TGB posted on Oct. 26, 2010 at 6:14 PM
Off-topic: New Superman look. Hate.

ncllcn posted on Oct. 26, 2010 at 10:35 PM
Good interview, I've been waiting for Waverider and the Linear Men to get some mention now I'm really pumped for the next Time Masters. Also I agree the new Superman look is dumb. Though I liked when he had the long hair/mullet back in the 90's and almost everyone I've talked to did not, so who am I to judge.

 Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Oct. 26, 2010 at 11:23 PM
As I recall, that Super-Mullet was really popular (an controversial) back in its day, as youth loved it and established readers hated it. I suspect that the new Superman look will be the same way and be just as durable. I stopped getting excited over costume changes years ago. (Costume changes that aren't Booster Gold related, I mean. Bring back the collar already!)

BoosterPowershot posted on Oct. 27, 2010 at 1:25 AM
I can't totally fault J.M. on not knowing what went on with 52. Booster's part was interesting, but confusing as hell. I am not at ALL familiar with the Waverider character, and all this nonsense about missing seconds or something was a cool concept that just NEVER explained itself for me. Also, I read 52 AFTER I started reading BG Vol. 2, and I was led to believe that 52 had much more Booster-prominence that it really did. His biggest limelight is near the end of the series, and by this point it was so damn confusing I had to just simply read it for the sake of finishing it.

Superman posted on Oct. 28, 2010 at 9:57 AM
Sorry, but what's "The New Superman look"?

 Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Oct. 28, 2010 at 2:21 PM
This week DC published SUPERMAN: EARTH-ONE with a very emo Superman. The mainstream press picked up the news and ran with it. Read more and see pictures on DC's Source blog here: http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/10/28/a-few-links-of-note-superman-earth-one-take-three/. I don't care for it myself, but I don't mind DC trying to reach a new audience outside of continuity.

Erin posted on Oct. 22, 2010 at 2:48 PM
I always seem to forget to vote in these polls. I like Booster solo or as a team member. What's currently interesting about him being a team member is that it's different in two books. In TMVP he's the only one besides Rip or Skeets that knows what he's doing but the other two members of their search party easily disregard him. In JLGL he's had a little clash at the start with his teammates but somehow became the leader, and even though some are aware of this their not challenging it. <br />I remember on the DC boards seeing Giffin promising big things including expanding the cast. Supernova/Daniel was supposed to have big things happen to him, Michelle was going to have a larger role and etc. Unless their run is going on longer than I anticipated than I don't see how their going to show all of this. Much less introduce a new character--one that Michelle pretty much adopted into the family--when their not even going to do anything with her.

 Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Oct. 22, 2010 at 3:18 PM
Though I omitted it from my post above, I've postulated before that Giffen and DeMatteis are in a tough spot with Booster being featured in 2 event tie-ins in addition to his regular series, which has the worst sales of the three titles. I suspect that the pair are feeling forced to tread some water while the other stories resolve in order to keep from telling completely conflicting tales. I'm sure that they wouldn't have introduced Rani if they weren't planning on using her: they are both much better writers than that. I have a great deal of faith in Giffen and DeMatteis, earned by their combined half-century+ of enjoyable storytelling. I'm just growing impatient with this particular story. There's only so much character development to be had from deceased supporting characters (like Beetle, Barda, and Miracle). I'm anxious to get past this current, overly-indulgent, nostalgic story that seems to have sidetracked Booster from the more relevant things he has been doing.

Erin posted on Oct. 22, 2010 at 4:14 PM
True but at present it does seem this way. If they are trapped between two ongoing tie ins then focusing in on the supporting cast could only improve the title. I don't think the current stories would feel as stretched thin if they cut to what Michelle was doing more often. I've seen the potential their run could have but I think trending into the past has hurt it. Especially when you consider the nature of his current mission. Slipping into the nostalgic stories has made the tension disappear. If Boosters' more concerned with going on a repo job with Ted than trying to stop Max then why should we care either? There's so much potential for what could be done that seems to get lost in the shuffle and in some cases seem to take the character development back. If they have to explore this particular past and not include the cast I would have loved to get more insight on how Booster feels about Max, something writers have barely scratched the surface of. As much as I love Ted we've already seen Booster get sidetracked from his time traveling duties because of him during Johns/Katz run.

tiggerpete posted on Oct. 22, 2010 at 4:28 PM
as someone who wasn't really reading comics before Infinite Crisis, I never got a chance to read Blue and Gold having wacky adventures in continuity, so maybe I am liking this nostalgic trip down memory lane since I never got a chance to experience this time period the first time. I like seeing Booster interact with his history with maturity and experience that he lacked before.

 Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Oct. 22, 2010 at 5:37 PM
@tiggerpete: I understand your position, and I recognize that part of my exasperation with the current situation comes from my familiarity with the history of the characters and writers. And if the approach of selling books laced with nothing other than nostalgia drew readers, I might begrudgingly accept it. But it doesn't, and I don't know why most readers would want to stick around for retread stories.

