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Boosterrific.com: The Complete, Annotated Adventures of Booster Gold
Boosterrific.com: The Complete, Annotated Adventures of Booster Gold

Buy Booster Gold

Action Comics

“All That Glisters”

Volume 1, Issue 594, November 1987
Released August 25, 1987

Cover Price: 75¢
Guide Price: $3.00 (as of 2003)

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Action Comics, Vol. 1, #594. Image © DC Comics

 

ARTISTS

Writer: John Byrne
Penciller: John Byrne
Inkers: John Byrne, Keith Williams
Colorist: Tom Ziuko
Letterer: John Costanza
Editor: Michael Carlin

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CHARACTERS & SETTINGS

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ISSUE DETAILS

Cover Description: Booster Gold stands aggressively over the body of a defeated, unconscious Superman while lifting Superman's head from a puddle of mud in a destroyed landscape. This cover is an homage to the cover of Booster Gold #7, in which the positions of the heroes were switched.

Brief Synopsis: Booster launches a crusade against Superman on Metropolis's Superman Day which leads to a fight between the two heroes.

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

Costume Worn: MARK I power-suit

Issue Notes: The title of this issue is a reference to the Shakespearean play "The Merchant of Venice." In the play, the line, "all that glisters is not gold," is used to warn that you cannot judge the substance of a thing by its appearance. This line is often misquoted, "all that glitters is not gold."

This story has been reprinted in:
Superman: The Man of Steel Volume 3 (2021)
Booster Gold: Future Lost (2020)
Superman: The Man of Steel Volume 6 (2008)

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ANNOTATIONS

Page 3, panel 1
While it has nothing to do with Booster Gold, This is the first meeting between Robin II and Superman in the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths DC Universe.

Page 6, panel 4
Booster flies past a surprised Trixie Collins on the streets of Metropolis. Trixie believes that Booster should be in Dimension X, saving his sister from aliens. Though on the previous page, Batman indicates that the events of this issue should all take place on the same day, Trixie's comments at Michelle's funeral in Booster Gold #22 reveal that the events of this page and the page following likely take place the day before Batman and Superman met.

Page 9, panel 1
Booster holds a press conference to launch a political attack on Superman, who invaded the Middle Eastern nation of Qurac with American support in The Adventures of Superman #427. This is the first press conference called by Booster in his short history in which he does not wear his cape.

Page 10, panel 1
Fed up with Booster's attitude, Lois Lane begins asking pointed questions at the press conference. Lois believes that this is the 3rd face-to-face meeting between the two.

Page 11, panel 2
Booster taunts Lois, calling her "Superman's Girlfriend." This is a reference to Lois' own comic book, Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane, published from 1958 to 1974.

Page 13, panel 4
Moments after calling Superman a super-hero hypocrite, Booster abducts Julianna Berkowitz, the daughter of the mayor of Metropolis, so that he may torture her and "lure Superman out into the open!" Now Booster may have some rough edges, but torturing innocents to get Superman's attention is going a bit far, even by his standards.

Page 16, panel 3
After being hit with a surprise right hook from Booster, Superman realizes that Booster's power has increased since their last battle in Booster Gold #7.

Page 18, panel 2
Even Booster's Booster Shots, previously harmless to Superman, seem to affect the Man of Steel. In this issue, the Booster Shots appear red, similar to Superman's heat vision, unlike the yellow Booster Shots normally seen in issues of Booster Gold and Justice League International.

Page 20, panel 1
The story that Lois has written on Booster's press conference for the Daily Planet newspaper does not meet with editor Perry White's approval. (Lois refers to Booster as "Booster Clod.") When Perry laments that the story is more akin a crucifixion, Lois quips that Booster "does seem to see himself as the second coming." Both of these last two comments are references to Jesus Christ, the Son of the God of the Christian religion.

Image Copyright DC Comics

Page 22, panel 1
SPOILER WARNING!: Reveal

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REVIEWS

Boosterrific Review: As enjoyable as it is to read 16 pages of a John Byrne-drawn Booster Gold beating the tar out of Superman on "Superman Day" in Metropolis, the highlight of this issue is probably the first post-Crisis on Infinite Earth meeting between Robin II and Superman. Whichever you prefer, just be sure to read this comic book.

Boosterrific Rating:

  • Currently 5.0/5 Stars.
Boosterrific!

Average Fan Rating:

  • Currently 5.0/5 Stars.
(1 vote)

  • Currently 5.0/5 Stars.
KMD (Nov. 11, 2009, 15:26:50)
Classic. Nice to see the Man of Gold in action against the Man of Steel!

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