I figured he needed a thread since the character is not only one of the main supporting characters, he's still a bit of a mystery and has some pre-crisis stories. What do you think of the character? Do you like how he connects with Booster? Read his original series, his time in the Forgotten Heroes, his mini series in the 90s? Have a theory on who his mom is?

I will say that I noticed that plotting has always been part of the character although I've yet to see it played to the degree it's done in recent stories when I look at back issues.

Long graduated from his early days as a Silver Age adventurer, Hunter has become almost exclusively a plot device used by the writers to move stories forward. His rebirth in 52 as a motivating mastermind has defined the contemporary take on the character.

Dan Jurgens has always been a champion of the character in a post-Crisis DCU, making Rip and Booster Gold natural companions. The latest tact by Johns of of making Rip Booster's son makes the character far more nuanced. It has become clear that this idea was implemented with little forethought for how to manage this continuity-bending revelation. Different writers have little idea what to do with the original Time Master, and as a result the character is really suffering from wildly uneven characterization from title to title and even from month to month. How active/relevant can you make a character who already knows how everything will turn out?

Hunter needs more development, and it's great that he's getting at least some in Time Masters. Here's hoping for more in future issues of Booster Gold.

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True. I found it interesting that he's usually the go to guy, the one most look to for leadership. But given all the masterminding he's doing I kinda want a mini series with Rip, Black Beetle, Maxwell Lord and Booster (mainly to team up with Rip) are all trying to outthink the others.

While I can see the snags this can cause given his pre-Johns appearances I don't think it's as complicated as some. I think it would help if the writers don't focus so much on what he knows as what he can do. So far we've only seen him fight a few people solo but it's been said that he knows different styles of fighting. What else has he learned? Booster has Bruce and Dick acting as his secret keepers but does Rip have anyone outside the family to talk to as a trusted friend? Did he go through a period where he resented his destiny like Booster? There's really a lot to explore.

Rip has all of time. He's a family friend of Brainiac 5. His parents are still alive (somewhere, sometime). I think Rip is probably doing fine.

I wonder why Rip hangs around his father as a young man. If it is to guide Booster into being his father, Rip is actively participating in generating a causality paradox. That seems very unlike Rip Hunter (who in many ways seems pigeonholed into the role the Phantom Stranger occupied in the 1970s DCU).

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I should have phrased it better. I meant growing up as a teenager that knows he's destined to live by the rules his father set about never revealing his ID. We know he already he lost his last crew due to this job and that's barely been mentioned.

I got the impression that guiding his father isn't something Rip wanted to do but was told to do. It's really confusing and according to Giffin it sounds like the story Jurgens has planned for his parents is equally as mindscrewing.

I see what you mean. Even young Clark Kent had confidants growing up in Smallville. Rip certainly deserves a better developed supporting cast. Maybe it's time to bring Jack Soo back into the picture. As time travelers, it shouldn't be too hard to get Bonnie and Jeff back in the picture.

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You think Rip hung out with other kids of heroes? Yeah, although Jason/Rex claimed he killed Bonnie she didn't return when the TS shot his infant self. Curious.

We don't know that she didn't return. And we don't know that Rex ever actually killed Bonnie. I think that Rex was all talk. For all we know right now, she's Rip's mom. (Though that's very, very disturbing. But it would explain the ending to Booster Gold #40 if Rip is fated to kill his father.)

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True, the guy thinks he's the best even though he's doing things without really thinking the butterfly effect through. I did wonder if someone else killed her, I figure she'd have to be dead for Rip to go off like that. And Johns mentions the crew being dead in his JSA run although Rip assumes Degaton did it. Which would make sense since the two did work together.

Yeahbutwhat? I'm not getting that vibe at all. For one thing he wouldn't be around when she died for another I just can't see either Jurgens or DC going there. Not unless this was the bat family.

Why would that explain the ending? BTW how long are spoilers considered spoilers? And do things in solicits and interviews count?

ok, follow me for a minute, say you go back in time and kill someone in their crib, then someone does the same to you causing the person you killed to come back, then they kill the one that killed you. who, if anyone, is alive at this point, or does it create an infinite loop, or maybe three parallel timelines? I know its a paradox, but I'm curious what the outcome of that is? I figure the only way to bring back a character killed in their crib is to kill their killer in the crib, thus eliminating the previous act from taking place, or do I have that wrong? when Rex was killed, wouldn't it change everything he did and everyone and everything he came into contact with? wouldn't it also mean that nobody remembers him, including Rip Hunter and Rex's former associates? am I missing something?