I've been so wrapped up in video games lately that I've been remiss in updating you on upcoming Booster Gold appearances. So grab a pen and paper (or however you keep track of what you'll be buying from your Local Comic Shop in the weeks ahead) and make note of these fine DC Comics publications:

SUPERMAN #17
written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
art by KEVIN MAGUIRE and SEAN PARSONS
Superman's new Fortress of Solitude sits in the most remote corner of the Bermuda Triangle. Constructed using Kryptonian technology far beyond anything our world knows, filled with intergalactic, pan-dimensional secrets from all over the Multiverse...how could it possibly be missing?
ON SALE November 13, 2019

I know that one doesn't sound like Booster Gold will be in it, but Brian Michael Bendis has already shared a page of Kevin Maguire's art from the issue that very clearly shows Booster Gold in at least a cameo appearance.

TALES FROM THE DARK MULTIVERSE: INFINITE CRISIS #1
written by JAMES TYNION IV
art by AARON LOPRESTI and MATT RYAN
DC's mega-event "Infinite Crisis" saw the destruction of the Trinity, the rise of Alexander Luthor and Superboy-Prime, and the rebirth of the Multiverse...but it all started with Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle, who saw it all coming and died with secrets that could've saved the world. But...things happened differently in the Dark Multiverse! Not only does Blue Beetle survive— he thrives! And after killing Maxwell Lord himself, Ted sets off a chain of events that irreversibly alters the lives of the Justice League and his best friend, Booster Gold. In trying to prevent a crisis, Blue Beetle becomes the Crisis...and the Dark Multiverse will never be the same.
ON SALE November 27, 2019

I think it's awfully nice of DC to let James Tynion rewrite Booster Gold Volume 2 #6. (Golly. That issue came out 11 years ago. There is probably a whole generation of readers who haven't read it. Go read the classics, kids!)

SUPERMAN: HEROES #1
written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, MATT FRACTION, JODY HOUSER, and GREG RUCKA
art by KEVIN MAGUIRE, STEVE LIEBER, MIKE PERKINS and others
cover by BRYAN HITCH
Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, the staff of the Daily Planet, even the Justice League—their lives all changed when Superman revealed his secret identity to the world! This unique Superman experience explores what the identity of Clark Kent meant to those close to him—and what their relationship to Superman will be in the future. All the rules are about to change—and it all starts here.
ON SALE January 29, 2020

Again, that text doesn't sound like Booster plays much of a role, but he is included (barely) in the solicited cover art. That's not nothing.

In addition to those new appearances (and Harley Quinn #67 — more on that on Wednesday), don't forget that Booster will also be appearing in several previously announced reprint collections.

• Booster Gold: The Big Fall (collecting the first story of Booster Gold series one), November 27
• Justice League International: Born Again (collecting early issues of the JLI), January 15
• Justice League: Corporate Maneuvers (collecting Justice League Quarterly #1 through #4), February 2

That's a lot of Booster. Everything is coming up Gold!

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The DC Comics reading world of 1986 was not ready for the debut of Booster Gold. Who could blame them? Gambler-turned-thief-turned-celebrity sounds more like a traditional DC villain than a hero. Anti-heroes wouldn't become all the rage for a few more years yet. Creator Dan Jurgens was ahead of his time.

The letter columns of early Booster Gold books were filled with complaints that the hero was inherently unlikable. A typical letter, from Booster Gold #5 called him "egotistical, self-absorbed, conceited, self-hyping, and immodest," which even Booster boosters have to admit was a pretty accurate assessment. This situation was only made worse once Booster's origin was revealed in issue #6. No less a moral authority than Superman thought Booster was "nothing more than a 25th-century crook!"

Souring fan reaction to the character was a major factor in the cancellation of the original Booster Gold series. Jurgens resisted polishing Booster's rougher edges, and the Powers That Were decided to move Booster in a new direction with Justice League International where Booster's less palatable character traits were often exploited for comic effect. This worked out in Booster's favor. It was with the JLI that Booster really became a star.

As such things go, public demand for the Justice League led to the JLI team being featured in three consecutive issues of Secret Origins, giving Jurgens another opportunity to sell Booster's origin to the comics reading public. This time he did what he had previously been unwilling to do: he made Booster Gold sympathetic.

In Secret Origins #35, released on this day in 1988, it is revealed that Michael "Booster" Carter only started gambling on his own football games in order to afford an expensive operation for his sick mother. No longer was he a selfish lout. Now Booster was a good son!

"Child with a heart of gold breaking the law to help his family" may not be the most original origin, but it did the job burnishing Booster's tarnished reputation with readers. Booster's worst mistakes could now be chalked up to good intentions. I'm sure Superman would agree that even 25th-century crooks deserve a second chance.

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In his superlative blog at ProgressiveRuin.com, the Internet's foremost Swamp Thing fan, Mike Sterling, has spent much of the past week discussing his definition of "completist" and what that means in regard to his Swamp Thing comic book collecting habit. As a completionist collector myself, I found it interesting.

I noticed two things in Sterling's posts and the responses from his commenters:

1. Each collector has his own definition of what "complete" means.
2. Most "completionist" collections appear to have begun in childhood.

Both of those apply to me, which is no doubt why I noticed them. In the first case, the Boosterrific.com database arbitrarily draws the line at depictions of the character of Booster Gold himself; dialogue references don't count. In the second case, I first discovered Booster Gold on a gas station magazine rack when I was 10 years old — can you even imagine finding comic books in a gas station in 2019? — and have been collecting ever since.

But in addition to being a completionist, I'm also a contrarian, which plays no small part in why I would gravitate to an upstart super hero like Booster Gold. I have to wonder whether my observations were skewed by my perception bias. Do I think all completionist collectors start young just because I did? Let's gather some data!

This week's poll question: How old were you when you bought your first Booster Gold comic book? Please visit the Boosterrific Polls page to view results for this week's poll.

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Booster booster Jackson Williams was reading The Flash #46 and caught this sequence of panels.

The Flash #46, words by Johsua Williamson; art by Scott Kolins, Luis Guerrero

This issue of The Flash was released the week before Batman #47, but the former sure looks like it refers to the latter's meeting between Batman, Catwoman, and Booster Gold. (Which was, by the way, the first time that Booster Gold and Catwoman have ever met on panel.)

Thanks for the update, Jackson.

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Earlier this week via Twitter, Tony Daniel revealed that the cover for Batman 46 has been changed from the cover solicited. I have to say, I like the new cover much better. Just look at the crazy thing happening here:

No, I'm not talking about gun-toting Batman or Batman Returns Catwoman. I only have eyes for Booster Gold's beard!

Facial hair is a rarity for Booster. It's certainly not something that Shag and Rob mentioned when they covered the character's vitals in their recent Fire and Water Network "Who's Who DC Universe Podcast." They're pretty thorough, though, so I'm sure they'll correct that oversight when they get around to doing the "Update '18" podcast.

To find out why Booster has grown a beard, I guess we'll all have to buy Batman #46 when it hits our Local Comic Shops on May 2.

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