Official Booster Gold Thread

[NightBeetle]

Booster Gold #30 Preview

BOOSTER GOLD #30
On sale MARCH 17 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art and cover by DAN JURGENS & NORM RAPMUND
When Booster Gold rescues his sister from the timestream – saving her from imminent death – he soon realizes that the sister he saved is not the same girl he remembers. Will the two be reunited as Booster Gold and Goldstar – or will Michele disappear into the timestream forever? And what will become of Rip Hunter? Be here to find out!

 

[NightBeetle]

BOOSTER GOLD #33
On sale JUNE 9 * 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by KEITH GIFFEN & J.M. DEMATTEIS
Art by CHRIS BATISTA
Cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE
The shocking events of JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST leave Booster Gold bloody and beaten, and the only way for him to put right what went wrong and save the people he loves is to travel back into the past. But what happens when Booster comes face-to-face with himself and Justice League International

 

[SpideyInATree]

I have really been loving this book. I am kind of bummed that Jurgens and Rapmund are leaving the book. I have loved this run from the very beginning and many of the reveals recently about Rip Hunter and Booster Gold have been fantastic. I will really miss Jurgens but the team taking over isn't bad at all so I'll stick around to see how it goes.

 

[SonOfCthulhu]

Once I heard that Giffen and DeMatteis were the new creative team, I picked this title back up. I had dropped it after the Blackest Night tie-ins were over. I'm very excited to see what they will do with it.

Jurgen's run was good not great, and unfortunately I can't afford "good" titles with the cover price spikes of the past few years. Johns and Dixon's runs were stellar and filled with a wit and edginess that Jurgens never matched. Again, I'm not saying I hated his work, just that it seemed bland by comparison.

Giffen/DeMatteis are hopefully the spark this book needs to take off. I hope they deal with the fallout from Blackest Night at some point. Booster had the chance to bring Ted Kord back to life in a way that didn't mess with the "solidified time" issue. But instead he buried the remains at the vanishing point, ensuring Ted missed the resurrection party in BN #8. What Booster does when he finds out should make for some good stories. And I'll be glad for the JLI appearances.

Looks like a winner.

 

[Karelia]

I just ordered "52 Pick Up" of Booster Gold. I watched that Justice League Unlimited episode about him recently, and immediately started looking up his graphic novels. I decided to pick this up because Geoff Johns was behind it and I love his work.

So is this graphic novel fun with little seriousness or what? I'm curious about the tone of it.

 

[NightBeetle]

BOOSTER GOLD #34
On sale JULY 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by KEITH GIFFEN & J.M. DEMATTEIS
Art by CHRIS BATISTA & RICH PEROTTA
Cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE
Booster Gold travels into the past to right the wrongs of JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST. But when present-day Booster is mistaken for his past self, he lands in the middle of an old JLI mission with Blue Beetle and the man who killed him – Maxwell Lord!

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Ooh, that sounds delicious. I haven't been reading Booster Gold for a while, but I think I'll pick that issue up.

 

[NightBeetle]

Booster Gold #32 Preview

BOOSTER GOLD #32
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by KEITH GIFFEN & J.M. DEMATTEIS
Art by CHRIS BATISTA
Cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE

Just when things couldn't get any worse for our golden hero, fan-favorite JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis take over the ongoing writing chores of BOOSTER GOLD starting here! When someone from Booster's past resurfaces, Booster's life is turned upside down and inside out, and only a trip through the timestream can possibly set things straight.

And don't miss Booster starring alongside his ex-JLI buddies in this month's JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST #1 from writers Keith Giffen and Judd Winick!

On Sale May 12, 2010

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Very excited. I'm hopping back onto the series with this issue and it looks like it'll be a lot of fun.

 

[NightBeetle]

Giffen & DeMatteis Go Back to the Future with "Booster Gold"

In terms of the pacing of "Booster Gold," will it be all "bwa-ha-ha," all the time or will the title have a serious side, like your more recent work on "Magog" and "The Life and Times of Savior 2?"

