While I like most Booster Gold comics, I love some more than others. Among my favorites is Justice League Quarterly #1, the first appearance of the Conglomerate, released on this date in 1990.

Written by J.M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen; Art by Chris Sprouse, Bruce Patterson, Gene D'Angelo; Cover by Adam Hughes

The issue's story, "Corporate Maneuvers (and leveraged buyouts)," was a logical counterpoint to the Justice League International era. Unwilling to sit back and let the nations of the world monopolize influence on the activities of formerly independent super heroes, the major international corporations of the DC Universe developed their own team: the Conglomerate. It was only natural that the original Corporate Crusader himself would lead them into battle.

The Conglomerate went on to much early success which created tension with Booster's friends in the JLI, especially Blue Beetle. I probably don't need to tell you that the two teams have to overcome their jealousy of one another to save the day, but it's very satisfying when the inevitable finally happens.

You probably won't see this issue on any "must read" list for new Booster Gold fans. I admit that it's mainly a Justice League International story. However, Booster Gold does have a starring role, and the story does directly address the dichotomy of Michael Jon Carter's "shallow" public persona versus his more noble self-identification. For that reason alone, I think it's worth a look for people interested in the evolution of my favorite character.

Besides, who doesn't love that leather jacket?

In honor of the issue's anniversary, here's Adam Hughes' original pencil work for the cover — an homage to Kevin Maguire much duplicated "crowded elevator" cover for Justice League #1 — as published in Back Issue #2 (February 2004). As you can see, an uninvited guest crashed this party! Click the image to embiggen.

Here's to the good old days!

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If you think about it, we owe the longevity of our hero to the success of 1987's Justice League reboot which launched 30 years ago yesterday.

Although Dan Jurgens created a unique and endearing character in Michael "Booster" Carter, it was the character's inclusion in J.M. DeMatteis and Keith Giffen's reboot of DC's flagship team (and specifically his relationship with Blue Beetle) that cemented Booster Gold's place in the DCU. Without the JLI, Booster Gold probably would have faded to the same sort of neverland as other lesser known DC characters like Geo-Force or Blue Devil.

In celebration of the anniversary, the Irredeemable Shag interviewed DeMatteis for a very special edition of the Justice League International: Bwah-Ha-Ha Podcast. The writer admitted that Booster Gold held a unique place in the series.

Shag: Favorite JLI members. Give me like two or three.

DeMatteis: Well, Beetle and Booster for sure. Because in so many ways, they're the heart and soul of the book. ... I love the banter, and I love that we continued to play with them.

We love it too!

You can find the whole podcast interview, which covers the JLI from their inception, through their name changes, and into the year 3000, at fireandwaterpodcast.com.

Something tells me we'll still be celebrating the JLI when it's 60th anniversary rolls around. In every medium, great entertainment endures.

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Earlier this week, J.M. DeMatteis posted this picture of his Justice League International co-collaborator, Keith Giffen, and two other guys on Twitter.com:

I always liked seeing artists draw themselves into their comic book adventures. But I like it even more to see the heroes come alive to stand beside their creators.

On a related note, DeMatteis participated in a roast of Giffen at Terrificon last weekend, and he posted a video on his website, Creation Point (by way of The Angry Geeks Show). There's definitely some salty language (okay, "some" might be an understatement: think Beverly Hills Cop), but it's still an entertaining series of anecdotes — including a brief argument about who came up with "Bwah-Ha-Ha" — presenting an oral history of Giffen's long association with DC Comics. I enjoyed it.

Here's to many more years for both Giffen and Dematteis (both separately and together)!

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Mark Belkin recently interviewed J.M. DeMatteis for the "DC in the 80s" webzine. When the conversation turned to the JLI, the topic of writing for Booster Gold came up.

Mark Belkin: How was it writing Blue Beetle and Booster Gold?

J.M. DeMatteis: The great thing with those characters — and all characters, really — is when you're in 'the zone', you're not writing them, they're writing you. People say "What made you put Booster and Blue Beetle together?" We didn't! They did it! Blue and Gold were in some scenes together and something sparked. We followed them where they led us and this wonderful relationship developed that exists to this day.

Mark: Are you excited by the Booster Gold and Blue Beetle movie?

JM: Don't know if Blue Beetle will appear in the movie, but I hope he does. It's being written by someone who has become a Twitter friend, Zack Stentz — who's written for the recent Thor and X-Men movies, as well as The Flash TV show. So Booster's in excellent hands.

The whole interview with DeMatteis, covering topics as varied as the writer's spirituality and comedic influences, can be found at dcinthe80s.blogspot.ca.

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Booster booster Logan wrote me last week to ask if I'd seen the latest (and final) issue of Justice League 3001. He wanted to know if I'd seen this:

That sure looks like Booster Gold's body in the rubble beside Ice. However, it doesn't make any sense for Booster to be there.

Booster and his pal, Blue Beetle, disappeared from the series after the evil Lady Styx took over the universe in issue #7. The climactic battle, which Booster didn't participate in, took place on Paradise Island, a secret location Booster couldn't have reached. So how could that be him on the ground?

My theory is that's not Booster, but the body of the evil clone of Wildfire of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Wildfire also has a star on his chest, and appears throughout the issue. (You can see him at the bottom center of the cover above.) I suspect that the issue inker or colorist saw Wildfire's body on the ground surrounded by the reincarnated JLI and mistakenly detailed it as Booster Gold.

I reached out on Twitter to issue writer J.M. DeMatteis to ask if he'd intended to show a dead Booster Gold. This was his response:

So there we have it. It may look like Booster Gold's costume, but it's not Booster Gold.

Whew.

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