Justice League International

Cover Description: The new Justice League International flies toward the viewer. Clockwise from top left is Batman, Rocket Red, Fire, August General in Iron, Vixen, Guy Gardner, Ice, Godiva, and Booster Gold.

Brief Synopsis: The Justice League International is reformed by mandate of the United Nations.

Issue Summary: Andre Briggs, head of United Nations Intelligence, convinces the U.N. Global Security Group to sanction a new Justice League. A team is selected from a pre-screened portfolio of heroes. Booster Gold is named leader of the squad because of his high public profile and malleability.

Despite the protest by American citizens, the new JLI is formed at the Hall of Justice in Washington, D.C. Booster Gold meets Briggs and Briggs' assistant Emerson Esposito and is introduced to his new teammates who represent United Nations member nations: August General in Iron (China), Rocket Red (Russia), Fire (Brazil), Guy Gardner (America), Ice (Norway), Godiva (England), and Vixen (Zambia). Guy Gardner refuses to participate in the new JLI if Booster is the leader. After storming out, Gardner is confronted by Batman, who urges patience and vigilance, advice Gardner promptly ignores.

Batman unofficially joins the the new team as it leaves to investigate a missing United Nations research team in Peru. Unbeknownst to the JLI, as soon as they have departed, a militant group of Americans blows up the Hall of Justice to prevent its use by the United Nations.

Meanwhile in Peru, no sooner does the JLI deduce that the research team was likely abducted by humanoid stone constructs than they are attacked by a giant robot. Reveal Potential Spoilers

Booster Gold's role in this story:
Featured (Booster Gold plays a prominent role)

Costume Worn: MARK XIII power-suit

Issue Notes: This is the first appearance of Booster Gold in the post-Flashpoint DC Universe (frequently abbreviated as the "DCnU").

This story has been reprinted in:
Justice League International Volume 1: The Signal Masters (2012)

Page 1, panel 1
FIRST APPEARANCE: A dual first appearance: this panel is the first appearance of Andre Briggs, head of the fictional United Nations Intelligence, and Booster Gold's new Mark XIII costume. Booster Gold appears as a holographic projection behind Briggs. Other heroes in the projection of potential Justice League International members are August General In Iron, Batman, Blue Beetle, B'wana Beast, Captain Atom, Congorilla, Creeper, Dove, Fire, Frankenstein, Godiva, Green Arrow, Hawk, Hawkman, Ice, Metamorpho, Plastic Man, Rocket Red, and Vixen.

Page 2, panel 1
FIRST APPEARANCE: First appearance of Briggs' assistant, Ms. Emerson Esposito.

Page 2, panel 3
LIQUIFIED TIME: Without strictly eliminating the possibility, "Chairwoman Bao" of China hints that the United Nations may never have sanctioned a team of super heroes prior to this issue. This casts doubt on the prior existence of the Global Guardians or Justice League International in this new, post-Flashpoint DC Universe. Note that the name of Chairwoman Bao, presumably Chair of the 5-member United Nations Security Council, is a pun on Chairman Mao, the nickname of Mao Tse-Tung, founder of the People's Republic of China.

Page 3, panel 4
FASHION ALERT: Wardrobe Malfunction #1: It is worth noting here in this close-up of the first panel of the issue, that the colorist seems confused about the design of Booster's forehead. Briggs nominates Booster Gold as leader for his planned team because he has a high "Q rating." The "Q" is an abbreviation "quotient" and is calculated by comparing recognition and appeal of a person via a statistical sampling of a given population. The higher a Q rating, the more famous and desirable the person. Apparently, despite all of Booster's mistakes in the past, the people of the DCnU still really like him.

Page 7, panel 1
POWER UP: This panel is Booster Gold's first appearance in the new DC Universe, a universe with an alternate history from the previously existing DC Universe as a result of events in the Flashpoint mini-series. Booster wears his newest Mark XIII power-suit, expected to be similar in most respects to his previous Mark I.v2 costume. Booster is flying, presumably under the power of his visible Legion Flight Ring. Booster's new powers include extraneous punctuation: as he introduces himself to the crowd, his word balloon contains an extra exclamation point after his name.

