Booster Gold #46 review


The fight with Doomsday in the World of Flashpoint continues, with Booster alone against the rampaging beast. It doesn't look good, but this isn't the same Doomsday as in the real timeline; this is a weaker version, a less wily beast. That fact, and Booster's sheer grit, mean this is a battle he might win. It's inspiring to watch him walking towards Doomsday, inch by inch, hoping that each new blast will be the beam that takes him down.

No such luck, though, and Booster's in a sorry state by the end of the issue, by which time idiot military man General Nathaniel Adam has regained control of Doomsday. In the regular world Adam's nemesis was General Wade Eiling, power-crazed soldier king who had his brain placed inside Shaggy Man to further his ends. Ironically, this version of Adam is every bit as crazy, convinced Booster is an Atlantean spy working for Emperor Aquaman.

The high stakes show Booster at his best, not only in terms of courage, but ingenuity too, as he finds a fresh use for his force shield. He also learns that new friend Alexandra has Parasite-like powers and hears about a Gotham casino owner named Thomas Wayne.

It's another fun issue from writer Dan Jurgens, with no new revelations as regards Flashpoint, but some great action in a nice showcase for Booster's heroic qualities. Jurgens' breakdowns shine in the sequences in which Booster is face-to-face with Doomsday, and inker Norm Rapmund ramps up the mood as he pays extra attention to Booster's eyes (click to enlarge image). 
Sharing the pencilled pages this time is up and comer Ig Guara. Recently seen on the Grodd of War Flashpoint tie-in, Guara and inker Ruy Jose make no attempt to ape Jurgens, delivering a super-sleek Booster I'd like to see more of.

With one more issue to go, Booster Gold's title looks set to go out with a big win against Doomsday, the creature that once maimed Booster. That would do nicely.

Comments

  1. I'm disappointed, to tell you the truth. While a fight with Doomsday would be fine normally (Booster does have a history with the character), the fact that Booster is one of only two heroes who knows the true timeline means he's really wasting his time in this crossover. He should be right there with Barry Allen as one of its stars. It looks now like he won't get to play a big role in the story, and if that happens, it'll be really dull... protecting the timeline is his PERSONNAL MISSION.

    But here he is, stuck in a fight of the month that could have probably been engineered outside Flashpoint.

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  2. Oh, now that's a brilliant point. I wonder if next issue will be a stupendous send-off, taking Booster into Flashpoint proper. Mind, there'll only be about one issue of the mini left, if that.

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  3. Ah, Siskoid, I've just read the lettercol and seen next month's cover. It's full-on Flashpoint.

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  4. Yes, but I've been misled by covers and blurbs before. I remain hopeful.

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  5. the fact that Booster is one of only two heroes who knows the true timeline means he's really wasting his time in this crossover.

    That's a very Good point. It's a perfectly okay book but it feels like a 90s event tie-in where a hero is supposed to be a big part of it but treads water in his own tie-in segment and does not a lot.
    I do feel Dan Jurgens is somewhat underrated at DC these days, his art is stronger than ever and he can still write. Yes he's got the new JLI and Green Arrow books but those are not exactly A-list assignments or traditional sellers.

    Booster Gold was never a title of character I was all that fond of, back when he launched I was a much bigger fan of Blue Beetle's book as while Ted Kord was Peter Parker crossed with Bruce Wayne the visual aspect of it was compelling and he had a heart. Booster on the other hand was 80s excess - self centred, shallow and a bit dull.
    But this modern take has been reasonably succesful I must admit, giving him a stronger role in the DCU and softening the least appealing aspects of his character. I like the idea that the 'Greedy. Complete wanker & idiot' persona is mostly a facade, it's a nice twist on him that actually works in a very effective way, as the reader really empathises with him as basically being an outcast. It's a nice subversion of the Clark Kent/Superman dichotomy....

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  6. Great comments, Dave. I really hope Booster gets his book back post-Flashpoint, or at least a mini. I'd love to see DC do more one-off specials.

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