DCU Comic Book Reviews

The Brave And The Bold #23

Shadows Of Tomorrow

July 2009

Written by Dan Jurgens

Pencils by Dan Jurgens

Inks by Norm Rapmund

Cover by Norm Rapmund

Synopsis

In Arizona, Booster Gold discovers an unauthorized intruder in Rip Hunter’s time lab.  Booster is able to secure the lab, but finds Rip barely conscious.  Rip says, “Magog,” before passing out.  So, Booster decides to find Magog by returning to Rip’s last known location, to an unknown time in the future.  However, Rip returns Booster back to the lab almost immediately.  Skeets then reports that Magog is in present-day Khandaq, dealing with a hostage situation.  When Booster arrives to help, he learns that Magog has violent and lethally attacked the kidnappers to rescue the kids.  But in the rush to kill the aggressors, Magog leaves two kids behind in a room rigged with explosives.  Booster manages to find the kids and saves them.  Booster then reprimands Magog for being more involved with bashing heads than doing what he should’ve, saving the kids.  Magog is not impressed.  Magog thinks Booster is challenging.  Booster agrees to a fight.  Rip then arrives and stops the impending battle.  Now is not the time.  Booster walks away.  But he knows what Magog will become and when that happens, Booster will stop him.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

I am torn on this issue.  My first reaction when I first read this issue is that this is just another story that probably should’ve belonged to the Booster Gold book rather than here.  Reading this story, it doesn’t feel any different than reading an issue of Booster Gold.  Not only are the setting (the time lab) the same as the regular title, but the story is told from Booster’s point of view.  To top it off, the regular writing and art team on the Booster Gold title writes and draws this issue, as well.  Everything about this issue places the story squarely within Booster Gold rather than Brave and The Bold.  The actual story doesn’t help either since Jurgens seems to be setting up Magog as an adversary to battle against Booster.  The plot with the kidnappers is resolved, but the conflict between Booster and Magog is just getting started, suggesting that these two will meet again later.  Again, the most logical place for that to happen would be Booster Gold. 

Having said all of that, this was an enjoyable issue and I loved the interaction between Booster and Magog.  This is one of those rare times when we see the serious side of Booster Gold and I liked the way he was ready to help out Rip and go to battle to defend his friend.  While the debate on the differing methods on how to handle the hostage situation (to kill or not to kill is the question) is a tired and overused one in comics, I actually liked it here, simply because Magog is viewed as hero (and with his background as a Marine, his view of war is understandable), but we know (and Rip knows) what is bound to happen (see:  Kingdom Come).  As such, it gives a different layer to the debate between the two. 

I am curious to see where this issue will eventually be collected when it comes time to publish it as part of the trade paperback.  Will it be added to a Booster Gold collection, as part of the Brave and the Bold collection or even part of the first Magog paperback when that title begins in a few months?

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