Page 7, panel 2
In a variation of the long-running "Buster Gold" gag, members of the assembled crowd mistake Booster Gold for Green Lantern. This is a specific reference to a running joke in the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Greatest Story Never Told."

Page 7, panel 3
FASHION ALERT: Wardrobe Malfunction #2: For the second time, the colorist has misunderstood the design of Booster's left sleeve.

Page 7, panel 4
Booster expresses surprise that he is not being asked to join Superman's classic Justice League. When last seen at the end of the Justice League: Generation Lost story, Booster Gold was clued in to the fact that a new Justice League International would be forming by Batman. However, given Booster's eternal desire to be accepted by Superman and Batman, it is reasonable to assume that Booster misunderstood (or was intentionally misled by) the invitation when contacted about joining the "Justice League."

Page 7, panel 5
FASHION ALERT: Wardrobe Malfunction #3: Also note that the colorist has mis-colored Booster's costume again, this time around the cheeks of his cowl and below the star on his chest. Brigg's words, "they're nothing but a bunch of basement dwellers who spend all day whining on the 'net," sound as though issue writer Dan Jurgens has a bone to pick with the many comic fans who have expressed fear or anger over the launch of the new DC Universe. Boosterrific.com has certainly been opinionated about the relaunch. For the record, I only spend part of each day whining on the Internet.

Page 8, panel 1
A glowing head can be seen in the crowd behind Booster. This mysterious female figure was first seen in Flashpoint #5 and has been appearing in each of the books launched in the wake of that series. The identity of the woman is at this time unknown.

Page 8, panel 2
The current Hall of Justice was built by the Justice League as a museum and access point to their satellite headquarters. How the United Nations has acquired the building is unknown at this time.

Page 9, panel 1
FASHION ALERT: Booster Gold is introduced to his new team. Clockwise from left are August General In Iron, Rocket Red, Fire, Guy Gardner, Ice, Godiva, and Vixen. Like Booster, most of these characters are debuting new costumes in this issue with the exception of August General and Guy Gardner. DC has widely publicized that many of its characters have been redesigned by Co-Executive Editor and famed artist Jim Lee.

Page 10, panel 1
PRODUCT PLACEMENT: Booster notes that the has "never, ever" endorsed adult diapers (though he will in the future, as revealed in Bat-Mite #4). Godiva flirts with him by recommending that he advertise underwear. While no evidence of Booster as an underwear model exists, Booster has been a pitchman for Lit Beer, as mentioned by the crowd outside the Hall of Justice.

Page 10, panel 3
FASHION ALERT: Wardrobe Malfunction #4: Either the penciller or inker gets into the act, changing the stripe around Booster's neck. This costume modification will be noticeable off and on for several pages to come.

Page 10, panel 5
LIQUIFIED TIME: Gardner mentions that he has "worked with [Booster] a couple of times." Though the two have never been close friends, Booster Gold and Guy Gardner have appeared together in at least 125 prior comics. Either Guy is being sarcastic, or many of those shared adventures may now be out of continuity.

Page 11, panel 7
The Justice League International will use a Queen Industries airplane for transportation. Oliver Queen is the head of Queen Industries and is also the costumed adventurer Green Arrow. In addition to writing Justice League International, Dan Jurgens is currently drawing the Green Arrow comic book.

Page 13, panel 1
LIQUIFIED TIME: Booster expresses a lack of knowledge about his teammates. He has worked extensively with Fire, Ice, and Rocket Red before, although he has crossed paths with August General, Godiva, and Vixen a combined 15 times in the previous 25 years of published adventures. Is this evidence that changes to the fabric of the DC Universe have changed his history, or just Booster Gold exaggerating his difficulties in forming a team?

Page 14, panel 1
Though not an official member of the new Justice League International, Batman is flying the jet as he accompanies the team on their mission to the Peruvian jungle to find a missing United Nations research team.

Page 14, panel 2
FASHION ALERT: Wardrobe Malfunction #5: Is it petty to point out yet another coloring gaffe on Booster's cowl, or is just another sign of a overly-busy costume design and weak editorial oversight? You be the judge.

Page 17, panel 1
POWER UP: Booster demonstrates that his Mark XIII power-suit still has his trademark Booster Shots as he teams up with Fire against the "animated constructs" that have burst through the ground and attacked the team.