This will come as no surprise to most Booster boosters, but Booster Gold has long had a name recognition problem. Or, as Brian Cronin puts it at CBR.com: "'Look! Up in the Sky! It's a Bird! No, It's a Plane! No, It's Buster Gold!'"

Calling Booster "Buster" has been around since the fourth page of Booster's very first appearance (Booster Gold #1). That was 1985. The most recent appearance of that long-running gag was in Bat-Mite #4 in 2015. Thirty years is a long time to keep a joke running!

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th Edition) defines the direct address "Buster" as

Fellow. Used in addressing a man or boy, especially out of annoyance.

Booster's aggressively brash and cocky personality naturally rubs some people the wrong way, making shouts of "Buster" Gold a fitting commentary from his many detractors.

While we're on the subject, the same dictionary defines "Booster" as

One that boosts, as: An enthusiastic promoter, as of a sports team or school;
or
One who steals goods on display in a store.

You've got to give creator Dan Jurgens credit for squeezing his hero's entire origin into one name.

Booster Gold insiders will note that, as Cronin points out, the "Buster" joke succeeds on an even deeper level:

The whole idea of people mixing up Booster Gold's name is funny, because the very name BOOSTER GOLD is, itself, a mistake.

He's so right. "Booster," "Buster,"... both are a far cry from "Goldstar." (See Booster Gold #9 for more details on how that came to be.)

Cronin only lists 5 "Buster Gold" examples in his CBR.com article, but you can find the whole list of Booster Busters here at Boosterrific.com

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Are you old enough to remember what it was like to have Booster Gold regularly appearing in his own comic book series? If so, you probably remember reading Booster Gold #28.

In that issue, the reader is treated to scenes that take place in

• 1990, the unfortunate events leading to the creation of Cyborg Superman;
• 1993, the year Coast City was destroyed;
• 2010, the "present" day; and
• 2083, the future of experimental time travel Project Slipshift.

Not pictured is 2020, where we are now, exactly one decade since the release of that issue.

I didn't include it on my list of great Booster Gold comics, but in many ways, this is an ideal issue for any new fans interested in Booster's adventures and who are not yet indoctrinated into his (and DC's) history.

Everything is in here: Skeets, Rip Hunter, Michelle, Superman, the Justice League, time travel shenanigans, and of course, the Royal Flush Gang.

Booster will be back in the saddle again sooner or later. He could do much worse than the likes of Booster Gold #28.

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CBR.com (yes, them again) alerts us that

"A new report suggests that a series based on Blue Beetle may be in development at HBO Max."

That has caused a lot of Internet DC and comics fan sites (you know the type) to speculate that Booster Gold must be appearing in this. Two things:

1) We don't even know if this rumor is true, and

2) No it doesn't.

While it would be nice to think that Blue and Gold will one day own the airwaves just as they own our hearts, there's no great reason to assume that Booster will have anything to do with a Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle project (which this undoubtedly is, assuming it really is in the works).

Therefore... we are still where we were the last time we heard a rumor that Booster Gold might be coming to a streaming service near us: that is, Booster Gold might be coming to a streaming service near us.

*shrug*

When DC wants us to know otherwise, they'll tell us.

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Here's something we don't see often enough: Skeets' solo fan art!

That sidekick-sized sketch card was created by Robert Demers, who you can find on both Deviant Art and Twitter as RobDemersArt.

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While researching which 2019 Boosterrific.com posts were the most read (for the 2019 Year In Review), I noticed a trend of people apparently looking for a Booster Gold reading list.

Booster Gold's newest fans are always concerned about the best places to start familiarizing themselves with Booster's adventures, and older fans are always keen for entry points to entice their friends into Booster fandom. I can help.

This is my completely subjective list of the best Booster Gold comic book stories in reading order:

1. Justice League #4 (1987)
Booster Gold's introduction to the Justice League is the best place to for new readers to meet our hero. He's truly at his best here, showcasing his powers, fighting spirit, quick mind, and dedication to team. The best of the best. (Read more about it here.)

2. Booster Gold #6 (1986)
Want to know Booster's origin? So does Superman. Booster is a hero with feet of clay and his head in the clouds. Who can't relate to that? (Read more about it here.)

3. Booster Gold #18 (1987)
There are two sides to every story, and this is the flip side of Booster Gold's. The issue follows a federal agent, Broderick, determined to make Booster pay for his crimes. What price is justice? (Read more about it here.)

4. Justice League International #34 (1989)
If you've only heard one thing about Booster Gold, it's probably that he's best friends with Blue Beetle. This is the height (nadir?) of their misadventures as they turn an island paradise into a Justice League-themed casino. (Read more about it here.)

5. Justice League Quarterly #1 (1990)
Whatever his many flaws, Booster Gold has always been a born leader. His first real chance to show it was as leader of the Conglomerate. Booster was a perfect fit for this international super-team fighting not for truth and justice but the interests of Big Business. (Read more about it here.)

6. Superman #74 (1992)
The 1990s were mostly lost years for Booster Gold, and much of that can be blamed on the rampaging monster Doomsday. The fateful collision between the two can be seen here, and like many train wrecks, it's impossible to look away. Old-fashioned super hero slugfests at their best. (Read more about it here.)

7. Formerly Known as the Justice League #4 (2003)
With Countdown to Infinite Crisis in the near future, this mini-series represents the last gasp of both the Justice League International family and the Blue and Gold team. Their last adventure was among the best. (Read more about it here.)

8. 52 Week 15 (2006)
It's hard to single out any single issue of 52 as better than any other, but if one has to be the best, start at the end: Booster's end. That's right, he dies in this issue. It's powerful stuff. (Read more about it here.)

9. Booster Gold Volume 2, #1 (2007)
Spoiler alert: Booster survived 52 (*cough* time-travel *cough*), and the experience molded him into a better hero than ever. His new adventures as champion of established history begin here. (Read more about it here.)

10. Booster Gold Volume 2, #5 (2008)
What are the rules of time travel? What would it take to break them? What kind of hero would try? A groundbreaking issue justly remembered as one of the best of its generation. (Read more about it here.)

11. Justice League: Generation Lost #23 (2011)
Like 52, it's hard to choose just one Justice League: Generation Lost issue as the best, and readers should start at the beginning and read the whole thing as the old JLI reunites to clean up their own legacy. But the payoff come at the end, starting with this penultimate issue. (Read more about it here.)

12. Action Comics #995 (2018)
Everything that Booster ever was or ever will be is in this multi-part Superman epic written by Dan Jurgens. It's the best Booster Gold story of the New 52/Rebirth era. (Read more about it here.)

Stay tuned to this blog, as I'll be spotlighting each issue in months to come. In the meantime, if you have other, better suggestions, let us know in the comments below.

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