Giffen: It's not a funny book. "Booster Gold" is not a humor book now. DeMatteis and I, when we get together, something happens. We do approach these stories tongue-in-cheek and certain situations are going to arise that are going to have a humorous tone to them. The thing is that Marc and I kind of affectionately point out some of the inherent silliness that occurs in superhero comics without openly making fun of it, because we have genuine affection for these characters. We don't go out to make them look like idiots. We really enjoy these heroes and the concepts and some of the odder aspects of the DC Universe.
I know a lot of the fans say that whenever we come on a book, we just make a fool of the character. We never saw it that way. We never saw it that way at all. I would say if they are looking for the kind of tone, it will probably be like the first year of our "Justice League." I would look at the Grey Man story and the Teasdale Imperative and maybe the story we told with Despero in it. These were drop-dead, serious situations, with villains that mattered, but the characters still had a little bit of time to get together and goof around and blow off a bit of steam.

DeMatteis: If you go back to our run on the League, it was never all "bwa-ha-ha." We'd often spin things off into deeply serious, sometimes shocking, areas. I always use shows like "M*A*S*H*," "All in the Family" and "Scrubs" as examples of what I'm talking about. Supremely silly - laugh out loud funny - but quite capable of grabbing your heart, shocking and surprising you with the Big Emotional Moment. So, yes, "Booster" will have lots of laughs - the "bwa-ha-ha" quotient will be high - but he's dealing with some deadly serious issues, and there will be an undercurrent of tragedy beneath the humor.

Will you be picking up on plot threads from Dan Jurgens' run, or is this a fresh start for Booster? Are you maybe going back to some threads from your time with the character in the 1980s?



Giffen: I don't want to give away too much about what's going on in "Booster," but the reason Booster keeps traveling back into the past is due to events that take place in the "JLI" book - that's dating back. That said, when he travels to the past, he's not always going to find it easy to accomplish what he has to do. He's going to find himself interacting with characters that he's interacted with before. He's going to have JLI adventures.

The Blue and the Gold feature very big in this book. The fans want Ted Kord back. OK. You can't have Ted Kord back as in bringing him back to life, but you have him back - we got him. We're doing Blue and Gold adventures. And we're going to be doing many of them. We're also going to be touching on little untold stories from the JLI era. Booster and Beetle started a repossession business once, and we only saw one adventure. So one of the first things we do when we throw Booster back into the past is we tell one of the untold adventures of what happened when they went to repossess something. And we get Scott and Barda involved. We can go back into the past and utilize characters that you can't use nowadays because they are either dead or they don't exist or whatever. But they are part of DC's history.

DeMatteis: There will be a little of everything. Dan [Jurgens] has established the foundation that we're building on, so all that will play into our stories. But, being who we are, we'll be rocketing off into many different directions. Beyond that, I don't want to give away any major plot points, but I will say this: If you liked our Justice League, you'll be very happy. I know I am.

In a sense, Booster has become DC's version of Doctor Who these past few years. Is writing time travel and alternate universes a difficult type of storytelling to manage, or does its limitless story potential simply fuel creative opportunities? Maybe a bit of both? Meaning, are there any pitfalls you have to avoid when writing time travel stories?

Giffen: The problem with time travel stories is there is always a paradox involved if you get too deeply into it. We're just skimming the surface. Booster Gold is back, gets wrapped up with Blue Beetle, they have an adventure, that's an untold adventure that really doesn't change anything in the timeline, but is just a good, solid, adventure with characters that we hope you like.



One of the things that we're establishing in "Booster Gold" is that you can't change the past. You can't change the timeline. You can add to it as long as it doesn't affect incidents that have already been locked into the timeline. But you can't go back and kill Hitler and avoid World War II because World War II is a piece of history. If you think of history as a chain, you can not remove a link. You can't. No matter how hard you try, when you come back to the future, somehow, the past will re-assert itself. I kill Hitler, it turns out it grazed his skull. He's back. World War II happened. Sorry. You can't change that. The idea is that when we go back into the past to tell adventures, I try to make sure that they are adventures that aren't links in that chain - things that aren't going to affect the present.



