Booster Gold #39
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis
Art by Chris Batista
So a few days ago I sort of put together the key detail of what’s been wrong with Booster Gold since Giffen and DeMatteis took over, because there definitely has been something seriously off. I mean, yes, the book has really been leaking any and all serious tone in favor of a return to the funny, but that’s the point. Giffen and DeMatteis are the JLI guys, they made Booster and Beetle into the comedic duo we all know and love, they pioneered the bwa-ha-ha period of DC. At the same time, that era is sort of….long dead. Beetle’s dead, Miracle’s dead, Barda’s dead, Max is an awesome bad guy, Rocket Red is dead, Booster is a time cop…..see where this is going? The problem Booster has run into is that Giffen and DeMatteis came on board a book featuring a time traveler, one whose biggest plot device is going in and out of the past and future, and they used that as a way to say goodbye to the JLI. I mean, why else did they just randomly do a multipart time traveling, galaxy hopping, classic JLI adventure with Booster teaming up with his old friends? Was anybody truly clamoring for the returns of Scott and Barda? No, if anything, and this is something to keep an eye on going forward with this title, the first six issues of this run were little more than two creators saying goodbye to old works of theirs.
And once again, Booster saying goodbye to Ted. I wasn’t pleased with it, I mean, he’s already been there. He’s already done that. Ted Kord has had more active time in Booster Gold, since dieing, then he got in the same length of time leading up to his death. This book has had five creative teams since it launched, and three of them have done arcs about Booster trying to deal with Ted’s death. Admittedly, each has been unique enough to not feel like the book is telling the same story over and over, but come on, enough is enough. Just earlier this year Booster fought Black Lantern Ted and personally buried his body at Vanishing Point to keep him safe from the Black Rings. Booster buried him! He’s done his piece, he doesn’t need to spend six issues having a final adventure and then mourning the death. He’s done that, and if he does it again I’m going to rip my hair out.
Ted Kord has been mourned for more than Jean Grey. Go ahead and wrap your brain around that.
That’s been one of the two big glaring issues thus far with this run, with the other being sheer irrelevance to any sort of major happenings despite that Booster is currently leading a team in Generation Lost and this book should really be reflecting his goings on there, and not his adventures with the JLI members that couldn’t come back from the dead for the reunion. Not saying that the book should be going hand in hand and being the extra issue every month of Generation Lost, but it could at least reference it more than “Max Lord killed Ted Kord, now the world doesn’t remember him but I do”. Seriously, it’s just…..let’s just get this book on track and working hand in hand with Generation Lost like Winick has been doing with Power Girl. The book isn’t a perfect tie-in, but it does just enough that you know how the issue fits into the main story. This book simply doesn’t, and it hurts the quality every week to know that it’s not going to reflect Booster’s importance to the DCU as a whole right now.
The non-Ted stuff in this book, however, is pretty good. However little of it there is. Rani has been growing on me, and it’s interesting to see Booster almost playing the role of a father to the little 31st century orphan. Her obvious crush on Booster leaves me expecting that eventually some time travel trip will leave her a legal adult, and that’s when we’ll have it revealed that Rani is the mother of Rip Hunter, and wife of Booster Gold. Because there are only two women in this book, and that’s by far the least creepy option I can come up with. Then again, there’s also the other version of Starfire over in Vanishing Point, but I digress. Rani started up as insanely irritating, but she’s grown on me. Saved from the planet Daxam right before it got Great Darkness Saga’d, she’s living with Booster, Rip, Michelle, and Skeets and spends this issue dealing with the repercussions of trying to be the new Goldstar without asking for help. And wearing a suit that she is no way big enough to fit into. The character has all the right kinds of cute about her, and it helps lighten the mood. She’s good in small doses, and thankfully, that’s all we get her in.
Chris Batista draws an awesome Booster Gold, and I mean, he has been for years. He drew an awesome Booster in 52, and he draws an awesome Booster now. He brings a lot to this book, and has really been the best part of it for a few issues now. There really isn’t enough good to say about him, as I’d put his version of Booster up there with Dan Jurgens on my list of favorite artists to tackle the character.
Another month, another issue of Booster Gold where not a whole lot of anything important goes down, but with the Giffen and DeMatteis written Blue and Gold love and mourn fest seemingly over, maybe this book can finally get on point next issue. There’s a lot going on over in Generation Lost, and it would be nice to see it brought to the forefront of Booster’s solo title. What we’ve been getting here is just….not really acceptable. Tell stories that move things forward, don’t dive back in time twenty years to relive the glory days. The DC Universe has moved on, Booster Gold has moved on, now let him continue to have moved on. Let’s hope the book follows with this issues title of “Movin’ on”.
Sorry Ted, you need to stay dead.
Overall?
5/10
