DCU Comic Book Reviews

BOOSTER GOLD #1,000,000

Blue & Gold, Conclusion:  Holding Back The Years

September 2008

Written by Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz

Layouts by Dan Jurgens

Inks by Norm Rapmund

Cover by Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund

Synopsis

Booster Gold floats through time and ends up in the future, to the year one million.  There, Booster Gold encounters Peter Platinum, a self-absorbed hero more interesting in fame that helping people.  Peter Platinum’s inspiration?  Booster Gold.  Just then, Rip Hunter arrives in the Time Sphere and takes Booster back to the present, where Booster Gold quits.  The next day, Booster Gold encounters the Royal Flush Gang.  He gets help to defeat them from Green Lantern and Green Arrow, who think the attack was a P.R. stunt.  Before Booster can answer, Batman calls and wants to talk.  In the batcave, Batman shows pictures of the night Barbara Gordon was shot, showing Booster Gold trying to save her.  Batman respects what he tried to do and offers his friendship for a true hero.  Later, Booster Gold returns to Rip’s lab to re-join the Time Masters.  However, Rip has a new partner:  Booster’s sister, Michelle (aka Goldstar).  Together, they become the Time Masters.  

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

“If I had a dollar...”

“You’d spend it.”

Besides the minor quibble I have with the ending, I like this issue and I liked the storyline and I really like this series.  It has been fun and exciting with humor and adventure and goodness.  I sound like I should be working for the PR department trying to describe the book for a blurb in an advertisement.  However, that doesn’t change the fact that what I have said is true.  This is a good book and enjoyable.  It might seem like you would need a DC encyclopedia to read this series, but Johns and Katz have made sure that even stunts like this issue don’t get bogged down in DC continuity.  It will work for fanboys and for newer fans as well. 

However, I don’t really like the ending.  I don’t mind what we learn about Rip Hunter; it makes sense and in a way was a little predictable, but it works in its own way.  What I don’t like is the return of Goldstar.  After Booster fails to save both Barbara ad Ted, it seems like Johns and Katz are going for the happy ending to their 12-issue run, but it seems to me to be a slap against what they were trying to say about altering history.  It also seems forced.  I think the idea is that Rip needs a Carter for his Time Travel exploits, but if so it doesn’t come across real well. 

Much like the Zero Hour tie-in earlier this year, the one million connection does not overwhelm or take over the story, but becomes just a small part of the story.  Johns and Katz aren’t mining the one million concept; it is DC’s publicity machine.  Johns and Katz touch upon it briefly, but then return immediately to the original story.  It seems to me the covers and the numbering are just part of the gimmick to take advantage of the story rather than an attempt to make the gimmick into the story.  If that makes any sense.  And I think it works.  Johns and Katz understand that no matter how much they play around the DC universe, either in the fictional setting or in the meta-textual publishing setting, the core of the series is the character of Booster Gold. 

The series started with Booster attempting to save time regardless of his perception by the media and other heroes.  This story brings it around full circle as Booster worries about it once more, but gets a boost of self-confidence from Batman.  I like the fact that Booster has not really changed; he really is looking for acceptance or respect from his peers.  He may understand the need to put on the facade, but occasionally he needs the affirmation that he is doing the right thing.

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