Newstime

ARTISTS

Writer: Roger Stern
Pencillers: Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett
Inkers: Doug Hazelwood, Dennis Janke
Editor: Michael Carlin

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CHARACTERS & SETTINGS

hero: Booster Gold

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ISSUE SUMMARY

Cover Description: Superman's torn gape lies on the ground. (No Booster Gold.)

Brief Synopsis: This news magazine provides a retrospective of Superman following the "Death of Superman."

Issue Notes: This special one-shot issue is designed to appear as a news magazine published in the DC Universe. For a time, Clark Kent worked as editor-in-chief for Newstime Magazine.

Story Notes: Missed opportunity: This story contains 11 advertisements for fictional products, and none of them include Booster Gold.

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ISSUE ANNOTATIONS

Page 14, panel 1
Booster Gold is seen being loaded into an ambulance. This "photo" attributed to James Olsen of the Daily Planet, is taken from The adventures of Superman #497.

Page 16
Booster Gold is quoted as a primary source in the magazine's description of the battle between Doomsday and Superman (in the article "The Death of Superman"). Surprisingly, Booster is not publicly credited for coining the name "Doomsday," something he will be quick to point out in future conversations with reporters as seen in Superman: Day of Doom #1. Whether this is a omission, intentional or otherwise, from Booster Gold or some error, intentional or otherwise, on the part of article author Roger Stern remains unclear.

Page 17, panel 1
Booster Gold is seen in Superman's funeral procession, as seen in Superman: The Man of Steel #20. This "photo" is credited to J. Bog-Janke of Amalgamated Press. Jon Bogdanove and Dennis Janke were the penciller and inker, respectively, on Superman: The Man of Steel #20.

Page 22
The article "Is There No Justice?" (author uncredited) speculates on the future of the Justice League without Superman. Booster Gold is among the Leaguers with questionable futures. "Without the suit, I'm just another ex-quarterback," quotes Booster Gold.

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ISSUE REVIEW

Boosterrific Review: This is a well crafted bit of verisimilitude, cleverly blurring the lines between reality and fiction. The flaws of the issue are not in the execution, but in the fact that it adds so little to the story of the "Death of Superman." That very fact, compared to the actual fluff magazines that celebrate the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana or the death of Michael Jackson, probably contributes more than anything else to making this a successful parody of real world celebrity magazines.

Boosterrific Rating:

• Currently 4.0/5 Stars.

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