Time travel can be a lot of fun as long as you don't get too ambitious with it and think: "I can use this to put my imprint on the DCU and change this whole sequence of events," because A) it's ******** and B) it's not your job. Your job is to respect the integrity of these characters and the work of creators that have come before. And it's also lazy writing and I just don't want to do that.

DeMatteis: I think the fun of time travel far outweighs the limitations. And, anyway, I let Keith work out all the temporal conundrums. He's much smarter than I am.

 

[NightBeetle]

The Gold Exchange Q&A: J.M. DeMatteis at Booster Gold #32

Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, the longtime writers of Justice League International and its spinoff miniseries Formerly Known as the Justice League and I Can’t Believe It’s Not the Justice League, returned to one of the characters that most defined their runs on those titles in last week’s Booster Gold #32. With covers by former Justice League International penciler Kevin Maguire and interior art by Chris Batista (52, Infinity Inc.), DeMatteis told The Gold Exchange this month that while the writers are trying to keep a balance of the goofy, over-the-top feel of the Giffen-DeMatteis Justice League with the more serious, traditional superhero tone of the relaunch written by Johns, Katz and Jurgens, they’ll be bringing the bwa-ha-hah soon enough. DeMatteis joined us for a few questions about Booster Gold #32 and the future of the series.
The Gold Exchange: Manoman, this book really *is* a throwback! There’s a recycled joke on the first page! Did you guys decide the “Come with me if you want to live” line had to be there once the time-travel element was such a big part of Booster’s new status quo?


J.M. DeMatteis: The line just came out of Booster’s mouth as I started to type. I hope James Cameron doesn’t sue!


GX: Is there a significance to dropping Booster in the middle of the Great Darkness War?


JMD: Nothing beyond the fact that Keith has a connection to that old Legion of Super-Heroes story line.


GX: Is Rani goign to be a fixture for a while? Without Michelle, Booster is kind of lacking in a non-superhero supporting cast member.


JMD: Rani will be around for the foreseeable future. But, don’t despair, we’ll be seeing Michelle, too.


GX: Is Booster going to be using his tagline as he goes about his day-to-day business, or is that just kind of isolated to when he’s in the future and it can’t hurt anything for people to hear it?


JMD: I think that gag was beaten to death in the first issue. It’s time to retire it. Unless we come across a situation where it’s just perfect, in which case we reserve the right to beat it some more.


GX: I’m intrigued by the idea that very important moments in LoSH history and the like can be solidified time, kind of retroactively. Is that something that was vetted with DC Editorial or did it just require an in-story explanation as to why Booster couldn’t intervene and save the day?


JMD: To be honest, we kind of made it up as we went along, but I think it worked.


GX: What–no jokes about the Emerald Empress’s preposterous “eye, me, mine” pattern of speech? I kept expecting it and it never came!


JMD: One more balloon on those pages and the letterer’s head would have exploded.


GX: Was “PUNT” a scripted sound effect or the work of a particularly ingenious letterer?


JMD: “PUNT” was right there in the script. It might have even been in Keith’s plot.


GX: It’s interesting that, in spite of a major change in tone, Booster’s overall personality has been kept here. His mini-breakdown is actually quite reminiscent of some of the moments of serious self-doubt he had during Dan’s most recent issues. Did you guys plan that?


JMD: We’re trying very hard to find the balance between the Booster of our Justice League International era and the man he’s become in recent years. That’s one of the things that makes this incarnation of Booster interesting: he IS the old Booster and he’s NOT. Booster will be discovering that, yes you CAN go home again, but it can never be exactly as it was before. We all keep growing and evolving and trying to be the person you were last year — let alone a decade ago — doesn’t really work.

GX: That said, is he going to get a little break sometime soon? Visiting Coast City and then the Daxamite attack back-to-back had to be a little harrowing.


JMD: He’ll get a break by “bwah-ha-ha”-ing up back in time with his old JLI buddies. There’ll be plenty of patented Giffen-DeMatteis goofiness. But he can never laugh too hard, because the reason he’s back there is a dead serious one.


