and found him to have a good heart. What happened to him? Will this be revealed in Generation Lost? I wonder if Lord will be redeemed by the end of all this? I love the character of Rani and I hope she stick around. This run has been kick ass so far.

Booster’s Quest For The Girl’s Bathroom

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #32
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Chris Batista

 

Well I am certainly glad the new writers are keeping Skeets around. I read somewhere that Giffen never uses Skeets when he writes Booster Gold and what is Booster without his faithful sidekick! Batista was a really good choice as his style is similar enough to Jurgens that the change wasn’t jarring and different enough that it isn’t imitation. This issue has Booster saving a little girl from the 30th century during the Great Darkness War (and getting her to a toilet). It was amusing but also serious and although I loved Jurgens’s run I think Giffen and Demateis have already won me over. I think they will keep the balance between fun and serious that has made this book so good over the last 32 issues. This was a great start to their run.

End Of An Era

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #31
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Jurgens

 

Jurgens’s run comes to end with this issue and it was a nice little conclusion as Booster fixes a mistake he made that resulted in a dog’s death (which I was glad to see fixed because puppy deaths are always really sad) and Goldstar forgives Booster. Apparently there is going to be a Time Masters series starring Rip? That came out of no where and was unexpected hmmm. Next issue Giffen takes over and I am worried because Skeets is one of my favorite parts of this book and he never uses Skeets when he writes Booster. Anyways, Jurgens will be missed he had a fantastic run as a writer of this book and he is definitely one of the best artists of all time.

Old Booster

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #30
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Jurgens and Jerry Ordway

 

This storyline comes to an end as Coast City is destroyed. I understand how hard of a choice it had to be for Booster and he really wouldn’t be the hero he is if he didn’t at least try to save the city so I was glad that he involuntarily left Coast City. It was also cool to see older Booster – aware that Rip was his son – and secretly helping out. I didn’t even think of that! Good issue!

Seven Million Lives

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #29
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Jurgens
Co-Feature by Matthew Sturges
Art by Mike Norton

 

Booster arrives in Coast City at the hour of its death in this very suspenseful issue. You can just feel the tock clicking for the fictional city’s seven million inhabitants as you read this issue. The debate Booster has with the government agent from the future is a valid one and makes you think. Could Rip Hunter be right? Could seven million people need to die so history is not altered? I do not know but it’s interesting to ponder about such a question. Great stuff. The Blue Beetle back-up was a rushed finale.to the feature. It made me sad, why exactly is Blue Beetle not going to be in this title anymore again? Shouldn’t they wait to see how a trade paperback does before booting Jaime from the book? Oh well.

Keep Jurgens

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #28
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Jurgens
Co-Feature by Matthew Sturges
Art by Mike Norton

I was sad to hear that Jurgens was leaving this title. Can’t we at least keep him on the art DC? He is the perfect Booster Gold creator! (He is also THE creator of Booster) His run may not have been a huge sales success but it has been darn good and this issue is no exception. I like the idea of Goldstar going back in time to Coast City (although I think she remembered that the City was going to be destroyed a little too quickly) and it was fun to see Booster in the Death of Superman era. The Blue Beetle back-up kind’ve annoyed me. Didn’t we get past the scarab turning Jaime evil thing in John Rogers’s excellent run….and since when is the scarab from Bialya and not Egypt. Sturges seems to be running out of ideas here.

Honoring The Dead

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #27
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Jurgens and Mike Norton

While this issue was not as powerful on an emotional level as last issue was, it was still a great issue and a great way to honor Ted Kord. I am not sure if I liked the way Jurgens characterized Jaime Reyes here, he seemed a little more in experienced that he has been shown to be of late, but it wasn’t too bad. Next issue I am excited to get back to the main story as it looks like Booster will be going to save his sister from Coast City’s destruction by Cyborg Superman in the past. That should be good. That’s all I really have to say about this issue.

Jurgens The Underrated

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #26
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Jurgens and Mike Norton

Jurgens is by far one of if not the best artists DC has, why doesn’t he get any appreciation for it?! He is also just as good of a writer. You don’t have to have read anything with Booster Gold before and you would completely understand and enjoy this issue. If you know Booster’s history, you will enjoy it more but that means it is a good use of continuity. I loved every page of this issue. Pick this up if you are a fan or just someone getting into DC through Blackest Night.