Two months ago, we learned how DC's Legends of Tomorrow executive producers Phil Klemmer and showrunner Keto Shimizu got DC to agree to allow Booster Gold to finally appear on their show.

Late last week, we learned why.

In response to fans questions on Twitter, Shimizu herself tweeted:

DC was in our corner trying to help our chances of renewal. They and WB wanted us to survive. We were asked for a new character to "excite" the audience, and attract more viewers. We requested Booster and DC agreed. It was all in an attempt to save the show.

That's right: they were counting on Booster Gold to help save them. And Booster failed.

As a Booster Gold fan, I should probably point out if you want to stir up public support, it would definitely help to actually tell us in advance to tune in to see our hero. (Early notices only teased a fallen hero whose "golden years are in the rearview mirror.") It's also really hard to boost week-over-week ratings if a character appears only in the season finale. (Booster's episode, "Knocked Up, Knocked Down," had the second-smallest audience of the season; the next-to-last episode was the smallest, meaning Booster actually did bring it up somewhat, and I certainly would have watched the following week if there had been one.)

That said, failure is kind of Booster's story, right? His heart is always in the right place, but he often overestimates his own abilities while underestimating the consequences, sometimes making a bad situation worse. Sometimes much worse. Cancellation worse.

However, Booster Gold's most sterling quality is that he is no quitter. After ruining the day, he'll dust himself off, take ownership of what he did wrong, and set out to make it right. It's the prototypical hero's journey. Everyone loves a redemption story.

And that's why I'm now strongly hoping that Legends of Tomorrow does find a way to return to the screen, at least long enough to give its fans the ending they deserve. We can all rest assured that Booster Gold will continue working behind the scenes until he has helped all those who need rescuing. Because that's what real heroes do.

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I've seen tomorrow's Free Comic Book Day Dark Crisis Special Edition #0 — well, technically, according to the indicia, it's the Dark Crisis #0 FCBD Special Edition 2022 (suggesting that there will be another one in 2023?) — and I can personally attest that Booster Gold is in it.

I had previously griped about Booster's cut-and-paste inclusion in this two-page spread, but I can now attest that our hero appears in a second, more significant panel (along with some guy whose name rhymes with "glue needle"). But showing *that* panel would be spoilers, so you'll just have to take my word for it. At least until you get to your Local Comic Shop and participate in the weekend's festivities.

And while you're in your Local Comic Shop, perhaps you'll consider picking up Earth-Prime #3, which includes an unexpected Legends of Tomorrow Booster Gold story that fleshes out what Booster was up to between the scenes of the series finale, "Knocked Up, Knocked Down."

I've seen the episode and I've read the comic, and I'm *still* not sure I understand what's going on. But at least the comic hints at the relationship between Booster and the Legends of Tomorrow version of Skeets. It's complicated, but also kind of sweet. Kind of.

Get either of these books and make Skeets happy!

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A thunderstorm came through my town and knocked out our power just as I was composing today's post at about 1AM. Without wifi, that's where it'll stay. Power company estimates a fix won't be in until nearly dawn, so I'm going to bed, and this is all the post you're going to get, Booster boosters.

While I'm sitting in the dark, may I suggest you go read some other site instead. I hear from The Blot that BleedingCool.com is hinting that Booster might have a bigger role to play after Dark Crisis is over. And Rob Snow says that Booster is in the newly published The DC Book of Lists, available for Kindle download right now at Amazon.com.

Or go outside and throw a ball for your dog. Not everything in the world is about comic books, you know.

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The CW has finally ended the suspense by dropping the axe on DC's Legends of Tomorrow after seven seasons. You can read more details in "'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' Canceled at the CW" at Variety.com, but what this means for Booster boosters is that we are unlikely to be seeing Donald Faison reprise as Booster Gold.

(Could he show up in The Flash? Or could WB decide to continue the Legends story on HBO Max at a later date? Who knows. Television executives are unstable people; they could do *anything*. The point here is that there won't be an eighth season on CW this fall.)

This marks the second time that Booster Gold has appeared in a live-action television show, and the second time that the show has ended shortly thereafter. Eleven years ago, Booster had a guest starring appearance in "Booster," the 18th of 22 episodes in the 10th and final season of CW's Smallville. The biggest difference between the two situations is that it had been announced a year in advance that the tenth season would be Smallville's last, giving the series the opportunity to build to a fitting finale. No such luck for Legends, which will end with all of its characters in jail for crimes against history. (Anyone else having Seinfled flashbacks?)

It's starting to look like Booster Gold is becoming the Pariah of the live-action DC Universe: doomed to arrive in a new Earth just as is it consumed by the great darkness. Frankly, since each television series is a derivation of the one, true DC continuity now known as Earth-0, maybe it's fitting that secret Time Master Booster Gold arrives in the nick of time to prune these alternate Earths.

It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it. Gotta make room for new shows somehow.

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It's 3:46 in the morning, and I need to get to sleep, but I can't go to bed until I come up with something to post for you fine Booster boosters. Fortunately for everyone, The Blot has bailed me out with this recent very Boosterrific tweet:

I don't think you need to *move* the 6-inchers, Blot. I think you just need to get some more.

Thanks for the save. If you haven't seen his action figure designer art toy blog, check it out at theblotsays.com.

UPDATE 2022-04-29 3:30PM: As you've probably read elsewhere by now, legendary artist Neal Adams has died. He never drew Booster Gold in a comic book, and now he never will. But we can see what Booster would have looked like in his distinctive style thanks to a piece Blot commissioned from Adams and shared with us in 2014.

Thanks for all the good comics, Neal.

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