I went to my Local Comic Shop specifically to buy Blue and Gold #2, and they told me they didn't receive any copies. This despite the fact that I had checked DCComics.com before I left the house, and the website said the book was "Available Now."

I figured it was just a case of the distributor short shipping the title. That happens. Frequently. (Yeah, it still bothers me, but what am I going to do, stop collecting comics?)

So I come home, go online to pick up a digital copy of the book, and I see this:

"Available on September 7 2021"?!? The book has been delayed three weeks, and DC hasn't bothered to tell anyone — not even their own web developers?

What could have possibly happened for such a late scrub? Are the shippers on strike? Were editors late getting art to the publishing house? Did it fail to pass inspection by the Comics Code Authority? Are the printing presses in Afghanistan? Or Haiti? Or Florida?

Que sera, sera, I guess. Probably just about everyone in the world — including me — has bigger problems than whether or not I get my hands on any particular comic book. If I have to wait until September 7, so be it.

But how about a little warning next time, DC?

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Booster booster Rob Snow writes to say

I don't think there's a Blue and Gold coming out in November, according to the solicits.

A thorough search of gamesradar's listing of "November DC Comics revealed: A whole lot of Batman" — ain't that always the truth? — proves Rob right.

Last we heard, Blue and Gold #4 (of 8) is currently scheduled for a October 19 release, so we would have expected to see Blue and Gold #5 the third week in November. But as we learned last month, both Kevin Maguire and Dan Jurgens will be assisting on art duties for issue 4, and perhaps that's the reason for the delay on issue 5. This wouldn't be the first time a book's release schedule had to be revised to accommodate an artist (or three).

Oh, well. Better late than never. Thanks for the alert, Rob.

While Booster Gold shows up nowhere else in DC's November solicitations, he will be appearing in the upcoming new edition of the DC One Million Omnibus, which Amazon.com expects to be selling by May 3 (as reported by BleedingCool.com).

The 1,000+ page 2022-edition of the Omnibus will sell for around $100, which may seem a bit steep for a reprint of Booster Gold #1,000,000. But Booster Gold one million is the first appearance of Peter Platinum.

There's never enough Platinum to go around!

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Web-surfing Booster boosters might have noticed an article at ScreenRant.com this week titled "Batman's Still Keeping His Saddest Secret From The Justice League" in which Tristan Benns writes about events from Blue and Gold #1.

(Spoiler Warning: If you still haven't read Blue and Gold, be aware that spoilers follow. But, c'mon. You're reading a Booster Gold blog, and the book came out three weeks ago. Please try to keep up.)

As I was saying, per ScreenRant.com:

Pretty much every member of the team berates Gold behind his back, except for Batman — the hero that fans and Leaguers would expect to like Booster the least....

It's not entirely clear whether Booster's status as master of time has been restored in Infinite Frontier, but Batman's silence when the rest of the League rejects Booster speaks volumes, as does the knowing look he gives the Blue Beetle.

Sure, I noticed Batman's silent treatment, and I agree it speaks volumes. But to decipher what's going on here, it might be helpful to clarify Batman's historical relationship with Booster Gold.

Contrary to what might be presumed given his famously dour personality, Batman has always been among Booster's earliest supporters. In fact, Booster even made The Batman smile with his performance during his original audition for Justice League membership in Justice League #4 (1987):

Batman and Booster as written by Keith Giffen and J.M DeMatteis

Two decades later, in the pages of in the pages of Booster Gold #1,000,000 (2008), The World's Greatest Detective would reveal another reason he had always stood up for Booster: he knew Booster would become a Time Master before Booster ever did.

Batman and Booster as written by Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz

The events of Flashpoint changed much of the history of the DC Universe, but Batman was among the least affected, and his staunch support of Booster Gold was still on display in Justice League International #1 (2011). So it should come as no surprise that Batman would remain among Booster's allies in the Infinite Frontier-era Blue & Gold, even if he and Ted Kord are the only ones.

Knowing all that, if there's anything to be read into Batman's silence in Blue and Gold, it's that Booster is definitely still a Time Master, and Batman still knows all about it.

