As pointed out in Friday's comments, Booster Gold has made it into the list of the top 100 comic book heroes. Booster is sandwiched between Fone Bone and Beast and ranked far higher than some long-running DC big names like Supergirl and the Spectre.

The list was compiled by the editorial staff at IGN.com, a website primarily devoted to video games (in their own words, they are "obsessed with gaming, entertainment, and everything guys enjoy") and appears to be ordered by the opinion of the editorial staff (clearly not in alphabetical order).

I'm not saying that the editors at IGN aren't qualified to decide what comics they like and put them in order. In fact, I'm a bit impressed that Booster Gold, who has never been a playable character in a video game, would make it onto their list at all. What I am saying is that if I were to make a list based on my opinion of the top 100 comic book heroes, Booster would be ranked number 1. Skeets would be number 2.

You can read the whole list starting from the top at IGN.com here.

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Once upon a time, DC Comics used to publish yearbooks for the direct market spotlighting their planned titles for the upcoming year. Looking back, the best things about these books are what didn't come to pass. This image appeared on page 239(!) of the DC Comics 1993 Editorial Presentation: The Year of Change promotional book.

This pin-up image signed by cheesecake artist Bill Lux and Rick Burchett with its unusual cast of characters (Fire, Maxima, Wonder Woman and Oberon?), was never used in the series itself.

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Since Booster Gold's powers have always been derived from technology, disruptions in that technology have provided grist for many a story. For several years after Booster's original 25th-century power suit was destroyed, he relied on bulky 20th-century replacements. The best of these was the armor that he wore during his tenure with Extreme Justice

This costume was designed by Mike Wieringo and debuted in 1994's Justice League America #90. Ironically, Wieringo would never draw Booster in this suit in a published comic. In fact, the late, great Wieringo only drew Booster Gold for DC comics once, in 1993's Justice League Quarterly #12.

I'd love to tell you where this particular one-page spread was originally published, but I seem to have lost the info. Can anyone out there refresh my memory?

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Today DC releases Doom Patrol #22, Freedom Fighters #9, and JSA All-Stars #18, all final issues. Doom Patrol and Freedom Fighters -- as well as DC's two other May cancellations, Outsiders and R.E.B.E.L.S. -- had been selling far, far worse than Booster Gold. However, JSA All-Stars was selling marginally better and was probably canceled not for poor sales but to free resources to publish a Flashpoint tie-in or two. Can Booster Gold pick up any of the readers who are now without a series? Skeets sure hopes so.

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Since we opened the week with a bit of a look back to something many Booster fans may have never seen, let's continue that theme with a peek at something else that has been around awhile but may be new to you. (Slight warning, the following may contain spoiler information if you have not yet read 52. But if you haven't yet read 52, shame on you.)

Years ago, DC posted Keith Giffen's layouts for 52 at 52thecomic.com (now archived at www.dccomics.com/sites/52/). Among those layouts are two original rough drafts for the ending of 52 Week 15, including one ending where Booster Gold is disintegrated and another ending where he was cut in half. Fortunately, neither of those things ended up happening to our dear Booster. He just died instead.

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