GX: You know–outside of holiday stories or something, most creators of mainstream superhero books tend to avoid pinning a story down to a specific date, because of the rolling nature of the characters’ timelines. Somehow, though, Im’ doubting that’ll be an issue with the April 5 (or

date!


JMD: Well, if that date rolls around and we find out we’re wrong, well… Hey, wait a minute. We’ll all be dead by then. And reincarnated. And dead again. And reincarnated again. And…


GX: Given that Keith was writing it, and you guys’ history with the Justice League International, I kinda figured that it would tie into “Generation Lost” a little. How much is that going to play into the monthly action here and how much will Booster have his own thing going on?


JMD: The general idea behind Generation Lost — Max is back and he’s got to be stopped — will have a major impact on Booster’s book. The details of Generation Lost will have less of an impact. It’s not going to be one of those: “You must read Generation Lost before you read this month’s Booster Gold” kind of things. I’m not a big fan of that way of doing things.


GX: As a continuity note–will Rip continue to be aware of Max’s existence even after everyone except the JLI has forgotten about him?

JMD: Max who?

 

[yenaled]

Loved them setting the last issue during the Great Darkness Saga

Also just read Generation Lost and found it very convincing. Actually looking forward to where it goes.

 

[BrianWilly]

Yeah, I'll say it: I really enjoyed Generation Lost. Despite all odds, Winick and Giffen seem to work really well together. I feel like Giffen has a bit of a thing where, at some point, every single one of his characters just start to sound like once voice talking through multiple heads. Having a co-writer with him seems to alleviate that a lot. Maybe especially because it's Winick, who has a knack for spicing up dialogue if nothing else.

52 and his own series made me care about Booster Gold. Checkmate made me love Fire. Events of BoP and GLC made me care about Ice. And his backup in Action Comics made Captain Atom interesting to me. All these characters coming together here, and even Jaime's coming onboard? It's like win/win/win/win/win. And, c'mon, these guys are really much more awesome as a Justice League than the other Justice League we have at the moment.

 

[yenaled]

Yeah couldn't agree more. Apparently they are introducing a new Rocket Red and I like them playing with the world like that. Would love some more Checkmate involvement too because in a weird way it seems almost a successor to the Checkmate series.

It's kind of odd though at the moment I'm reading three titles written by Giffen and none written by Johns. A few years ago I would never have thought that would be the case.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I might have to reconsider Generation Lost. I was on the fence and it was sold out when I got to the shop, so I just considered that a sign that I shouldn't bother.

 

[NightBeetle]

BOOSTER GOLD #35
Written by KEITH GIFFEN & J.M. DEMATTEIS
Art by CHRIS BATISTA & RICH PEROTTA
Cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE
Back in the past, Booster Gold is mistaken for himself and embarks on an untold journey in space with Blue Beetle to obtain a rare and secret artifact. Needless to say, their mission goes horribly, horribly wrong…
On sale AUGUST 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

TIME MASTERS: VANISHING POINT #2
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art and cover by DAN JURGENS & NORM RAPMUND
“The Search for The Batman!” part 2 of 6! Already lost in the time stream while searching for the missing Caped Crusader, Rip Hunter and his ad hoc Time Masters (Booster Gold, Superman and Green Lantern) may not live long enough to make it out of the barbaric age they find themselves sidelined into. Will Claw the Conqueror be able to help them or will he be their doom?
You won’t want to miss this companion series to the highly anticipated BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE!
On sale AUGUST 25 • 2 of 6 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US

 

[NightBeetle]

Booster Gold #33 Preview

Written by KEITH GIFFEN & J.M. DEMATTEIS • Art by CHRIS BATISTA • Cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE

The shocking events of JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST leave Booster Gold bloody and beaten, and the only way for him to put right what went wrong and save the people he loves is to travel back into the past. But what happens when Booster comes face-to-face with himself and Justice League International?

On Sale June 9, 2010

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Looking forward to it. I find it hilarious that people on Newsarama were complaining about the potty humor in Giffen and DeMatteis' first issue. Have they not read JLI? Juvenile humor is a big part of its fun.

