Booster Gold #12

Booster Gold is one of those "no respect," Rodney Dangerfield-type characters. But maybe it's time to change that.

In his original incarnation, as created by dependable Dan Jurgens, Booster wasn't particularly likeable - in fact, he was an egotistical twerp who spent that original run learning about what it means to be a real hero and not a corporate symbol. Unfortunately, the clock ran out on Booster and his first series was cancelled.

He then slogged through a series of guest spots, finally landing as a member of the not-exactly-serious Justice League International, where he paired with Blue Beetle as comedy relief. And don't get me wrong, those issues were funny and entertaining - but they didn't exactly bolster Booster's image as a "real" hero. (Just for fun, try to say "bolster Booster" four times real fast.)

He was rescued from obscurity by a starring role in the weekly series 52, and spun out of that into his own ongoing series, courtesy of one of DC's best writers, Geoff Johns.

Now Booster finds himself in a position that runs directly against his instincts for the spotlight. He's working with one of my favorite Silver Age characters, Rip Hunter, to handle heroic efforts that help preserve the time stream and reality as we know it - but he has to do his job without anyone knowing about it. In other words, he's forced to allow everyone to think he's a foul-up.

This creative idea allows Booster to interact with the DC Universe almost anywhere and anytime, and has resulted in several entertaining stories.

The latest adventure drops Booster and his sister in Gotham City early in Batman's career, and he must find a way to prevent the mistake that led to Batman, Robin and Batgirl's apparent deaths.

The comic is skillfully written by Chuck Dixon, who manages to mold a funny and unpredictable story, but keeps it clear of the usual time-travel fuzziness. He also has a lot of fun with Batman's supporting cast. Oh, and since this is one of Dixon's last books for DC, let me just ask: how can DC allow him to get away? (And no, I don't just like him because he has a great first name.) Dixon has been one of DC's strongest writers, handling a multitude of characters, crafting exciting stories and outstanding runs on a variety of comics. Heck, he even had me buying Robin - an amazing feat! Ok, end of rant.

The comic is illustrated by Dan Jurgens, who I consider to be terribly underrated. He always turns in solid, entertaining work, his layouts are clear, fun and easy to follow - I always enjoy his work.

I'm not sure which creative team will be handling this book in the future, but a strong foundation for stories has been set in place - hopefully the next team will do as good a job of using it as we've seen so far.

Grade: B