For many reasons (not the least of which was that as a poor college student I didn't have $30 in discretionary funding to spend at that time), I didn't pick up Bizarro Comics when it was released in 2001. I only finally read it last week, and was pleasantly surprised to find Booster Gold making a very brief cameo appearance when Mr. Mxyzptlk takes a look at what goes on inside Bizzaro's addled brain.

Art by John Kerschbaum and Tom McCraw

My brain might be just as addled. I've always thought that "Metropolis' Golden Guardian" would be a great nickname for Booster Gold... if it wasn't already the name of another DC character!

Jim Harper debuted as the shield-carrying policeman known as Guardian in 1942, but his clone used the "Golden Guardian" name in the 1970s. They were originally created and named by the comic book gods Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, you know, the same guys who get credit for a certain shield-carrying super soldier.

Of course, that pedigree and seniority only carry weight if you respect them. if Booster really wanted the title, he'd just take it. Maybe I should, too.

Bizarro would approve.

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On this day in 2003, DC Comics began publication of JLA-Z, a Who's Who-inspired excuse for a pin-up anthology of Justice League characters. Booster Gold and Blue Beetle were judged so important to the history of the JLA that they appeared in the very first issue!

(It probably didn't hurt that their codenames both begin with the second letter of the alphabet.)

Art by Kevin Maguire, Joe Rubinstein, Tom McCraw.

On a related note, BleedingCool.com reports from Fan Expo Canada that Ted Kord might be rejoining the Justice League in some capacity in the near future. The sooner the better, if you ask me.

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