Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, the holiday for spending time with the one you love. Obviously, that means Booster Gold.

To help you out, I present my Essential Booster Gold Reading List:

The Classics
Booster Gold Volume 1 (1986) #1-15
These issues by character creator Dan Jurgens establish everything you need to know about Michael Jon "Booster" Carter: athlete, gambler, thief, hero. All future Booster Gold stories were built on these building blocks.

Blue and Gold
Justice League (1987) #4
Justice League International Volume 1 (1987) #7-9, 25, 32-34
Justice League International Annual (1988) #2
Formerly Known as the Justice League (2003) #1-6
Blue Beetle and Booster Gold are the greatest bromance in DC Comics. Relive their glory days in the "Bwah-ha-ha" era created by Kieth Giffen and J.M DeMatteis.

Time Master
52 (2006) #1-52
Booster Gold Volume 2 (2007) #1-6, 0, 7-10, 1,000,000
Booster Gold's rebirth really began with his lowest moment in 52 #7, but to really appreciate the story, read all of 52, then wash it down with key issues of Booster Gold volume 2 led by Geoff Johns' take on the new Time Masters.

New 52 and Rebirth
Justice League International Volume 3 (2011), #1-12
Action Comics (2018) #993-998
Dan Jurgens returns to refine Booster Gold for the modern, post-Flashpoint DC Universe.

That's not to say that there aren't plenty of other great Booster Gold comics. Once you get through those, consider taking a look at the entire run of Justice League: Generation Lost (2010) #1-24. I also recommend Justice League Quarterly (1990) #1 and Justice League Unlimited (2005) issues #2, 30, and 43, just to name a few.

So this holiday, pour a glass of wine, turn the lights down low, and snuggle up with your favorite comics, Booster Gold comics.

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It might be hard for modern audiences to imagine, but in the late 1980s, "Iron" Mike Tyson was considered invincible. He had never lost a fight. His bouts averaged barely more than 3 rounds. He usually had his opponent knocked out before the end of the first round. Then came Buster Douglas.

Douglas was a heavy underdog when the two heavyweight boxers met on February 11, 1990. Casino oddsmakers had Tyson a 42/1 favorite, meaning a $42 bet earned only $1. However, if Douglas was to pull off the upset, a $1,000 bet on Douglas would pay out $37,000. Too bad that could never happen.

Except it did.

It's been said that the unexpected and improbable Douglas victory was the biggest payout for a boxing match in history, making it a perfectly safe bet for a time-traveling sports fan looking to make a quick buck. Someone like Booster Gold.

Hmm. A sports gambler using time-travel to his own advantage? Someone should make a movie about that.

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The life of any comic book hero would be a lonely one if not for the many characters who have made up their supporting cast. Just as Superman has Lois Lane and Batman has Alfred, Booster Gold has also shared his adventures with quite a few people over the years. Today we look at one of those, Daniel Carter.

After a gruesome injury ruined his promising football career, Daniel Carter had became stuck in an unfulfilling job as Evergreen Insurance Company's fifth-best term-life salesman. He dreamed of being a super hero and reclaiming his lost glory. Perhaps it was that dream — or maybe it was fate — that lured him to Booster Gold's sparsely attended funeral in 52 #18.

Daniel was completely unaware that Michael Jon "Booster Gold" Carter was his descendant until Skeets told him the truth. Unfortunately for Daniel, that was the only truth Skeets told him (52 #19).

Skeets wasn't Skeets at all, but the villainous Mr. Mind in disguise. Fortunately for Daniel, Rip Hunter was already aware of Mr. Mind's schemes. Hunter enlisted Daniel to become the second Carter to don the mask of Supernova, world-famous super hero. Together with faked-his-own-death Booster Gold, Daniel defeated Mr. Mind and saved the multiverse (52 #52). Daniel Carter's dreams had come true!

Afterwards, Booster and Daniel became roommates (Booster Gold Volume 2, #1). Though Daniel meant well, he was also rather stupid. He was often left behind while Booster was out adventuring. This made it easy for Booster's ne'er-do-well father to steal the Supernova costume and use it for evil (Booster Gold Volume 2, #2). It would also present the opportunity for Daniel to meet his future wife, reporter Rose Levin, when she came snooping into Booster Gold's personal life (Booster Gold, Volume 2, #3).

Rip Hunter would eventually recover the Supernova costume, and Daniel would continue to play the role of hero for Rose. He traveled through time to find his wife the perfect gift — and only accidentally gave longtime Justice League foe Starro the Conqueror the ability to conquer all history (Booster Gold, Volume 2, #13). He would redeem himself by protecting Rose from a maurading Black Lantern Blue Beetle in Booster Gold, Volume 2, #27.

Supernova hasn't been seen since Flashpoint, but so long as Booster Gold is still around, Daniel and Rose have to be out there somewhere.

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I don't expect The Greatest Hero I've Ever Heard Of to show up in any comics this week, but that doesn't mean he won't. Thankfully, Booster Gold has great fans who catch many things that I miss.

For example, Shawn Baston, a Booster booster from way back, writes to tell me that I missed this Booster Gold appearance in last week's The Flash #63.

Also, Kevin Munson writes to tell me that the Boosterrific.com database was missing Booster's appearance in Justice League: 100 Greatest Moments: Highlights from the History of the World's Greatest Superheroes by Robert Greenberger. Published last year, this is the book is a retrospective of Justice League history, and no history of the Justice League would be complete without a recap of the Justice League International years. It is now included under the site's non-comics list of Other Media featuring Booster Gold.

Thanks to Shawn and Kevin. Keep up the good work, everybody. If you see Booster Gold somewhere and you don't think I noticed, please drop me a line either in the news comments or via the Boosterrific.com Contact Form.

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Let's roll into February with a few pieces of fan art I spotted on DeviantArt.com that I had been saving for a rainy day (or a post-Super Bowl hangover).

"Some Booster Gold" by Weball

"Booster Gold" by pgori927 (Paul Gori)

"Booster Gold" by AldoRaine13 (Luis Filipe)

Keep drawing, people!

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