My friends Mike and Keith are big fans of "The Dresden Files" books by Jim Butcher, and they were eager to tell me that Booster Gold is name-checked in the latest book, Battle Ground, as you can see below.

That page makes no sense to me, but I suppose jumping into any novel on page 153 would be confusing.

Despite my friends' urging, I have not read any of "The Dresden Files" books. I bought the first one, Storm Front, but only got through the first chapter before loaning it to my father, who was looking for something new to read in the hospital. I haven't seen it since (though Dad has now read the first 16 in the series).

Apparently, fans of the series know what I didn't, that protagonist wizard Harry Dresden — as Wikipedia tells us:

Harry prefers to drive his Volkswagen Beetle because the simple technology powering it makes it less likely to be adversely affected by his magic, and it can be fixed easily. He refers to it as the "Blue Beetle" due to its original color, though damage by supernatural creatures has forced him to replace several pieces of the bodywork in different colors.

Despite Harry's objection, comic book fans will agree that "Booster Gold" is the prefect callsign for someone associated with the Blue Beetle.

For the record, Battle Ground, the 17th "Dresden" book, was released in September. It can now be found in fine bookstores everywhere (and I'm sure it will make a good gift for my father this Christmas).

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In 2011, before DC Comics decided that all of their comics had to take place in the darkest possible timeline, they ironically published two surprisingly optimistic series under the "Brightest Day" banner. One of those, Justice League: Generation Lost, should rightly be considered among the best Booster Gold adventures ever told, in no small part because it builds towards an inevitable (and incredibly satisfying) confrontation between Booster and Maxwell Lord, his former employer and the murderer of his best friend.

And that's why Justice League: Generation Lost #23 is number 11 on my list of the twelve best Booster Gold comics.

The dirty little secret about my list is that Justice League: Generation Lost #23 is *not* better than Justice League: Generation Lost #24. Number 24 just happens to be the final issue of the series, and I don't think anyone should begin reading a good story at the final page.

The entire series, all written by Judd Winick, reads like a water slide: once you enter the tube, you only pick up speed as you head to the big splash ending. (There are a few bumps along the way, such as Ice's entirely unnecessary origin retcon, but what's a water slide that doesn't give you a few bruises?)

So do yourself a favor and go read all twenty-four issues of Justice League: Generation Lost and enjoy the challenge of picking the one issue *you* think is most deserving of being included among the twelve best Booster Gold comics.

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In the eternal search for Booster Gold cameo appearances, I made the mistake of flipping through Dark Nights: Death Metal The Multiverse Who Laughs #1. WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO READ A COMIC ABOUT BELOVED PET SIDEKICKS EATING PEOPLE? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, DC? Damn it, there should be a warning on the cover.

Fortunately, Batman Beyond #49 is a delightful antidote for most of the drek that DC is publishing these days.

Thank you, Dan Jurgens, et al.

A preview of the issue is online at CBR.com, but you don't need it. Go buy this issue and make Skeets happy. Sir.

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Sorry, everybody, but I've got my hands full with a family health emergency, so no significant post today.

I don't want a new dog!

Remember that Batman Beyond #49 is due at your Local Comic Shop tomorrow.

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For many reasons (not the least of which was that as a poor college student I didn't have $30 in discretionary funding to spend at that time), I didn't pick up Bizarro Comics when it was released in 2001. I only finally read it last week, and was pleasantly surprised to find Booster Gold making a very brief cameo appearance when Mr. Mxyzptlk takes a look at what goes on inside Bizzaro's addled brain.

Art by John Kerschbaum and Tom McCraw

My brain might be just as addled. I've always thought that "Metropolis' Golden Guardian" would be a great nickname for Booster Gold... if it wasn't already the name of another DC character!

Jim Harper debuted as the shield-carrying policeman known as Guardian in 1942, but his clone used the "Golden Guardian" name in the 1970s. They were originally created and named by the comic book gods Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, you know, the same guys who get credit for a certain shield-carrying super soldier.

Of course, that pedigree and seniority only carry weight if you respect them. if Booster really wanted the title, he'd just take it. Maybe I should, too.

Bizarro would approve.

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