Booster Gold: How is it?

[Toni Goodman]

So I've been in DC for a little while, but I haven't fished around to too many of the other comics. I've stayed mainly in the Batverse with Batman, Batman and Robin and Red Robin (had Batgirl for awhile, but didn't interest me that much). I collect Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps, and I also get Supergirl. I have Batman Beyond in my pull, and will be picking up the ongoing. I plan to also get the new Superboy ongoing (since he's Tim Drake's best friend, and Tim's one of my favourite DC characters). I also read and enjoy Flash and Green Arrow, but they aren't technically mine as I get them for my friend.

I have trouble leaving these areas, because I find a lot of DC to be a little corny or dated. I understand that may be a harsh thing to say (and I'm sorry if I offended anyone), but many of the heroes and villains don't really resonate with me much.

I did, however, read a little bit about Booster Gold on the DC wikia, and he seems rather interesting. I didn't realise until now that he has an ongoing, and I thought about maybe picking it up. Only thing is, I'd like to know what other people think of him before I decide to pick up even an issue at the local comic shop. I'm trying to budget myself with comics, and I've recently had an issue with buying comics just to know what's going on (I've had to reconcile that I don't care about the X-Men books, and I don't need to spend money to figure out what's going on in the X-Verse of DC and just worry about the books I like).

As someone that has trouble leaving certain areas of DC, would you recommend Booster Gold? Is it serious, or generally goofy in nature? I can judge the art for myself when I look at it at the shop, of course, but how is the writing and story been thus far? Would it be an easy pick-up-and-read book like Supergirl was?

[HaroldAllnut]

As someone that has trouble leaving certain areas of DC, would you recommend Booster Gold? Is it serious, or generally goofy in nature? I can judge the art for myself when I look at it at the shop, of course, but how is the writing and story been thus far? Would it be an easy pick-up-and-read book like Supergirl was?

Booster Gold is a fairly self-contained, highly enjoyable book. The current writing team did a good deal with the character, both back in the days of Justice League (International) and 52. If you dig solid superhero action, time travel, and screwball comedy, you'll like Booster Gold.

[Lord Bravery]

Booster Gold is probably my favourite DC book right now. Since 52 he's been brilliant. Went from a joke of a character into a hero who cannot let anyone know he is doing really heroic things.

[Toni Goodman]

Booster Gold is a fairly self-contained, highly enjoyable book. The current writing team did a good deal with the character, both back in the days of Justice League (International) and 52. If you dig solid superhero action, time travel, and screwball comedy, you'll like Booster Gold.


Booster Gold is probably my favourite DC book right now. Since 52 he's been brilliant. Went from a joke of a character into a hero who cannot let anyone know he is doing really heroic things.

I'm not a huge fan of time travel all the time, but if it's pretty self contained, I generally do like it. (Marvel has been wearing me out with time travel stories, with Wolverine: Weapon X, Second Coming and Avengers all dealing with a time travel story at the same friggin' time.) I'll give it a shot when I head into the comic shop this week, and read a few issues before I decide to add it to my pull.

I'm trying to branch out into lesser known heroes. I love the Batverse and Tim Drake, I love Green Lantern and Supergirl, but I want to know something else that isn't entirely mainstream (aside from Booster Gold appearing in Smallville soon, which admittedly is the reason I looked him up on the DC wikia and thought, "hey, maybe I'll like this character"). I have that with Marvel (I pick up Young Allies, Thunderbolts and Hawkeye & Mockingbird, which are all not very mainstream [though Hawkeye most likely will be after the Avengers movie]). I'm not looking to get into a character just because people in the mainstream don't know about him, but I'd like to know about characters that your casual, or just comic-film fans wouldn't know. But of course, I want to make sure they are characters that I do enjoy.

There is another character, I found that I really enjoyed. I picked up the Rann-Thanagar war after talking to the guys at my comic shop about wanting to read more of Hawkman. I got pumped about Hawkman mainly because one of my favourite actors (Daniel Shanks, I'm a Stargate fan) was portraying him in Smallville. I found out (and more so through reading Brightest Day) that I don't really enjoy Hawkman that much, however, I *love* Adam Strange. Is there any good reads currently with Adam Strange in them?

[zurenarrh]

Lately, I've really been digging booster gold. Nothiing really corny about booster cept maybe the jokes haha....

[the4thpip]

It's gone back to being one of my favorite DC books when Giffen/deMatteis took over. The series had a really strong start, then suffered through a lackluster (and too dark) year or so, before getting really good again with the new team.

