But enough about the present. Let's return to the topic of three weeks ago: classic artists. How you feel about the classic writer/artists teams? Each of the following pairs created an iconic hero with a discernible style.
Eyz posted on Sep. 7, 2012 at 5:46 AM
I'm voting "The Man" and "The King" :P
I'm kinda sad that Stan Lee never actually got to reimagine him part of the whole "Imagine Stan Lee's" Elseworld books for DC actually..
xingyiquan posted on Sep. 12, 2012 at 1:18 PM
Wow I couldn't disagree more.
I've been reading Booster Gold since issue #1.
Dan Jurgens has been a poor writer, full of cliches and lameness.
The 1000 was his only decent bad guys.
Who are booster golds rogues gallery? Name the bad guys created by Jurgens to challenge booster? That weird mini alien that killed Goldstar (HORRIBLE IDEA BY THE WAY!)
His superman vs booster arc was actually pretty cool and has been used well since then.
But really, who is booster's nemesis? Two full Booster Gold series and no actual nemesis this is pathetic! Backlash the guy with the whips? The weird evil wizard during the time travel miniseries? God Jurgens pisses me off!
Now, after a boring, formulaic, phoney JLI series gets rightfully cancelled ( I collected the entire Geffen series from the old days and it was far superior)this Annual was the best issue of the whole run.
The anti-Occupy story where Jurgens made up Breakdown and his lame pals, with the most overt politicized right wing nonsene was simply horrible. The political posturing was so transparent and weak my goodness. Even my 12 year old self would have seen through the contrived drama and straw men he created. Oh yes, these anarchist protesters are destroying america, gag. I don't care his political preference but the simplistic and childish approach he took was yet another reminder of why I can't stand Jurgens immature, uncompelling and simply boring writing.
And yet I've read every issue of every Booster Gold comic ever published just about!!
Am I crazy or what?
Now on to the Annual. I realized halfway through that this was NOT a jurgens book, because it was clever, interesting, compelling and had some very cool ideas in it.
I loved how Guy was complaining and mad at booster, the reader is thinking that Guy is just doing his normal cranky pants thing. But then it turns out he was right and Booster WAS full of it. That was cool!!!!
I loved how The Olympian was such an arrogant bastrd!! Had me cracking up. Jurgens can't write that self-mocking tone, he is so straight laced and fake posturing trying to write a 60's style sincere comic he has no nuance whatsoever.
I love how Batwing quit and Guy left in the first few pages. Followed by Booster declaring this is the beginning of the New justice league! That kind of ironic juxtaposition is impossible for a simpleton like Jurgens, he can't write anything but a straight good guy vs bad guy clash.
Beetle"Where is superman and wonderwoman?" in the voice of a naive youngster, revealing much about his character and being funny at the same time. That's good writing. Not just a chest puffed out Im here to save the day thing that Jurgens would have done.
I loved how it played on Boosters fake confidence and how he was scamming everyone with the best of intentions.
Compare to JLI #12 with the totally predictable sad sack booster saying I give up then being persuaded by his buddies to keep up the fight. So obvious so lame so dam frustrating!
I absolutely LOVED the arrival of the future booster lecturing his previous self. The time travel aspect of booster has been ignored throughout the series, and finally we get the most compelling aspect of booster back in the spotlight.
To give Jurgens credit, the 52 card pick up was pretty cool, and wrapping booster with Rip Hunter and the time master stuff was cool. I like that and they have to keep bringing that back to show how Booster stands out from other superheros. It's a good idea that Jurgens has consistently flubbed up but he gets some credit there for sure.
I LOVED how the future booster fails and begins to fade away, then the real booster fades too. FINALLY SOME real drama, something interseting, something to care about something to wonder about, something open ended and dangerous and compelling!!!
Not just another smash up of some lame lightweaver loser that you knew exactly how it would end.
When I saw the author was Geoff Johns I said FINALLY a decent writer. He made JLI slighting interesting for the FIRST time in the entire series. Not totally predictable and formulaic like Jurgens.
Now you hear me hating on Jurgens, but don't get me wrong. I'm a huge Booster fan since issue One and there are some ideas he's had that I really liked. Having booster be a scavenger who's powers were based on bits and pieces taken from the Legion, booster as time master, booster as self-questioning leader, etc. These are good. But as a writer he is so far behind the pack, his stuff would have been corny in the 60's and that's not a compliment.
I don't need "dark brooding edgy". Just interesting, compelling and well written work, which unfortunately Jurgens cannot do.
However he's the only writer who actually has passion for doing a booster book, and until some other guy takes him on, Booster remains only a shadow of how interesting he could be.
Where's alan moore when we need him!
Keep up the good work on the blog!
XYQ
Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Sep. 12, 2012 at 5:15 PM
Quote: "FINALLY SOME real drama, something interseting, something to care about something to wonder about, something open ended and dangerous and compelling!!!"
Clearly, you're not as jaded about the state of DC Comics as I am. Glad to hear that DC does, in fact, still reach some audience who has enthusiasm for their product.
What Could Have Been?
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