Customer Reviews

Booster Gold: - Volume One 52 Pick-Up

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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.

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.

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.

The world thinks him a moron, but Booster Gold might just be the greatest super-hero the world has never known. Some weeks after his starring role in 52, Vol. 4, Booster is sought out by Rip Hunter, that enigmatic time master. Hunter invites Booster in a new endeavor, this time involving the safeguarding of the time stream. It seems that the momentous events of 52 have left wormholes all over the time stream, leaving history vulnerable to manipulation. It then falls on Booster to right whatever temporal anomaly might surface. Booster reluctantly agrees to this, in return for Hunter's promise to later send Booster back in time to avert the murder of his best friend, Blue Beetle. But to be able to get away with his new role, Booster must remain unsuspected and, therefore, must maintain his reputation as a publicity-seeking moron. And, this, after the Justice League had just offered him new membership...

Yup, I'm a fan of the dude. Booster Gold's original comic book series burst onto the scene way back in 1986 (lasting for 25 issues), and, with its intriguing premise, was an instant breath of fresh air. A mysterious, self-promoting, egotistical superhero from the future, Booster made no bones that he was in it for the dollars and the fame and the glory, as well as the saving lives part of the gig. As a comic book reader in the '80s, BOOSTER GOLD's premise instantly hooked me (but I was a fan of POWER MAN & IRON FIST, too, Marvel superheroes also partly in it for the money). Give me a flawed hero every time. For my money, Booster will always be more interesting than Superman, even though my man has been a B-lister ever since JLI got done. Furthermore, my favorite crime-fighting duo may well be Michael Jon Carter (Booster Gold) and Ted Kord (Blue Beetle), or Blue and Gold, as they style themselves.

This trade, BOOSTER GOLD, Vol. 1: 52 PICK-UP, collects the first six issues of Booster's new series, and it's anything but a sedate read. Some of the themes explored are redemption and self-sacrifice as Booster finds himself a hero doing his good work in anonymity, and, if you've followed Booster, you know that's something he's totally hating. And if you're a fan of time travel, then this one's your bag. This one's got guest stars galore and plenty of what-if situations. This volume is called 52 PICK-UP because this story arc deals directly with the fallout from the events at 52.

Plot SPOILERS now.

The writers don't waste time throwing Booster into the temporal mix. Booster ends up time hopping to the past to prevent a conversation between Sinestro and a pre-Lantern Guy Gardner, both of whom, by the way, seems to have lifted the title of "Greatest Green Lantern" from Hal Jordan. Apparently, this first contact between Sinestro and Guy would result in Sinestro conquering the universe. Considering that there was no way in hell Booster could've matched up with Sinestro in firepower, I liked how he handled that situation. Then it's off to the Old Wild West for Booster to get his drink on with Jonah Hex and also to ensure that Jonathan Kent's great-grandpa gets born. Along the way, Booster and Rip Hunter bump into two Flashes and begin to fathom the identities of the insiduous temporal saboteurs (but not the masterminds). In a taut tale, Hunter aims to teach Booster a lesson and so sends him on a mission to prevent Joker's crippling of Barbara Gordon (Batgirl). Issue #6, "Meet the Beetles," Booster gets a chance to realize his wish.

Ongoing subplots involve a Blue Beetle from the far future contacting his earlier namesakes, and you can probably figure out how this one dovetails into the main story arc. Meanwhile, young Daniel Carter, Booster's great-to-the-nth power grandfather, is using the Supernova suit merely to improve his X-Box skills. Until the suit gets stolen from him. Now there's a villainous Supernova floating out there.

Also, we find out the real dirt on why Booster discarded his cape. It's sad, really.

SPOILERS end.

Geoff Johns who seems to be masterminding a fair share of the DC Universe nowadays co-writes BOOSTER GOLD with New Line film executive (and big time comic book fan) Jeff Katz. This writing team chronicles BOOSTER GOLD with a light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek touch, the tone most often associated with this outgoing and kind of crass hero. To quote Geoff Johns: "...the fun part about it is that you're talking about a guy who's secret identity is essentially being an idiot." But Johns and Katz don't skimp on the traditional melodramatic heroics, either. BOOSTER GOLD is firmly affixed in DC Universe continuity, and his story matters. Booster's creator, Dan Jurgens, comes on board to handle pencilling duties and is solid, but not up to his usual stellar standards. I dunno, maybe Norm Rapmund, who tidies up Jurgens' pencils, has something to do with this?

With the heavy temporal stuff going on, at times there's a hectic, disjointed feel to this series; Booster does a lot of time travelling. And there's a sense of maybe too many things going on, too many characters involved. But it's all part of the fun. The reader should get a kick out of spotting and placing into continuity the various temporal rifts frequently shown in these pages, even if a lot of these rifts don't have anything to do with the ongoing story. One complaint I do have is that what happens in issue #6 unfolds in a way that makes it seem too easy. And is it me or did Booster's facial bumps and bruises seem to vanish as the issue went on?

Skeets is back, that flying security droid and Booster's sarcastic, indispensable little sidekick. And Booster Gold is back, in his own Boosterrific title (sorry). And, if the DC world at large thinks him a moron and an idiot, well, we know better, right? I'm just hoping dude'll last more than 25 issues this time.

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

there are not alot of comics that i like
but this is one i love it is one of the best.
if you like superheros that are more real and easy to relate to. then you too will love this

Pluse vol. 2 of this is so cool

One of the best blends of comic lore and modern story-telling I've read in a while... A simple pleasure to read.

Geoff Johns is the DC equivalent of Brian Michael Bendis. He just can't seem to write a bad story. This story picked up after 52 and really shows who Booster Gold is and should be. Excellent characterization!