If you didn't buy any DC Comics this week, you might not have seen Kevin Maguire's tribute to the late Keith Giffen surrounded by his creations (in the style of the immortal Justice League #1 cover) that appeared in each of DC's monthly titles.

As you can see, the famously irascible Giffen is in the center position originally occupied by the famously irascible Guy Gardner. Very fitting.

Also fitting, Giffen wearing a t-shirt with Booster and Beetle laughing. That image isn't new; it comes from a print that Maguire created for DC in 2014. Giffen didn't create either character, but he and his writing partner J.M. DeMatteis did create "Bwa-ha-ha" and build Blue and Gold into comicdom's greatest bromance.

The second page of the two-page tribute is quotes of Giffen's friends and co-creators. You can read them online at dc.com/rememberingkeithgiffen.

Thanks for the laughs, Keith.

Comments (1) | Add a Comment | Tags: keith giffen kevin maguire

I was sad to hear late yesterday that Keith Giffen has died.

In addition to many other significant accomplishment, Giffen, as all Booster boosters should know, is second only to Dan Jurgens in total number of Booster Gold adventures written. He's a big reason many of us love the character, and it's sad to think that he won't be creating any more.

Thanks for all the good times, Keith.

UPDATE 2023-11-28: DC has published a two-page tribute to Giffen in all books released today. Booster Gold appears in Kevin Maguire's art. You can see the image on the Boosterrific Comic Book House Ads page, and the whole tribute is online at dc.com/rememberingkeithgiffen.

Comments (0) | Add a Comment | Tags: dc.com keith giffen kevin maguire

Some people take Labor Day off, but not me, not when I've got to tell you about Booster Gold coming to your Local Comic Shop this week!

As you can see in the issue preview at AIPTComics.com, Booster gets a cameo appearance on the very first page of Blue Beetle #1!

I'm pretty sure that's a "Bwah-Ha-Ha" being cut off by the narrative box in that panel.

And if one panel isn't enough homage to Kevin Maguire's famous Justice League #1 cover, remember that there's also a 1:25 Justice League #1-inspired variant cover to this week's Fire and Ice: Welcome to Smallville drawn by... Kevin Maguire:

(For the record, neither Booster Gold nor Fire nor Ice appear on the original cover to Justice League #1, which wouldn't be re-titled Justice League International until issue #7. Booster joined the team in issue #4, and Fire and Ice joined in Justice League International #14. All three are on the updated roster cover of Justice League International #24, which was the very first book to homage the cover to issue #1. It is no coincidence that Issues #1 and #24 also bookend artist Maguire's run on the series.)

Buy one or both of those issues and make Skeets happy!

Comments (1) | Add a Comment | Tags: aiptcomics.com blue beetle covers fire ice justice league international kevin maguire new releases previews

AIPTcomics.com has all of DC's solicitations for September, and oh, boy, they look great.

I've had my eye out for Blue Beetle #1 ever since DC.com revealed back in April that Ted Kord (and the Bug!) would be on the Adrian Gutierrez cover.

I've also been anticipating Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #1 for months, and although I don't like incentive variants, I just might be convinced to pony up for this 1:25 Kevin Maguire variant cover.

I hadn't been planning on buying any of the four monthly books written by Tom King, but Julian Totino Tedesco makes riding a kanga look like so much fun on the variant cover for Wonder Woman #1, I just might change my mind. (It wouldn't be the first time I'd've bought a comic just because of a Tedesco cover.)

Ooh! And how about the Chris Samnee variant for Shazam #3? Or the two part Mikel Janin acetate cover for Superman #6? And don't even get me started on the Old Man Red Bee (and Old Man Blackhawk!) appearing on the 1:25 Rahazzah variant for Peacemaker Tries Hard! #5.

Now, if you've read down this far, you might have noticed that I haven't mentioned Booster Gold yet. Well, that's because the solicitation doesn't either. I was trying to soften the blow with all those great covers.

Did it work?

If it helps, DC also announced that the first six issues of The Human Target will be collected (for the second time) in October. Booster will be in that. Come to think if it, it's also got some great covers.

Booster may be hard to find these days, but at least it isn't hurting my eyes to keep looking.

Comments (0) | Add a Comment | Tags: adrian gutierrez aiptcomics.com blue beetle covers fire ice julian totino tedesco kanga kevin maguire solicitations wonder woman

Writes Coin:

I couldn't see it on the site, but Booster has a cameo in issue 6 of the '88 Forever People mini on the two page spread on pages 12 and 13. Hope I haven't just missed it on the site somewhere.

No, you didn't miss it. I did.

The second volume to feature Jack Kirby's Forever People was written by J.M. DeMatteis, who was also at the time co-scripting the Justice League International. So it makes sense that there would be a little crossover.

Justice League International #11 saw the team fight The Construct. That fight, drawn by Kevin Maguire, looked like this:

That same fight was briefly referenced in a single gutter-spanning panel in the sixth and final issue of Forever People Volume 2, here drawn by Paris Cullen:

Thanks to Coin for bringing it to my attention.

Comments (0) | Add a Comment | Tags: coin construct forever people kevin maguire paris cullen