Denver Brubaker is most prominently known as the mastermind behind the web comic Tales of a Checkered Man, but the man also has a soft spot for a particularly comedic duo.

For someone with his own webcomic to promote, Brubaker finds plenty of time to share the love with Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. The image above was Brubaker's contribution to a thread of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold fan art that he instigated over a year ago on Comic Vine. In more recent months, Brubaker has tried to drum up support for a Blue and Gold webcomic at Outcast studios and showcased another image of Blue and Gold on Comics Alliance.

You can find more of the talented Mr. Brubaker's work at thecheckeredman.deviantart.com and, of course, checkeredman.com.

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DC Co-Publisher Dan Didio has called it "probably my favorite comic of all things published in the last ten years." Comic book blogger Robby Reed has called it "staggeringly awful." Your response probably lies somewhere in between, depending on how much you care for DC continuity or the Blue Beetle.

This divisive comic book is Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1. Released 7 years ago today, this one-shot issue, officially titled DC Countdown in the legal indicia, kicked off the 4 separate mini-series leading to Infinite Crisis. It is more famous for re-introducing Justice League International supporting-character Maxwell Lord as a villain. And, of course, the related fate of Ted Kord.

While I still find this book to be an enjoyable read, I also believe that DC was short-sighted in choosing Ted Kord to be the sacrificial lamb to promote high sales of the Infinite Crisis crossover. The friendship of Booster Gold and Blue Beetle was unique in the DC pantheon: genuine but irreverent, lighthearted but sincere. Even when their misadventures strained plausibility, it was always worth going along for the ride just to bask in the reflected glow of their effervescent joy at being together. Simply put, their adventures were fun.

Booster Gold has enjoyed a career renaissance since the death of his best friend and business partner. However, the DC Universe is a smaller place without Ted Kord, and we have DC Countdown to Infinite Crisis to thank for it.

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Mega Con 2012 was held in Orlando this past weekend. Most of the details about the New 52 still just depresses me, so I'll cut to the chase: DC confirmed again in two separate panels that there will be no Blue Beetle and Booster Gold reunion in the DCnU in the foreseeable future.

Before you throw yourself off a bridge, be aware that Dan DiDio did confirm that there is a Kord Industries somewhere in the new DC Universe. But we already knew that because an advertisement for Kord Industries could be seen between Booster Gold ads in the backgrounds of Teen Titans #4. Given that more Booster Gold advertisements will be appearing in today's Teen Titans #6, maybe we'll see more Kord ads as well. That's likely the only way we'll see even a hint of Ted Kord for awhile.

Billy Hogan has posted summaries of DC's "All Access" and "New 52" Mega Con 2012 panels at SupermanHomepage.com.

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Toy Fair 2012 was last weekend, and as it turns out, there was some Booster Gold related news. Toy News International reports that the final Justice League Unlimited toys ever will be released at Mattel's MattyCollector.com later this year. Included in the final releases will be a 3-pack of Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, and Fire.

This is hardly the first (or even the second) Booster Gold JLU figure, but it seems that it will be the last. If you want your Blue and Gold (and Green Flame!) collection to be complete, keep an eye out for this assortment online this fall.

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Sufficiently advanced technology could be indistinguishable from magic, but Booster's 25th-century tech may have met its match in Zatanna's wand.

The delightful piece above of Zatanna working her magic on Blue and Gold (and Skeets!) was drawn as a commission by Loston Wallace. You can find more of Wallace's work on his website, lostonwallace.com, or over on deviantart.com.

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