I spent a lot of time in recent weeks worrying about how Booster Gold's unfortunate appearance in Batman might inspire future problems for our hero. According to Meg Downey's recent think piece for IGN.com, Booster's troubles are worse (and more persistent) than I thought.

Like pearls in Crime Alley follow Batman, trauma now follows Booster wherever he goes. Even in alternate universes outside of the main DC continuity like Injustice 2, Booster ends up forced to watch helplessly as Ted was killed yet again. In the splintered timeline of the "Batpoint," Booster winds up teetering on the edge of death, emaciated, mentally broken, even deeply disturbed -- a pretty far cry from his days stealing cookies from Martian Manhunter with his best friend.

Downey makes a good point. Grief has been a central theme in Booster's life since Infinite Crisis, first published nearly thirteen years ago. Even in this modern age of decompressed, made-for-trade storytelling, that's a long time.

You can read Downey's full article, "How Batman's 'Batpoint' Story Highlights the Tragedy of Booster Gold" at IGN.com.

Comments (3) | Add a Comment | Tags: batman ign.com meg downey