If you've been reading recent issues of Harley Quinn, you may have noticed that the relationship between the title character and her recurring guest star, Booster Gold, is not what you might have expected from a pair who this time last year were trying to kill one another.

Some of us readers might call that bad writing. Others might say that people forced into dysfunctional relationships have been known to form traumatically bonded pairs. Still others are so happy to see their heroes in a relationship that they'll ignore all that went before. That's more or less the tact that Brandon Zachary takes in his article "Harley Quinn's New Love Interest Could Be... a Justice League Hero?!" for CBR.com.

Booster Gold is far from the worse candidate, especially given their shared sense of humor, similar optimistic personality, and mutual attempts to move past trauma. While Harley has long conquered much of the trauma in her life, she's suffered more of it in the recent events in her life. Booster has been through his fair share of problems too, and the two can probably be helpful to one another as they try to sort their emotions out. Booster also proves to at least be trying to be more empathetic, immediately apologizing when Harley reveals the full extent of what's been happening in her life. The fact that they met during the tragic circumstances of Heroes in Crisis but ended up able to work together proves they're at least somewhat compatible.

Counterpoint: They didn't "work together" in Heroes in Crisis so much as they just sort of succeeded in not being killed themselves.

That said, who am I to judge? Harley Quinn #71 writer Sam Humphries' interpretation of the characters isn't any worse than Tom King's take on the pair in Heroes in Crisis. (No take can be worse than that.) If Humphries decides he wants Booster and Harley to couple up — a sentiment that even Zachary admits isn't explicit yet — so be it.

But I have to warn you, I've heard that relationships based on intense experiences never work.

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This will come as no surprise to most Booster boosters, but Booster Gold has long had a name recognition problem. Or, as Brian Cronin puts it at CBR.com: "'Look! Up in the Sky! It's a Bird! No, It's a Plane! No, It's Buster Gold!'"

Calling Booster "Buster" has been around since the fourth page of Booster's very first appearance (Booster Gold #1). That was 1985. The most recent appearance of that long-running gag was in Bat-Mite #4 in 2015. Thirty years is a long time to keep a joke running!

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th Edition) defines the direct address "Buster" as

Fellow. Used in addressing a man or boy, especially out of annoyance.

Booster's aggressively brash and cocky personality naturally rubs some people the wrong way, making shouts of "Buster" Gold a fitting commentary from his many detractors.

While we're on the subject, the same dictionary defines "Booster" as

One that boosts, as: An enthusiastic promoter, as of a sports team or school;
or
One who steals goods on display in a store.

You've got to give creator Dan Jurgens credit for squeezing his hero's entire origin into one name.

Booster Gold insiders will note that, as Cronin points out, the "Buster" joke succeeds on an even deeper level:

The whole idea of people mixing up Booster Gold's name is funny, because the very name BOOSTER GOLD is, itself, a mistake.

He's so right. "Booster," "Buster,"... both are a far cry from "Goldstar." (See Booster Gold #9 for more details on how that came to be.)

Cronin only lists 5 "Buster Gold" examples in his CBR.com article, but you can find the whole list of Booster Busters here at Boosterrific.com

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CBR.com (yes, them again) alerts us that

"A new report suggests that a series based on Blue Beetle may be in development at HBO Max."

That has caused a lot of Internet DC and comics fan sites (you know the type) to speculate that Booster Gold must be appearing in this. Two things:

1) We don't even know if this rumor is true, and

2) No it doesn't.

While it would be nice to think that Blue and Gold will one day own the airwaves just as they own our hearts, there's no great reason to assume that Booster will have anything to do with a Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle project (which this undoubtedly is, assuming it really is in the works).

Therefore... we are still where we were the last time we heard a rumor that Booster Gold might be coming to a streaming service near us: that is, Booster Gold might be coming to a streaming service near us.

*shrug*

When DC wants us to know otherwise, they'll tell us.

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I noted some weeks ago that it seemed that Booster Gold was appearing in a lot of lists at the website that used to be ComicBookResources.com. I was trying to keep that list of lists up to date. But the latest CBR clickbait, "10 DC Heroes Who Are Unfairly Underestimated" by Richard Keller, deserves a new post.

The Greatest Hero The World Has Never Known is number two on the countdown. Writes Keller:

Even when introduced after Crisis on Infinite Earths, Booster Gold was considered somewhat of a joke by DC's other superheroes. It didn't matter if he saved the timeline or defeated the Royal Flush Gang by himself. They chalked it up to the stolen gadgets he used.

However, think about it. He put a costume together from stolen material and knew what all the parts did. Furthermore, being a time traveler, Booster knows a thing or two about physics and math along with the consequences of changing history. He may seem like a doofus, but, when in situations like those of Heroes in Crisis, he knows what needs to be done, even when everyone else looks at him like he's crazy.

That's not the worst argument in favor of our hero. (If you're dissatisfied that Booster is only number two, know that his BFF is the hero taking up space at number one.)

Despite any personal lingering resentment I feel at the newfangled CBR's listicle content strategy, I do have to appreciate that they at least keep the torch burning for Booster Gold fans in the face of DC's ongoing disinterest in returning the original Corporate Crusader to the limelight where he belongs. Thanks, Richard. (Although, seriously, anyone who underestimates Captain Marvel — no matter what he's being called these days — has it coming.)

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On Monday, I mentioned that Booster Gold: The Big Fall is released today. But that's not the only place you'll spot Booster Gold in your Local Comic Shop this week. Take along an extra $6 for the Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Infinite Crisis #1

This one-shot issue is essentially an Elseworlds tale, re-imagining the unfortunate events of Countdown to Infinite Crisis (2005) and its aftermath which took place in Scott Snyder's Dark Multiverse. The advance solicitation text (available at CBR.com) promises a prominent role for Booster Gold:

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.

There are no happy endings in the aptly named "dark" universe, so don't expect this What If...?-style story to be a positive for Booster or his buddy. (Think "Blue & Gold" from Booster Gold #0 to #1 Million but grimmer and grittier.)

If you have the stomach for it, buy this issue and make Dark Skeets happy.

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