(By the way,'pete, if you haven't read the old JLI stuff, at least the first 40-50 issues, you really should. They are truly fantastic, and far more serious than you would probably expect given the modern tendency to look back and lambaste them for their slapstick humor and intra-team bickering. I recommend them highly.)

tiggerpete posted on Oct. 23, 2010 at 12:01 AM
I do have the first 2 trades of JLI, and I'm trying to collect a complete run of all of the post-crisis Justice League books, but thats not always an easy thing to do. While I don't hate the Giffen Demateis run on Booster Gold, I don't think its quite up to the level I know is possible given the creative team and their history with the character. I think if you switch writers, I say go for a big name, but throw a curveball, I say get Grant Morrison to write an arc, given his propensity for old obscure comic references, I'm thinking it would be quite fun to see what he would do, and when he's done, we get Jurgans back on.

 Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Oct. 23, 2010 at 12:16 AM
How, exactly, is Morrison a "curveball"? He's DC's current go-to guy. His stories can be moderately entertaining (though heavily derivative) when he has Silver Age history to draw from, but he's incoherently esoteric otherwise. Clearly I don't care for his writing, but I admit that it does sell very, very well. If that's what it takes to get big numbers of readers on BOOSTER GOLD, I can bite my tongue, I guess.

Superman posted on Oct. 27, 2010 at 1:19 AM
Now that I think about it, Booster having solo adventures is not such a bad thing. And it would have been okay if Giffen and DeMatteis didn't tie in too much with JLGL if they had a good story to tell of their own. There are really only two things I dislike about their current arc: [1] It's too... undisciplined; and [2] they STARTED this arc with the search for Max, and so the rest of the arc must also be about the search for Max. Had they chose to start with weird JLI adventures and kept it from spilling all over the place I probably wouldn't gripe so much.

BoosterPowershot posted on Oct. 21, 2010 at 10:26 AM
I'm just afraid that they'll pull the plug on the series. I'm not a big Geoff Johns fan, but if putting him back as the writer for Booster Gold would increase sales, I'd ask him to write 6 more issues after Giffen/DM but before bringing Jurgens back.

tiggerpete posted on Oct. 21, 2010 at 11:24 AM
I think Johns is a little too busy to pick up writing Booster Gold right now, at my count he is writing only 4 books, bu is trying to do some DC work outside of comics as well, and being CCO is probably a time consuming job

 Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Oct. 21, 2010 at 2:49 PM
Putting a high-profile artist/writer on the book is the best way to increase sales. (Other than a ring promotion, of course.) Jim Lee pushed Batman and Superman to the top a few years ago. That's probably the best strategy if DC wanted to pay prime prices to promote a book with limited mainstream market appeal like BOOSTER GOLD. (BOOSTER GOLD is slavishly devoted to DC history and nostalgia -- perfect for devoted fanboys/fangirls, bad for new readers.) I believe that to some degree, that is what DC was attempting to do with Giffen/DeMatteis. Unfortunately G&D's tone is just too far afield from what it seems the majority of readers were accustomed to, and it's leading to a very rough transition.

Booster's sales still aren't terrible in this weak comic book market. So there's no need for panic. Stick Booster Gold in the midst of the next major crossover and see what happens. Event books may suck, but they do drive sales.

Harry posted on Oct. 21, 2010 at 9:19 PM
BG sales are tracking right along with Power Girl sales. Maybe BG fans and PG fans should ban together and buy the other's book? We can look to Rebels and Doom Patrol to see what timeline BG is on (both titles at 10k but not yet cancelled). Seems like we got at least one more year before things are dire.

BoosterPowershot posted on Oct. 22, 2010 at 12:17 AM
I just have this fear that they'll randomly cancel Booster Gold. Anything involving him and PG's main title are what really drive me to the comic shop each week.

Erin posted on Oct. 22, 2010 at 12:20 AM
I'm considering it. I usually drop books that don't hold my interest or annoy me. #37 definitely ranked up there. But worrying about losing the book altogether makes me a little unsure. I think you're right about a high profile team until Jurgens returns but it has to be someone who gets the previous tone of the book. <br />I didn't know there was such a strong distaste for #37. I've barely been able to find comments on it and the most of the ones I've seen have been gushing about it.

 Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Oct. 22, 2010 at 1:10 AM
Thought exercise for those of you who are worried about losing BOOSTER GOLD altogether, would you rather keep reading another 20 issues like the last 3? Booster the character will survive for years to come even if Booster the current series does not.

@Erin: I don't trust online opinions (present company excluded, of course). The people I know who read comics have been pretty universally disappointed in #37. And those who have left feedback here at Boosterrific.com have been pretty negative.