Long ago in a galaxy far, far removed from COVID-19, DC Comics released a comic book called Year of the Villain Hell Arisen #3.

What DC failed to mention when retailers were making their orders two months in advance was that this new book would introduce the first on-panel appearance of the Joker's new henchman, someone called Punchline. And because far too many people think a smiling homicidal maniac is cool, Year of the Villain Hell Arisen #3 sold out in most stores before it even hit shelves.

It just so happens that book also contains an appearance by Booster Gold, which means that many Booster Gold completists now have a hole in their collection. (Not me, though. I know a guy and pulled a few strings. I may not have rights to a first-born son anymore, but sometimes that's the price you have to pay.)

Anyway. If you missed that book, DC gave you a second chance when they reprinted it in March. However, that run (of over 11,000 books) also sold out. So here comes printing number three.

I sure do like that gray on this third edition. It reminds me of the time that Quentin Tarantino had scenes in Kill Bill: Volume 1 processed in black and white to abstract some violence. Martin Scorsese used a similar trick when he desaturated the climax of Taxi Driver. (True story: with no new comics to read, I've watched 56 movies in the past three months.)

The only way to make that cover better might be to put Booster Gold on it. That just might convince me to give away rights to my second-born as well.

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from Justice League Task Force #13 (1994), aka the one where Booster Gold dies

In honor of Memorial Day, let us pause for a sober moment of remembrance for all of the super heroes, both imagined and real, who have given their lives so that we may continue to enjoy our comic books and related websites.

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The comics industry is slowly getting back to normal, as you can tell by the release of solicitations for upcoming releases. While it doesn't look like our hero will be appearing in any of DC's August 2020 comics, the publisher's latest solicitations do include a confirmation of something we first spotted last month:

BOOSTER GOLD: FUTURE LOST HC
written by DAN JURGENS and others
art by DAN JURGENS and others
new cover by DAN JURGENS and NORM RAPMUND
The original solo series for Booster Gold, self-serving hero from the future, concludes with this collection of Dan Jurgens's formative mid-'80s stories! Booster finds himself a wanted man, and then lands in the polychromatic sights of the Rainbow Raider! Later, Superman gets in the middle of a battle between Booster Gold and...Booster Gold? Collects Booster Gold #13-25, pages from Millennium #3-6 and #7, Action Comics #594, Secret Origins #35, and more.
ON SALE 09.01.20
$39.99 US
400 PAGES
ISBN: 978-1-77950-672-6

That's right, the companion volume to the superb Booster Gold: The Big Fall collection will be in your Local Comic Shop this September. What could that "and more" mean? I'm giddy with anticipation.

See Newsarama.com for the full list of DC's August coming attractions.

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Today is May 20, which means that whether or not your Local Comic Shop is open, Diamond Comics definitely is.

As you may recall, DC Comics released some books in recent weeks, including Harley Quinn #72, through direct distributors that aren't Diamond. Some stores couldn't or wouldn't take content through those distributors. Fortunately for comic buyers caught in that situation (like me), those DC Comics will also be delivered by Diamond Comics today.

That means that if you haven't yet ordered a floppy copy of Harley Quinn #72 from eBay at a considerable markup, you can probably grab a copy for cover price next time your LCS opens its doors.

Time moves strange in the COVID-19 era, so I understand if it's been so long since you read a comic that your last memory of Booster Gold and Harley Quinn was one of the many times she tried to kill him in the pages of Heroes in Crisis. Just know that they've apparently patched things up since then.

Try not too let your head spin too much thinking about that.

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Cort Carpenter has returned to once again give us a look at the latest additions to his already overstuffed Booster Gold sketchbook. Feast your eyes on these:

Scott Kolins

Todd Nauck

Richard Pace

Dan Parent

Andrew Robinson

Craig Rousseau

That Craig Rousseau piece really blows me away. You can see it and all the rest of these and more at imgur.com.

Thanks for sharing, Cort. I can't wait to see what you come up with next.

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