Booster Gold
“Dead Ted, Part II of II”
Volume 2, Issue 27, February 2010
Released December 9, 2009
Cover Price: $3.99
Guide Price: $4.00 (as of 2011)
Estimated Issue Sales: 40,256
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Pencillers: Dan Jurgens, Mike Norton
Inker: Norm Rapmund
Colorist: Hi-Fi Designs
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
Assistant Editor: Harvey Richards
Editor: Michael Siglain
Cover Artists: Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund
Heroes: Blue Beetle II, Blue Beetle III, Booster Gold, Rip Hunter
Supporting: Rose Levin, Skeets II, Supernova II
Settings: Metropolis, DCU, USA, 21st-century; Vanishing Point, DCU, End of Time
Cover Description: Booster Gold dangles from a noose held by the Black Lantern Blue Beetle.
Brief Synopsis: Booster Gold struggles against his emotions and the Black Lantern-reanimated corpse of Ted Kord.
Booster Gold's role in this story:
Featured (Booster Gold plays a prominent role)
Costume Worn: MARK I.v2 power-suit
Issue Notes: This issue is a tie-in to the Blackest Night mini-series.
This story has been reprinted in:
Booster Gold: The Tomorrow Memory (2010)
Page 2, panel 1
Picking up immediately where the previous issue left off, Booster Gold finds himself facing the Black Lantern-reanimated corpse of Blue Beetle II at the suburban home of Daniel Carter. Already on the scene are Daniel (as Supernova), Blue Beetle III, Rose Levin, and Skeets.
Page 5, panel 2
In an attempt to confuse Booster, the Black Lantern lists several things pranks that the pair pulled on fellow members of the Justice League International.
- filling Martian Manhunter's Chocos chocolate sandwich cookies with the laxative caster oil
- freezing Fire's panties with dry ice (which, honestly, doesn't make a lot of sense)
- coating the Elongated Man with the lubricant WD-40 (which should not have the effect that the Black Lantern describes)
- placing a cherry bomb in the Batmobile's exhaust pipe
- turning off the hot water on Black Canary mid-shower
None of the pranks listed have been previously shown on panel, though they do all sound like something the comedy duo of Blue and Gold would have attempted.
Page 6, panel 3
Extreme emotion provides sustenance for the Black Lanterns. Enraging Booster Gold is more useful to the Black Lantern than damaging him physically.
Page 7, panel 4
Just as the Black Lantern previously had possession of a twisted version of the Blue Beetle's Bug airship, it now employs a copy of the Blue Beetle's compressed air BB-Gun. These artifacts are presumably generated by the Black Lantern itself, and are not the original items employed by the second Blue Beetle.
Page 13, panel 2
SCHOOL'S IN: Booster and company have fled to Rip Hunter's Arizona laboratory, where Hunter was hard at work mapping the latest clues to future events in the DC Universe on his trusty chalkboard.
Page 14, panel 1
POWER UP: Hunter reveals that the Supernova suit worn by Daniel Carter keeps its wearer's body in a time stasis field, preventing any physical aging and delaying the onset of any negative effects of physical injury. This is the first indication of this function of the suit, and it is worth noting that this ability of the suit clearly does not impair thought or learning.
Page 15, panel 2
Skeets replays Flash's message from Blackest Night #3.
Page 16, panel 1
Booster Gold should know that his suggestion is doomed to failure after his previous adventures in this series (such as Booster Gold, Vol. 2, issues 6 through 10). Maybe he is as thick-headed as his critics often claim.
Page 16, panel 6
Booster accuses Rip Hunter of knowing the outcome of current events. This same charge has been leveled at Booster multiple times in the past (notably the Elongated Man in 52 Week 7).
Page 18, panel 1
Booster Gold, Blue Beetle III, and Skeets travel to the Chicago headquarters of Kord Industries, the business once owned and run by Ted Kord. Like Booster Gold and BGI, Kord had trouble maintaining control of his company, but was once again at the helm at the time of his death.
Page 19, panel 3
Unbeknownst to Booster, the recent invasion of the "Beetle Cave" was seen in Booster Gold, Vol. 2, #1,000,000.
Page 22, panel 6
SPOILER WARNING!: Reveal
Page 25, panel 3
SPOILER WARNING!: Reveal
Page 26, panel 1
The montage of images of Booster Gold and Blue Beetle seen in the monitors is largely drawn from previously published adventures. Identifiable sources include the covers to Justice League International, Vol. 1, #8, #21, #24 (with minor changes) and Justice League America #34.
Boosterrific Review: A suitable end to the events of the previous issue, as Booster Gold is forced to overcome his personal demons to literally fight his past. This issue would probably be better without the unnecessary, retread-confrontation between Booster and Rip Hunter which briefly derails the momentum of the action. Also, the recurring theme of Booster Gold dealing with Ted Kord's Death, which took place over a year prior to the first issue in this series, is beginning to feel a little stale. Let's hope that following the conclusion to this "Blackest Night" event, the future of Booster Gold can move forward without quite so much looking into the past.
Boosterrific Rating: Worth Its Weight In Gold.
Average Fan Rating: (2 votes)
I didn't find the arguing between Rip and Booster to be stale or pointless. It's been building since the start and whenever Ted is brought up with them it's going to be a sore spot. I did like the moment where it looks like for the first time Rips' feelings are hurt but he never gets to explain himself. I think it's a nice role reversal with how people usually misjudge Booster based on his facade. The addition of Jaime kept Booster focused on the mission at hand. Though I do wonder if Ted having a body when he was buried and Jaime remembering the Time Lab are clues to changes in the timeline. We have a solid connection to the "Bwa-ha-ha" epilogue from 1 million and we're going back to another MIA character.
Solid issue and one that I suspect will sell well (it was odd to see Booster Gold-a comic that usually flirts with the bottom of the top 100 sellers break into the top 20 with the first "Dead Ted" issue). While I agree with Boosterrific that the confrontation of Rip vs Booster is growing stale, I think we're going to see more to come-as the last pages reveal someone from Booster's past, with nowhere near as much personality and purpose as Ted, is coming....
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