 

[Laplace_Zombie]

Oly thing I get is that Rip Hunter believes his chalkboard can write itself... and keep us away from Countdown.

 

[NightBeetle]

The Gold Exchange: Booster Gold #33

This month’s The Gold Exchange is a little late—but there’s a good reason that we’ll get into later. Co-writer J.M. DeMatteis returns to us this month, discussing Booster Gold #33 and our hero’s trip to the past, where he dons the ol’ collared shirt and rejoins his pals in the Justice League International. Heading to the recent past, Booster makes a beeline for the JLI embassy, where hopes to find physical evidence of Maxwell Lord’s existence that’s unaffected by the worldwide (apparently, from this issue, universe-wide) mindwipe Lord performed to make himself disappear from everyone’s sight and memory. Before that, though, readers got to see Booster take down a supervillain and dress down a superhero in the person of the Justice League’s Cyborg, who ran afoul of Booster by referring to the JLI as “screw-ups.” As a side note, that particular monologue delighted me not only because the JLI deserves protecting, but because the character went so far as to refer to the current Justice League as “the REAL Justice League,” a pretty bizarre and terrible reference given that the current JLA book is horrible and full of mediocre characters.


The Gold Exchange: So–The Boppy thing. Rip’s father is, as we know, from the 25th Century and the girl who says he looks like her grandfather, she’s from the 30th. Any chance we’ll find out that those people in #31 were really “supposed” to die and that Rani made it out because she’s essential to the Time Master legacy?


J.M. DeMatteis: To be perfectly honest, the only thing I was thinking about when I came up with the “Boppy” gag was just that…a fun joke for Rip and Rani. I wasn’t thinking about any deeper connection. That said: Hmmmm…

GX: What’s that thing she’s playing with? I feel like most of the things in Rip’s lab probably shouldn’t be played with by small children…!

JMD: It’s a Quasi-quantum anti-molecular kirbytronic fantasmagajerick. You can get them at any Toys R Us—and they’re perfectly safe. Except for the lead content. And the small pieces you could accidentally swallow. And the little switch that detonates the black matter bomb.

GX: Brigadoom seems pretty ridiculous…but exactly like the kind of villain you’d have met in the Silver Age. Is he new to this issue or something you’ve dug up and reused a la the Atlas character currently being used in the Super-books?

JMD: We had another villain in there originally and, for reasons known only to The Powers That Be, we were told not to use him. Keith, demented genius that he is, quickly came up with Brigadoom, and I just as quickly came up with his ridiculous dialogue. Which is why Brigadoom will inevitably go on to become one of the greatest villains in DC history (either that or he’ll be shot in the head by Maxwell Lord).

GX: Is Booster’s “as long as they get my name right” comment a particular nod to the ongoing pattern of people calling him “Buster Gold” during the early parts of the book’s run (and the original run by Jurgens, as well)?

JMD: Wasn’t the intention, but, hey, if it works, we’ll take the credit!

GX: Was Booster’s speech just something that needed to happen? It seems like Cyborg talking about the “real” Justice League is bizarre considering that the only incarnation of the League he’s been in is the current Justice League of Scabs and Subs. Was there a reason it was Vic chosen for this scene or was it just because he worked well with the “flirting with Skeets” jokes?

JMD: The general attitude among characters in the DCU these days is that the JLI was something of a joke. Which, of course, they weren’t. They told jokes, they acted like idiots, goofed around and teased each other mercilessly…but that never stopped them from getting the job done. When push came to shove, they always came through…against some pretty formidable opponents. I guess Booster was just fed up with listening to the put-downs.

GX: How much of Booster’s feeling about Max Lord are just echoing your own? I know you’ve talked before about how out-of-character Max’s sudden turn seemed.

JMD: I think we can safely assume that Keith and I agree with Booster on this one. That said, the outburst was very much in character for him, it wasn’t inserted just to please us. (Okay, it was inserted just to please Keith, proving, once again, that I’m far more mature and professional than he is.)

