Booster Gold, Volume 1: 52 Pick-Up

Set after the epic events of "52", "Booster Gold: 52 Pick Up" serves to relaunch the career of Booster Gold, one of the more unappreciated characters in the DC universe. Teaming up with Timemaster Rip Hunter, Bootser bounces back and forth trying to correct errors in the time streams. Booster is one of the more well rounded characters in the DC universe and this collection shows both his admirable traits as well as the not so pleasant side of his personality. Booster may be a glory hound and somewhat shallow; he is also loyal and would move heaven and earth to help his friends. Booster may not find the fame and fortune he hopes for but he may find redemption. "52 Pickup" has an excellent plot and wonderful art. Be warned though that the story may be confusing if you are not familiar with "52" and other recent DC storylines. There is an interesting, if too short, introduction by Dan Jurgen explaining how Booster was created. Booster is not as heroic as Superman or as smart as Batman. But for those of us who often fail to live up to be what we should be, for those of us who cause great damage due to our pride and egos, for those who us who slowly realize that there is more to life than just ourselves and the greatest thing we can fight for is the people we love, Booster is more than a hero; he is an inspiration

Booster Gold is one of the most original and entertaining comic book characters to come around in a long time. I realize that Booster was created some time ago by Dan Jurgens, but Geoff Johns has made him his own and Booster is one of my favorite characters of all time. Pick this up if you have not. 52 is recommended reading before, but not necessary.

I was first introduced to Booster through his plot in the 52 storyline and his episode on the Justice League Unlimited cartoon. Both left me wanting more. He's superhero in it for the fame. He sells product endorsements on his costume, and pays off actors to pretend to be villains that he can take down for the media. I am crazy about this character. So when I saw that he had gotten his own series I had to pick it up. Here, he is recruited by Rip Hunter to try to repair holes in the time stream that are being manipulated after the events in 52. SPOILER ALERT.... He crosses paths with Jonah Hex (in the Wild West), Barry Allen (in his prime), and Sinestro (in a time when he is the universe's greatest Green Lantern). Then he tries with all his might to undo some of the greatest tragedy's in DC history (the paralysis of Barbara Gordon at the hands of the joker, and the death of his best friend Blue Beetle). Best of All, to do all this, he has to turn down the fame that he has been seeking all his Life. It is a GREAT story.

Who knew that a new ongoing series starring Booster Gold could be this good? Co-written by superhero writer extraordinaire Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz, Booster Gold: 52 Pick-Up is an often funny, sometimes harrowing, and surprisingly spectacular read that doesn't fail to entertain. Taking place after the events of 52, this hardcover collection finds the time-traveling Booster Gold, his trusty robotic partner Skeets, and the master of time himself Rip Hunter keeping an eye on the multiverse and all it's inhabitants. Ranging from an encounter with Sinestro, to coming face to face with legendary western icon Jonah Hex, to a harrowing attempt to save Barbara Gordon, and to finally seeking to save his late friend Ted "Blue Beetle" Kord; Booster Gold fires on all cylinders. Johns and Katz also manage to provide enough humerous moments without the book itself degrading into self-parody, and both writer's sheer love of the DC universe can be plainly seen as well. Dan Jurgens, the man who created the character of Booster Gold in the first place (as well as killed Superman, sorry, I can never not mention that whenever Jurgens' name pops up) provides the artwork here, and while I've never been much of a fan of his style, it works pretty well here. Even if you have never been a fan of Booster Gold before (and let's face it, not many have), you will definitely enjoy 52 Pick-Up regardless. As entertaining and enjoyable as it is, you can't really go wrong here, and in those respects alone, the book is worth checking out at the very least.

Bursting out the C-list, it's the great hero you've never heard of, Booster Gold. Created by Dan Jurgens in the mid-80s as a superhero commentary on Reagan-era "greed is good" values, Booster began his career as a self-aggrandizing sort who became a hero for the fame, money and power; after his original self-titled series ended, he became a core member of "Justice League International", a sitcom-ish take on the JLA that was a major hit in the late 80s through the early 90s; after that, however, his stock waned, as his humour-oriented JLI was replaced by a more traditional Big Guns lineup, and he fell into disuse. After a revival in DC's weekly "52", we get this Booster-focussed title, his second monthly, written by Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz, with art by, fittingly, his creator, Dan Jurgens. The basic premise sees Booster and his robot sidekick Skeets now working with time-traveler Rip Hunter to police the timestream and prevent villains from altering events for their benefit. The first several stories included in this collection are standalone adventures, tied together by character arcs and a plot thread that asserts itself in the last two issues, leading into the first major story arc (collected in the second volume, not yet released). These initial issues have a light and enjoyable tone, very distinct from many other DC titles of the moment (and particularly from Geoff Johns' normal work), as we follow Booster through encounters with, among others, Sinestro, Jonah Hex, the Flash (Barry Allen), and Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), before turning to the major story: Booster's demand that Rip help him resurrect his dead friend Ted Kord (Blue Beetle), another member of the JLI who died in the leadup to "Infinite Crisis". This decision plays heavily into the next story (which is not yet over). Johns and Katz do stellar work, mixing well-done humour (which avoids making the characters themselves into complete jokes, instead, for the most part, letting things flow naturally) with appropriate seriousness when necessary (a brief encounter between Booster and his future teammate Guy Gardner is great insight into a character normally not given much depth; #5's desperate attempt to save Batgirl is harrowing at times). With the whole DCU at all times at their command, they strike an effective balance between pleasing long-time fans and explaining things for new readers unfamiliar with the settings. Dan Jurgens, back to drawing his creation, is the perfect artist for this series, providing a vintage modern style that conveys both comedy and drama equally well. Highly recommended for fans of the DC Universe.