In a delayed reaction to Bat-Mite's return to the New 52 DCnU (and as an odd counterpoint to the super-serious Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice now in theaters), today DC Comics is releasing World's Funnest, a trade paperback (TPB) collection of past stories featuring both Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk.

The DCComics.com listing for this issue indicates that Booster Gold will play a "Starring" role in this trade. Honestly, it would be stretching the truth to say he even has a cameo appearance. DC's solicitations play coy with the issue's contents, but the Amazon.com listing for the 296-page trade identifies that it will contain portions of the following comics:

Superman and Batman: World's Funnest #1 (2000)
Batman: Mitefall #1 (1995)
Batman and Superman: World's Finest #6 (1999)
Superman/Batman #51-52 (2008)
The Brave and the Bold #200 (1983)
Detective Comics #267 (1959)
Detective Comics #482 (1979)
Superman, vol. 1, #30 (1944)
Superman, vol. 2, #11 (1987)
Superman, vol. 2, #31 (1989)
World's Finest, vol. 1, #113 (1960)
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #38 (1992)

You'll note that Dan Jurgens' recent Bat-Mite series with its "Black Gold" guest star is not included. That means that Booster Gold's appearances in this trade are limited to a single panel!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not discouraging anyone from picking up this book. I've always been a fan of fun comics, and I particularly enjoy the ridiculous adventures of Silver Age Bat-Mite. I'm just advising that you go to your Local Comic Shop and pick-up this collection for the humor, not the Booster Gold.

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Whenever Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite get together, things have a tendency to get out of hand. For instance, take their meeting in Superman and Batman: World's Funnest, released 13 years ago today.

When Mxy accidentally kills Batman, Bat-Mite retaliates by killing Superman. Things only go downhill from there. Soon they've destroyed the Phantom Zone, Earth-2, Earth-C-Minus, the World Trade Center (seriously), Jack Kirby's Fourth World, and Rip Hunter's Time Sphere and the Blue Beetle's Bug (both on the same page!). Even Booster Gold can't avoid the destruction.

That tiny panel behind Mxy's hat above is Booster's (and Skeet's) only appearance in this issue, but don't let that deter you from enjoying this parody of traditional DC Comics stories throughout the ages, assuming you can find it in the back-issue bin of your Local Comic Shop.

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