"Real random Booster sighting." That's how Rob Snow described this screenshot he sent me taken from an Argentine cartoon titled La Huella Del Oro.

"Random" certainly seems to be the right word.

Although the show is not yet available to American audiences (it debuted in Argentina on April 13), there's a trailer for it on the YouTube channel of HBO Max Latinoamérica and Adult Swim LA, which gives no indication that it has anything to do with DC Comics (other than that HBO Max, Adult Swim, and DC are all sister companies). It seems like Booster and Beetle are just in the crowd as easter eggs for viewers in the know.

I don't speak Spanish, so I have to rely on Google to translate the series plot as described on the Latin America version of cartoonnetwork.fandom.com:

Fafner is a mercenary who arrives in a city under attack as its population is being decimated. Amidst a battle of fire and ice, Fafner relentlessly pursues his reward. On his quest to recover fragments of his past, he crosses the lines between good and evil in encounters with sea monsters, bar fights, and gladiators.

That sounds like more sword-and-sandals fantasy than superheroics to me.

While Booster and Beetle might seem to be an obscure choice for background easter eggs outside the DC Universe, it may be that the animators just like the duo. Several years ago Booster booster Ariel Justel let us know that the Justice League International made a big impression in Argentina, leaving a lasting affinity for Blue and Gold among Argentine comic book fans.

Whatever the reason, it's just another example of how you really never know where Booster Gold might turn up next. Thanks, Rob!

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When last we left our hero, he had just debuted his replacement for the power suit Doomsday destroyed (in Superman #74), and in Justice League America #81 we learn that his 20th-century power armor is not yet up to the task, especially when its servos burn out under enemy fire leaving him feeling as powerful as a sardine in a can.

The issue's finished art is generally too loose for my taste (it never feels like the penciller, inker, and colorist are working as a team), but this page panel layout by penciller Kevin West really works for me. The action starts with the foregrounded Wonder Woman, but led by the departure of Guy Gardner, the central action in each panel slowly moves away from the reader and, importantly, away from Booster Gold, emphasizing his current irrelevance. Well done.

And while I'm praising creatives, I should definitely mention the writing. I'm on record as a fan of Dan Vado's Justice League run as I often enjoy his strong and sympathetic characterizations. Although I find this issue to be imperfectly paced, I'm very impressed that its central dilemmas between heroes all trying to "Do the Right Thing" in a tense political situation feels even more topical now than when it was published three decades ago, making it very re-readable. Kudos.

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After the blitz of Booster Gold appearances over the past few months, it seems strange to say that for the second week in a row I don't expect any new releases tomorrow that might have Booster Gold in them.

(Last week, when I walked into my Local Comic Shop to buy some bags and boards, the Guy Behind the Counter said "I always get worried when you come in on days I know we didn't pull anything for you." I need even more bags and boards this week, but maybe I should wait until next week when Action Comics #1098 comes out to go back. Life is stressful enough without disgruntled Booster Gold fans ruining your day.)

If anyone does spot Booster somewhere, please let me know.

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