DC released solicitations for the month of November earlier this week, and there was no sign of Booster Gold or the Justice League International. How long can this insanity go on?

Meanwhile, DC is still publishing Blue Beetle. Issue #12 hits the stands today. With Beetle promised to appear in the Justice League International Annual, it may be worthwhile to keep track of his adventures in the meantime. Buy it or not; either way Skeets doesn't care.

Comments (4) | Add a Comment | Tags: blue beetle new releases

The Justice League International Annual isn't due for another two weeks. While it might seem odd to release an annual to a series that has already been canceled, it certainly won't be the first time that this has happened to a Justice League title. Sixteen years ago today, DC published Justice League America Annual #10 more than two months after the series had been canceled at issue #113. Then, as now, Booster Gold took center stage.

The theme of the DC annuals in 1996 was "Legends of the Dead Earth," a series of tales about how the heroes of the DC Universe would go on to inspire humanity years after their own deaths. While many of the stories in these annuals could be considered unlabeled Elseworlds tales of an alternate reality, the Justice League story was heavily linked to ongoing continuity.

The story focuses on Captain Atom during one of his many unintentional trips through the quantum field to a future where Maxwell Lord's villainous schemes were oppressing humanity. (Sound familiar, Justice League: Generation Lost readers?) Lord has created a new JLI-inspired team called the Alliance that spend most of their time violently putting down "Trogs" bold enough to oppose Lord's tyranny. Whatever his original motivation, it becomes clear that Maxwell Lord has become corrupted inside former JLI-foe Lord Havok's robotic body (expanding on a plotline last seen in Justice League America #100).

The other original member of the JLI on the team is Michael Jon Carter. Refusing to be called Booster Gold, Michael acts as the team's field leader. Michael's position as Lord's right-hand man is fitting given that Lord had once hand-picked Booster to join his new JLI (as seen in Booster Gold #16). Michael is still something of a time traveler, having survived the intervening centuries by replacing his organic parts with mechanical imitations (a process begun in Justice League America #90). Wearing a prototypically Extreme! 1990s costume, this Michael exhibits a no-nonsense demeanor, increased power, and a warped set of personal values, even by Booster's admittedly questionable standards.

Before the story careens to its conclusion, it is revealed that Maxwell Lord is an evil megalomaniac who relives his past with living puppets based on his JLI template. Booster's motivations are never made clear, though Captain Atom expresses many uncharacteristically derogatory theories. Booster Gold fans are likely to be far more forgiving to our hero's actions.

Clearly a product of its era, this book is hardly the best annual in which Booster Gold appeared. Christopher Priest's story really doesn't make much sense, and Nick Napolitano's inks are especially unattractive. With the bar for annuals of cancelled series set this low, Geoff Johns and Dan DiDio won't have to do much work to top this effort.

Comments (0) | Add a Comment | Tags: annual captain atom costumes history justice league justice league international maxwell lord

Last month, Super-Team Family ...The Lost Issues gave us Skeet's new team. With the JLI on hiatus and Skeets going his own way, it was only a matter of time before Booster sought out new company, too.

If DC and Marvel can't get their acts together to give us comics this good, at least we have Super-Team Family ...The Lost Issues to make everything right in the world.

Comments (1) | Add a Comment | Tags: blogspot.com blue beetle defenders doctor strange fan art hulk marvel namor ross pearsall super-team family

As the politicians keep reminding us in this election year, the global economy is bad, our taxes are too high, and job growth is far too slow. Even our heroes are feeling the pinch!

The above image of Blue and Gold on the skids (even broke, they're funny) was drawn by Michael Littlefield Bielaski. You can see more of his work as daerave at DeviantArt.com.

Comments (0) | Add a Comment | Tags: daerave deviantart.com fan art michael littlefield bielaski

I am 100% sure that if Kord Omniversal had been in last week's poll, it would have won in a landslide. Who wouldn't want to see Ted Kord as the backer for the JLI? (Note to DC: get on that.)

Last week's poll question: Who should be the financial backer for the New 52 Justice League International? (51 votes)

Booster Gold may have chosen to play football and become the greatest quarterback in history, but that doesn't mean that was the only sport he could have played. With a little free time on his hands while the 2012 Olympic Games are in session, perhaps it is time to show the world that Booster is good enough for gold.

Comments (4) | Add a Comment | Tags: characters justice league international olympics polls sports