Booster Gold, SDCC 2006, by Rich [Earthdog @ flickr.com]

In press releases, DC has bragged that they will have "over 15 panels" at Comic Con International 2013, starting tomorrow in San Diego.

Comic Con International is the premiere comic book convention in America (if not the world!), and it seems like an opportune time for the company to unveil whether there is any truth to the rumor that Booster Gold will be getting another series sometime soon.

If you're going to the convention, have fun. If not, don't worry. I'll let you know if we hear any Boosterrific news this weekend.

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Last week, Erin posted the map of Booster Gold's mansion from Booster Gold, Volume 1, #16 on ExploringTheTimelab.blogspot.com. She lamented in her post, "I love looking at blueprints and maps so I do wish more comics had these sort of things."

Nearly 3 decades later, it's easy to see that cutaway as one of many Silver Age influences on Booster Gold volume 1. Time travel, sidekicks, evil doppelgangers, alien invasions, and Superman/Legion of Super-Heroes connections were cornerstones of the Silver Age DC Universe.

Immersed in the Silver Age trappings, a self-aware character like Booster Gold was a shocking departure for DC, even in the late Bronze Age. Some readers found this change refreshing, others were put off. But it is this simultaneous bi-polar acceptance and rejection of Silver Age concepts that has defined Booster Gold for most of his career (until the New 52 openly rejected the characters and history of the pre-Flashpoint DC Universe).

As a fan of Booster Gold and the comics of yesteryear, I can also say that I love looking at blueprints and maps, so I, too, wish more comics had these sort of things. Thanks for reminding us of the good old days, Erin.

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Now that the story is over and the numbers are in, I thought it would be fun to look at whether or not choosing to add Booster Gold to All-Star Western did anything to help its anemic sales. In short, the answer is "not really."

I've included the six months of sales prior to Booster's arrival (issues #13 through #18) in the graph for reference. It seems that Booster's arrival in issue #19 may have slowed the defection of readers briefly, but they resumed their flight from the title as the story wore on. If All-Star Western lives or dies based on sales numbers (and not Dan DiDio's favor), Booster's appearance might have bought the title one more issue.

Granted, the numbers in this chart are for print issues only and fail to account for any digital sales. Maybe the book sells like gangbusters online, although since All-Star Western appears in 407th place of ComiXology's "Top Titles" list, that seems unlikely.

Looking at the slope of sales decline, an unexceptional issue #19 should probably have been expected to sell about 16,400 copies. Instead, with Booster's help it sold 16,838 copies. Does that mean that adding Booster to a book boosts sales by 400 copies? If the sales of Smallville are any indication, we should probably assume that it was the "WTF" gatefold cover, not Booster's appearance, that drove up sales for the issue.

Booster's appearance in issue #13 didn't seem to move the sales needle. Sales continued on pace. Although these graphs show decreasing sales, remember that as a general rule, comic sales decrease in a gentle curve from month to month for every title everywhere. That's natural sales entropy, and it's why titles are constantly started over with number 1 issues; it moves the title back to the top of the ladder to start the slide over again.

Did Booster fail to make any mark on Smallville: Season 11's sales because Smallville takes place outside of continuity (whatever that word means in the New 52 Universe)? Was it because Smallville: Season 11 is sold in weekly installments online? Or was it because the people who would buy Smallville are buying anyway, and don't care who the guest star of the week is? Who knows. But whatever you do, don't blame it on Skeets!

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Russ Burlingame doesn't let us down. Even though Booster's appearance in All-Star Western #21 lasted only a few pages in a book published a few weeks ago, Burlingame persevered in grilling writer Justin Gray about Booster for the latest "Gold Exchange" column:

ComicBook.com: The five-page preview that went live a couple of days ago pretty much captures Booster Gold's involvement in this issue. Will we be seeing more of him sooner or later?

Justin Gray: We're discussing Booster's potential involvement in a future issue.

More Booster Gold to come in the Old West? Let's hope that Booster has recovered his memory by then. There's a villain out there named Romeo Booster owes a little comeuppance!

As always, you can read the rest of the interview at ComicBook.com.

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An overwhelming majority! Well, let's put that issue to rest and never speak of it again.

Last week's poll question: Of what country do you believe Booster Gold to be a citizen? (51 votes)

With Booster completing two, separate 3-issue stories this month, it is only natural that we compare them. What did you think?

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