DC released solicitations for June last week, and I'm sorry to say that the only Booster Gold appearance looks to be in the Injustice 2 Volume 6 hardcover collection reprinting Injustice 2 issues 31 through 36. We'll have to hope that Booster is just taking a well earned vacation after the conclusion to Heroes in Crisis and isn't being incarcerated for murder.

It remains possible that Booster will be seen in Brian Michael Bendis' Event Leviathan. Solicitation text describes it as "a mystery thriller that stretches across the DC Universe and touches every character from Batman to Superman to the Question to Talia al Ghul." That's not much to go on, but no one can deny that Booster Gold is certainly a character.

Speaking of Booster ensemble appearances, longtime Booster booster Morgenstern thinks he has spotted our hero in another recent issue of Superman written by Bendis. See this title page from Superman #9:

That's a pretty crowded picture. Here, let me zoom in.

Spot him yet? No? Let's get closer still.

Says Morgenstern: "On the Lower left, hidden by the word "HOUSE", next to Ted Kord, is someone who might be Booster Gold."

Is it? Could be. Maybe. I think we can all agree on one thing: Morgenstern has some great eyes!

Thanks, M. Maybe if you take a look at the rest of those DC Comics solicitations at Newsarama.com you'll have better luck spotting Gold than I did.

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Booster booster CDN writes in to say:

Hey! Not sure if you saw, but WhatCulture posting an article about comic characters that people hate but shouldn't, and Booster is number 10 on the list.

Hrm. He sure is. According to Neil Gray, who wrote the article "10 Comic Book Characters Everyone Hates (And Why They're Wrong)":

A loud-mouthed braggart with ideas well above his station and a constant need for self-promotion, it's not difficult to see why people have a huge dislike for Booster Gold. Ever since Michael Jon Carter burst onto the scene in 1986 this one man showboating machine has just rubbed fans up the wrong way, and let us not forget here, the guy is nothing more than a thief.

Gray isn't wrong. While Booster obviously has a dedicated fan club — you're all lovely people — modern Internet forums do seem to be full of people who have never cared for the Corporate Crusader. And they do make a good case against him. Creator Dan Jurgens admitted as such while announcing the series' cancellation in the letter column of Booster Gold Volume 1, #25 way back in 1987.

One of the problems we always had with BOOSTER GOLD was the fact that he was really an unlikable character in some respects.

Jurgens softened Booster's origin somewhat in 1988's Secret Origins #35, but at the heart of it, Booster was still someone with an abrasive personality and a history of making some very poor decisions. Some people will never get past that. If Booster can live with that, so can I.

I have a bigger problem with the fact that the article includes Superman at number 7. (Show me someone who doesn't like Superman, and I'll show you someone who doesn't like Coca-Cola or apple pie. Blasphemers!) At least Gray tries to set those misguided miscreants' minds straight.

You can find the whole list at WhatCulture.com. Thanks for the link, CDN.

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The solicitation for Heroes in Crisis #9 is out. It looks like Booster Gold will finally be on one of the Ryan Sook variant covers. Sook has created a cover for each issue of the series, each showcasing a key "traumatic" moment of a hero's (or villain's) career.

As a reminder, here are the 8 Sook covers that have been revealed so far. (His cover for issue 7 remains a secret.)

Is the suggestion that it was Harley who took all these photos for the Sanctuary files? Maybe we'll find out in Heroes in Crisis #9. Here's the full solicitation text with an appropriate spoiler warning:

HEROES IN CRISIS #9
written by TOM KING
art and cover by CLAY MANN
variant cover by RYAN SOOK
The most-talked-about miniseries of the year reaches its stunning finale! The mystery behind the murders at Sanctuary is solved, but the mind behind it is one the heroes never expected. With their deepest secrets exposed, the Trinity has to consider how to carry on. Should the tragedy cause them to redouble their efforts to help their hurting comrades, or will they need to close up shop? The answers will be found in the ashes of this final showdown, and the fates of Booster Gold, Harley Quinn and the rest hang in the balance. Click here to reveal potential spoilers
ON SALE May 22 · $3.99 US

You can find the complete list of April DC Comics solicitations on Newsarama.com.

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Superman #66 was released on February 18, 1992. It's a big issue featuring the conclusion of the battle between Earth's heroes and Brainiac's Warworld. The whole story was called "Panic in the Sky!" and has been reprinted in a collection by the same name twice.

The "Panic in the Sky" event is notable for several reasons, the biggest being that it filled a bit of a gap in Justice League history. At the time, the league was on something of a hiatus following the "Breakdowns" storyline. It would be rebooted the following month with an infusion of more members from the classic roster in Justice League Spectacular #1 (also written by Dan Jurgens), but in the meantime, it was up to Superman to gather the heroes when Brainiac threatened the earth.

(It also happens to share a title with a classic 1953 episode of television's Adventures of Superman. The theme of that episode, in which a heavenly body is hurling towards Earth, and our planet's imminent destruction can only be stopped by Superman, is echoed here.)

Booster plays a small role in the ensemble cast. In this issue he has not a single line of dialogue. He doesn't even make it onto Dan Jurgens' paired covers for this and the previous issue.

But that's not to say that Booster plays no role. Teamwork and trust are at the heart of this event, and Booster Gold has always made an effective team player thanks to his impenetrable force field and desire to earn the respect of his peers. This event introduces him to Maxima, his future Extreme Justice teammate, and Infinity Man, a criminally underused member of Jack Kirby's Fourth World. Count on Booster Gold to use Earth's impending destruction to build his social network.

"Panic in the Sky!" isn't groundbreaking. In many ways, it is the very definition of a mainstream American super hero comic. That's not always a bad thing.

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Look! Up in the sky! It's Heroes in Crisis #5!

I've already shown you the issue's awesome Clay Mann splash page featuring everyone's favorite color-coordinated buddy comedy duo, but today I can do better. Check out the issue preview at Newsarama.com to read Booster's genius plan to get access to the evidence that has so far stumped both Batman and the Flash. The Sanctuary Killer doesn't stand a chance against the combined mental might of Blue and Gold!

Buy this issue and make Skeets happy!

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