Action Comics

Cover Description: This book has two covers, one drawn by Dan Jurgens and the other by Dustin Nguyen. Each features Superman and Booster Gold.

Brief Synopsis: When Booster Gold and Superman accidentally arrive in 25th century Gotham City, Booster is caught by the authorities and confronted by his family.

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

Costume Worn: MARK I.v2 power-suit

This story has been reprinted in:
Superman: Action Comics: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition (2019)
Superman: Action Comics Volume 5: Booster Shot (2018)

Page 1, panel 1
POWER DOWN: Again, this issue picks up exactly where the previous issue left off, with Booster Gold, Superman, and Skeets overcome by an Eradicator.

Page 1, panel 2
PRODUCT PLACEMENT: In narrative dialog, Booster admits to promoting adult diapers with the catchphrase "Shield the Gold." (How many adult diapers has Booster endorsed? The last time we heard about this product, in Bat-Mite #4, the slogan was "We've Got Your Backside!") Booster wouldn't be the first former football star to promote adult diapers: NFL players Tony Siragusa, Clay Matthews, Wes Welker, and DeMarcus Ware have all appeared in promotions for Depends brand undergarments.

Page 4, panel 1
Skeets informs Booster that they have returned to Gotham City in the year 2642. This was the year that Booster stole his costume and time sphere and escaped to the past as seen in Convergence Booster Gold #1.

Page 7, panel 4
POWER DOWN: Booster declares that his force field is failing under assault by the Eradicator. This is highly unusual. Traditionally, Brainiac's force field has been strong enough to outlast anything that Superman could throw at it. Either this Eradicator is uncommonly strong or Booster's batteries are running low.

Page 9, panel 3
Superman reluctantly follows Skeets' orders to abandon an unconscious Booster Gold to the authorities. This may seem like a betrayal but is sound tactics. Although Superman could use his super speed to collect Booster, the authorities would no doubt continue their pursuit until their fugitive was recovered. After all, Superman can always rescue Booster later once the time sphere is repaired.

Page 11, panel 2
PESL SIGHTING: Norm Rapmund is the inker for this issue, and he's brought his trademark hidden "Pesl" with him. This time we see it on a car bumper sticker.

Page 12, panel 4
Against his will, Booster Gold is confronted by both his father, Jon Carter, and Broderick! Having once walked out on his wife and children, Jon Carter has been a thorn in his son's side since reappearing in his life in Booster Gold Volume 2. Broderick is a federal officer who has sought to bring the criminal Michael "Booster" Carter to justice since Booster Gold Volume 1, #14. This is the first appearance of either character in the Rebirth timeline.

Page 14, panel 3
HIS STORY: Broderick's accusations imply that Jon Carter was the man who set Michael Carter up to steal Skeets and a time sphere in the aforementioned Convergence Booster Gold #1!

Page 14, panel 4
Skeets seems to be suggesting to Superman that the suffering of a criminal's loved ones is a fair price for criminals to pay for their crimes. Skeets might have been right about strategy earlier, but I'm not sure a robot has the best grasp of justice.

Page 16, panel 4
LIQUIFIED TIME: Booster seems to be realizing for the first time that his dad is a real piece of work. So... in the Rebirth DCnU, was Jon Carter never Supernova? Was anyone?

Page 18, panel 6
Booster is reunited with his mother for the first time since stealing his costume and time sphere. The previous times we've seen Mrs. Carter, she was telling Booster to get out of her life (as seen in Justice League Quarterly #10.) Who can stay mad at their child when Superman vouches for him?

Footnote: Ma Carter's apartment number is 286, a subtle allusion to Booster Gold #1, cover dated February 1986.