[Lord Bravery]

You gotta love a series that takes the piss out of how utterly ridiculous Superboy Prime punching "history" is.

[Toni Goodman]

Wow. You guys actually got me pretty pumped to pick it up. =)

[Sean Walsh]

Johns/Katz/Jurgens' run was fantastic.

The book continued doing well when Jurgens took over solo, and unlike his old JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA run it didn't suffer when he took the book "too seriously."

It got to the point where I was bummed that he was leaving, but DeMatteis/Giffen/Batista have really done a great job injecting a little more humor again but also playing it straight too (which D&G did exceptionally back in their JLA days too).

[Legion_Quest]

I'm still on the fence with the new team. On the one hand, the lighter tone of the book emphasises the changes that Booster has gone through since 52 in his solo series, but on the other hand, there is only so much jokes I can take before the gimmick of 'the guy no one takes seriously but is actually great' is going to become broken.

I definitely endorse picking it up though, because even with the corny jokes, it's still a great read and one of the consistantly decent books from the past few years.

[Lord Bravery]

The thing I love about Booster is that he has come from this douche who would go as far as fake heroic events that he did to get attention and sponsorship deals and what not...

To a guy that does these amazing, heroic things that a lot of the time actually save the universe... but he can't take any credit for them because if he did, it'd make the heroic things he did meaningless as it would effect the time stream.

Great journey of character. Plus, i love a bit of meta-humour/satire. For me, best DC book going right now.

[Byzantine]

Booster Gold is honestly my favorite comic, next to the Green Lantern books and Jonathan Hickman's Secret Warriors/SHIELD, that is printed each month. The humor has been excellent and the characterization the strongest of any book i've read.

Also, 52 is the bomb if you haven't read it.

[titanfan]

Very good--I would guess most readers of the book would have it in their "top 10" of DC books. Easily accessible, but still has some "Easter Eggs" for long time DCU fans.

[Toni Goodman]

Thanks everyone. Are there any books currently featuring Adam Strange?

[HaroldAllnut]

Thanks everyone. Are there any books currently featuring Adam Strange?

Thus far, to my knowledge, Adam Strange's next appearance will be in the long-awaited The Brave and the Bold #36... which now seems to be trapped in development hell as DC pulled it off of their solicit listings entirely. Still though, it's something to look forward to. JMS' run on The Brave and the Bold has been brilliant, thus far.

[dupersuper]

It's awesome! Ted Kord was turned into a mouse by a jilted magic space princess...what else can I say?

[Zero Hunter]

Adam Strange has been in R.E.B.E.L.S. quite a bit since its start. His people relocated to the world that Vril Dox made the new headquters of LEGION (REBELS) after theirs was destroyed. They share the planet now with the remains of Starfires people who is also in the book.

[Jeg1701]

I'm not sure about the ongoing, and maybe someone could verify this, but you might be able to get a feel for Booster Gold by picking up the Time Masters: Vanishing Point limited series.

I had little knowledge about Booster going in to the series, and the little I knew didn't impress me, but after a couple issues I'm actually liking his character quite a bit.

The series also has Green Lantern in it which you're a fan of anyway.

[Arryc]

I'm also interested in picking up Booster Gold. Are there two many tie-ins to other happenings in the DCU, or will it make sense all by itself? Also, if I start at the beginning of Vol.2, will I be able to follow pretty easily, or should I read something else before that (I don't want to read all of 52 ... at least not yet)?

[Hawkman]

I'm also interested in picking up Booster Gold. Are there two many tie-ins to other happenings in the DCU, or will it make sense all by itself? Also, if I start at the beginning of Vol.2, will I be able to follow pretty easily, or should I read something else before that (I don't want to read all of 52 ... at least not yet)?
Just start at the beginning of the newest series and you should be fine. As others have said, the title itself is fairly self-contained. It makes a lot of references to previously established events in the DCU--both from the past and future--but they're typically written in a way so as not to leave any newer readers out in the cold.

As for the Adam Strange question, Toni, like Zero Hunter said, he's a regular in R.E.B.E.L.S. now, which happens to be my favorite ongoing at the moment. Definitely another title worth checking out, in my opinion.

[Munkiman]

I just got into the Giffen/DeMatteis run. It's really great, Batista's art is strong and the writing is interesting and really funny!

[mal-adjusted]

in a nutshell,worth every penny! :smile: