Booster Gold: Blue and Gold

Booster Gold: Blue and Gold

I first learned about Booster Gold in 2004 during an episode of Justice League Unlimited and he was represented so well in that episode that I immediately became a fan. His real name is Michael Jon Carter and he was a college Quarterback who threw an important game because of his derelict fathers gambling addiction in turn ruining Michael's chances of going pro and becoming an NFL quarterback. My love of football made this a match made in heaven. 
Booster Gold was a thrill-seeker of the 25th century, who traveled backwards in time to the 21st century to fight today's criminals as a superhero. Although he promoted himself as a fighter for justice, in reality, he left the future in pursuit of mega-fame and fortune. Booster was cocky and somewhat goofy, but despite his obsession with fame and wealth, he was good-natured and well-intentioned.­ Booster’s power suit grants him the ability of flight, superhuman strength, and energy projection which allows him to to generate and project varying waves of energy. I did not enjoy this book as much as I hoped but there are a couple of jokes that made me chuckle and the surprise ending really saved the book for me.

Blue and Gold is the only Booster Gold graphic novel I have read and it was a little confusing due to its plot of time travel. When time traveling once or twice I easily follow the story but this book had multiple back and forth through time. But in the end I understood it. Very well written by comic (super) hero Geoff Johns and the art work is simply beautiful. I loved that Justice League members such as Superman and Batman had pivotal parts to the story. Fans of the Blue Beetle will surely love that not only is Blue Beetle a main character and the reason for this book, but you also get different versions of the Blue Beetle and even Black Beetle has a few scenes.

Apparantly one rendition of the Blue Beetle who is Ted Kord was best friends with Booster Gold and they had many adventures together. Ted is murdered by some dude named Maxwell Lord in a play to take control of Superman and of course conquer the world. With a brain washed Superman doing your bidding, taking over the world should be easy. You may know a character named Rip Hunter. If not from the comics, then from the new DC show Legends Of Tomorrow which unfortunately sucks big time. One thing I hate about comics is that sometimes the villains are ridiculous. In this case, Mister Mind is a worm. An insect. A fuckin worm. And it's plan is to...wait for it....take over the world. Booster stops Mister Mind and saves the universe, space and time. In turn, he asks his boss Rip Hunter if he can go back and save Ted from being murdered. Rip says no because your actions will alter the future and could be devastating. Booster is saddened and he goes to visit the grave sight of Ted. At the cemetery he is visited by a future Blue Beetle from like centuries ahead. This future Beetle tells Booster that he can take him back in time to the exact moment of Ted's murder and they can save him. They recruit 2 more Blue Beetles from different time periods and they successfully rescue Ted. As they group is now time traveling to get back to where they need to be they are jumped by 2 evil foes. One happens to be a brainwashed Hal Jordan who apparently has killed most of the other Green Lanterns and he as their powers. These two bad guys destroy the time ship which the group is inside of time traveling and they are knocked in to another point in time. Somewhere in the future. Ironically, they have landed on the day where Michael (Booster) throws the big football game in college and ruins his life and future. We learn that Michael had a sister named Michelle who followed him back in time and was murdered. Booster gets the idea that he will save Michelle even though Rip has told him not to mess with the past. But Booster thinks that since Michelle is killed in the future and not the past, that it should be okay. So if I weren't confused to begin with, this really messed me up. So all the Beetles are returned to their time, and Ted and Mike head off to grab another time machine. During all this they learn that Maxwell got a hold of Superman and murdered the entire Justice League and now nobody can stop him. They learn that the only was to stop Max, brainwashed Superman and the death of the Justice League is to let Ted get murdered. Ted's murder is the pivotal point of the hellish future. Booster sends out a signal for help. Help from anyone who receives this message. Lucky for Booster, the resistance answers the call. Led by Hawkman and Green Arrow, the resistance joins Booster and Blue Beetle to go and defeat Maxwell and Superman. They group arrives at Maxwell's castle and upon their arrival are greeted by evil Superman who destroys their ship. Maxwell immediately goes to work on the resistance. Green Arrow is infected first he kills Hawkman. The rest of the resistance wipes each other out and Maxwell shoots Blue Beetle in the arm. Booster helps Beetle in to another room where they find a mother box which can trigger a portal which they use to escape. Booster believes the only way to with this is to locate the members of the Justice League International and go after Maxwell again. They are able to find many of the members but no sign of Batman but do find Martian Manhunter. Teleporting to Maxwell's castle again they find him and Superman and their guards and the fight begins. Martian Manhunter immediately goes after Superman and tries to break Maxwell's mind control. Maxwell enters as well and they have a mind control battle. The rest of the team frees Green Arrow and Doctor Light. During the fight one of the guards rips off his uniform and its non other than Batman! Batman reveals he was working under covers so that he can shut down Maxwell's operation. Superman knocks down Martian Manhunter and Doctor Light blasts Maxwell through the chest with her energy blasts instantly killing him. This fight scene was the highlight of the book in my opinion. Just as we think its all over, we are visited by Booster's father! But he is evil. Why? And that's when we see the real mastermind behind this entire operation. It is Mister Mind. A fuckin worm! He is in Booster's fathers head controlling him. They are able to get Mister Mind out of Booster's fathers head and as Mister Mind is wiggling away Ted steps on and crushes him. So weak dude. Anyway, Ted again says that he should have been murdered so that none of this would ever happen as well as the altered future. Ted gets in to a time sphere and travels back to when he is to be murdered. He gives Booster a smile and says something like its all good bro. Right after he departs, Rip Hunter arrives and picks up Booster and takes him back to the future. Booster is mad and tells Rip he does not want to be a Time Master anymore and quits. Back home we see Booster fighting the Royal Flush gang. With the help of Green Lantern and Green Arrow, Booster defeats the gang. The Green's heckle Booster a little and he flips out telling them this is all bullshit. Because of him, the universe is safe. He's like Rodney Dangerfield of superheros cause he gets no respect. Batman interrupts him with a phone call and says Michael we need to talk right now. Booster arrives at the Batcave and asks Bruce what he wants. Bruce shows him a bunch of photographs from the Jokers camera. Apparently there was a time where Joker had kidnapped and shot Barbara Gordon. Booster got his ass handed to him by Joker and his gang but managed to save Barbara. Bruce says something like you risked your life for Barbara. I believe in you as a superhero. If you ever need anything, you know where to find me. And that was just the encouragement and belief Booster needed. Coming from Batman makes it even more special and genuine. Booster zips over to Rip Hunter in his lab and tells him he will be a time master again. Rip tells Booster he has a surprise for him. It's his sister Michelle. Rip went back and saved her. Thank you Rip, says Booster. And with his sister they get in to the time sphere and head out. "Keep it up, dad". Says Rip. Wow! Mind blowing right!


-Alan Tooma
Panel Yap rating 3/5