Batman and Beetle (about Booster) as written by Dan Jurgens

Footnote: "Pretty much every member of the team... except for Batman" is a very correct description of the scene in Blue and Gold because while Batman stays silent, one other Leaguer actually speaks up in defense of Booster Gold. That hero is Black Canary, who not coincidentally is the only other current team member who was present at Booster's debut in the aforementioned Justice League #4. (You can see her blond hair behind Captain Marvel in the panels above.) Old school is the best school.

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Looking for Booster Gold content this week? Well, you're in luck! Our hero is on the two-page spread of Infinite Frontier #4:

Ok, technically, that's a hologram of Booster Gold, but that still counts, right? Right?

The highlight of the panel, in my opinion, is Mister Bones' assessment of what/who he considers a threat to the Multiverse.

"Our world is constantly under attack. Often it's people from here."

Booster being included among that group is funny because it's true, or at least it was true for a younger, rasher Booster Gold. Given that neither Old Booster nor Rip Hunter are pictured as known threats, I take this as evidence that Booster's modern, public "screw-up" persona is successfully disguising his "real" work as a protector of the Multiverse. It's a rough job, but somebody's gotta do it.

This is just a cameo appearance, so Skeets will forgive you if you don't buy it. (But if you do chose to buy it, it will make Skeets happy.)

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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, Blackguard.

When you hear "Batman villain," you probably think of the Joker. Superman has Lex Luthor, and Wonder Woman has Cheetah. It's an old adage that all heroes are defined by their opponents. But before you can battle the king, you have to work your way up the hill.

Long before Joker, Batman started his career against Doctor Death. Superman originally matched wits with the Ulra-Humanite; Wonder Woman had Princess Maru. Everyone has to start somewhere.

Booster Gold started with Blackguard in the pages of Booster Gold #1.

Blackguard's technology was a gift of his sponsor, the criminal organization 1000, who had hired him to steal technology from Metropolis' S.T.A.R. Labs. A clumsy getaway resulted in his first, accidental encounter with rookie hero Booster Gold.

The inaugural confrontation between hero and villain took up most of the pages in Booster Gold #1 as the matched pair took turns showcasing their super powers and abilities. Both had scientifically advanced power suits. Booster was lithe; Blackguard was strong. Booster had energy lasers; Blackguard had an energy mace. Booster was smarter, and Blackguard was ultimately defeated.

Everyone's got to have a gimmick, and "being defeated" would soon become Blackguard's. Despite his considerable cybernetic strength and amazing, mentally-controlled energy constructs, Blackguard's general incompetence would lead to his defeat again...

Booster Gold #2

...and again...

Booster Gold #3

...and again.

Booster Gold #4

Blackguard appeared on three of the first four covers of Booster Gold beginning in 1985, but unlike our hero, Blackguard's journey would be out of the public eye. While Booster was growing rich and/or famous, the forgotten villain spent most of the next few decades — except for a *very* brief stint as a henchman for the devil Neron — in maximum security prisons The Slab or Belle Reve. He gave himself the aspirational nickname, "The Human Killing Spree" (in Guy Gardner: Warrior #36) but given his track record, it's hard to believe he could ever successfully kill even a single person — unless it was by accident.

When he was finally paroled in 2005, Blackguard turned over a new leaf. Using his given name, Richard "Dick" Hertz, he partnered with experienced restaurateur Guy Gardner and opened a bar in the building next door to Booster Gold's Super Buddies team headquarters.

JLA Classified #4

Like so many other would-be reformed villains, Blackguard was eventually given a second chance to do bad, and he still tried to make the best of it as an agent of Task Force X, better known as the Suicide Squad. In Blackguard's case, it lived up to its name.

Ironically, Blackguard has become more famous in death than he ever was in life. He made his live-action movie debut in last week's The Suicide Squad, where he is portrayed by Pete Davidson.

Meanwhile, glory-seeking Booster Gold is still waiting for his shot at movie stardom. Blackguard didn't win at much, but at least he's got that.

Are you interested in meeting other "People in his Neighborhood"? Follow these links to get to know Trixie Collins, Daniel Carter, Jack Soo, Rani, Dirk Davis, Skeets, Mackenzie Garrison, Rip Hunter, Michelle Carter, Nurse Devlin, Monica Lake, and Doctor Shocker.

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