GX: If Max’s mindwipe didn’t work on the JLI because they were out of range of the attack in Lord’s building, how did he get to Rip at Vanishing Point?

JMD: Ask Keith, he plots these things. Me, I just put words in those little bubbles.

GX: Obviously next issue it’s been solicited that Booster will get confused for himself…will J’Onn be absent or will we just see more suspicion on his part?

JMD: J’onn actually won’t be in the next issue; but Blue Beetle, Mr. Miracle and Big Barda will. It’s the beginning of a big cosmic adventure, JLI-style.

GX: Ahh, time-travel. How else would we ever get that hideous Black Canary costume back into circulation?

JMD: Keith still wears his all the time. And, damn, he looks good in it!


GX: I like that Max bought Booster’s philosophical take on the JLI—but is that for real, or an indication that “our” Max has gotten his hooks into him?


JMD: As far as I’m concerned, his reaction was sincere. But Max himself might have a different answer.

GX: So, the butterfly—are we going to find out that Rani didn’t, in fact, draw that? After confirming with her that she’d drawn the pony on the board, Hunter just kinda assumed that the much more ominous image came from the kid.


JMD: A butterfly with a smile under it is ominous to you? I think sleep-deprivation has upset your brain chemistry. You should stop reading comics till your new baby is at least a year old.

 

[NightBeetle]

BOOSTER GOLD #36
Written by KEITH GIFFEN & J.M. DEMATTEIS
Art by PAT OLLIFFE
Cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE
Blue Beetle is in trouble, and Booster Gold must decide whether to save his best friend in the past or continue his crusade against Maxwell Lord’s growing power in the present. Can one man out of time do both?
On sale SEPTEMBER 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

TIME MASTERS: VANISHING POINT #3
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art and cover by DAN JURGENS & NORM RAPMUND
The Time Masters have been coming up short in their search for Batman throughout the time stream, so Rip Hunter reluctantly turns to some experts on the subject…the Linear Men are back!
Don’t miss this companion series to the “Return of Bruce Wayne” storyline running in BATMAN!
On sale SEPTEMBER 29 • 3 of 6 • 32 pg, FC $3.99 US

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Linear Men!

 

[Artistsean]

Is there not a thread for
Justice League: Generation Lost?

Maybe I should post it here then?

A Rant with possible spoilers.
Well, as much as I like the story. It is a little hard reading it because just like the team in the comic I know exactly what happened and I can't believe not one person thinks there might be the slightest possibility that they are on to something.
That even if they have never heard of this Max Lord, maybe based on what the team describes, he could have done what they said. Mind wiped everyone. It is irritating that every character they encounter thinks they are crazy and stuff.
I know its meant to be this way and set them up to be the heroes overcoming unbeatable odds. But its very hard that not one person thinks, well I don't believe them a bit. But we are friends and they have saved so many lives alongside me and helped the city and the JLA, maybe I can at least hear them out.
I think Max Lord is behind their attitudes, altering the heroes to be more agitated or aggressive to the JLI telling them this stuff, but I didn't think Max was this powerful.
Its just like one of those TV sitcoms where the main character is being stocked by this crazy person, but every time its pointed out to the rest of the cast it looks like nothing is happening and everyone thinks that person is crazy. Or like the WB frog from those cartoons where the guy tries to prove it can sing and dance.
Don't get me wrong, I like it and I am sure it will add up to a great story. But its hard to keep reading a comic where this keeps happening. But maybe I can tough it out and end up reading a really satisfying story.

Anyway, its just a rant to get that annoying feeling out of my head.

 

[NightBeetle]

Booster Gold #34 Preview

BOOSTER GOLD #34
On sale JULY 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by KEITH GIFFEN & J.M. DEMATTEIS
Art by CHRIS BATISTA & RICH PEROTTA
Cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE
Booster Gold travels into the past to right the wrongs of JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST. But when present-day Booster is mistaken for his past self, he lands in the middle of an old JLI mission with Blue Beetle and the man who killed him – Maxwell Lord!

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Yay, Ted!