When last we left our hero, he had just debuted his replacement for the power suit Doomsday destroyed (in Superman #74), and in Justice League America #81 we learn that his 20th-century power armor is not yet up to the task, especially when its servos burn out under enemy fire leaving him feeling as powerful as a sardine in a can.

The issue's finished art is generally too loose for my taste (it never feels like the penciller, inker, and colorist are working as a team), but this page panel layout by penciller Kevin West really works for me. The action starts with the foregrounded Wonder Woman, but led by the departure of Guy Gardner, the central action in each panel slowly moves away from the reader and, importantly, away from Booster Gold, emphasizing his current irrelevance. Well done.

And while I'm praising creatives, I should definitely mention the writing. I'm on record as a fan of Dan Vado's Justice League run as I often enjoy his strong and sympathetic characterizations. Although I find this issue to be imperfectly paced, I'm very impressed that its central dilemmas between heroes all trying to "Do the Right Thing" in a tense political situation feels even more topical now than when it was published three decades ago, making it very re-readable. Kudos.

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When we last saw our heroes in the 1992 summer event "Eclipso: the Darkness Within" (you know, back when Booster Gold actually appeared in comic books), the situation was looking grim. But in in Action Comics Annual #4, things get downright ugly.

If you read the issue, the first thing you will probably notice is that the art is, well, it's not good. Chris Wozniak is credited as sole penciller, but there are four credited inkers. This probably means that the issue was behind schedule and the finished product was rushed to meet a deadline. The bloated page count required of the double-sized, double-priced seasonal annuals isn't doing it any favors, either.

That's a real shame, as it is written by one of my favorite Justice League writers, Dan Vado, who had the bad fortune of working with many—um, how to say this politely?—awful artists during DC's EXTREME nineties. Vado was always respectful of his characters and especially good at building melodramatic character moments that felt authentic and organic. That skill is certainly evident in this issue, even on page 30, where Ice gets to be both competent *and* deliver the punchline.

I know that I rate this issue poorly here at Boosterrific (2 out of 5 stars), but I really don't hate it. If you're a fan of the classic JLI, you'll find enjoyment in Booster, Fire, and Ice's struggle against an entire Eclipso-ed village... and Superman. It's just a shame you can't read it with your eyes closed.

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If you've seen any movie filmed in New York City during the 1970s and 80s, you know that town was an absolute cesspool overflowing with garbage and urban blight. Thankfully, one visionary man bucked the system, seized power, and began cleaning up the city in the mid 1990s.

Yes, Booster. That man was the dictator Monarch. And readers of Extreme Justice #7, released on this date in 1995, would have recognized him as a wolf in sheep's clothing. Therefore, the question at the heart of this story isn't whether or not the familiar Monarch had become a sheep, but just which wolf he was.

First, a bit of backstory. Debuting in Armageddon 2001 #1 (1991), Monarch was a corrupted hero who had grown so frustrated at how bad the world was being run, he was determined to take it over himself. The time-traveling would-be world dictator (co-created by former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Archie Goodwin with shades of Doctor Doom and Kang the Conqueror) had already had run-ins with almost every super hero on Earth.

What makes Monarch particularly unique in the DC Universe isn't the character's origins or motivations, but his very complicated relationship with Captain Atom. See, as originally planned, Monarch *was* Captain Atom. DC's writers and artists seeded clues to Monarch's true identity for months, but when news of the planned reveal leaked to the general public, editors made a last-minute change to his secret identity.

However, no one liked the change (perhaps because of all the strong clues already in print to the contrary), and thus would begin years of stories revising Monarch's identity and intentions. Stories like this one.

Those who remember Extreme Justice often remember the "extreme" art, which makes it easy to say that the strength of the series was writer Dan Vado's character-driven melodramas and morality plays. What is the cost of being a hero? What defines a villain? Who are we all, really? This issue doesn't answer those questions, but life is about the journey, not the destination.

Just remember to never, ever trust a tyrant like Monarch.

Especially not if your name is Booster Gold.

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I make no secret of the fact that I enjoyed Dan Vado's time writing Justice League comics, including Extreme Justice. It's also no secret that I'm not quite such a fan of the art of Vado's frequent collaborator, Marc Campos.

To be fair, I'm a Booster Gold guy, and Campos' time on the character coincided with Booster's infamous football armor. It was not a golden era.

I'm perfectly willing to accept that fans of other characters may have enjoyed Campos' work a little more than I did. In fact, one of them recently sent me an email looking for help tracking Campos down.

Love your site! I was just wondering if you happened to know contact info for Marc Campos?? I have been wanting for years to get a Blue Beetle commission from him!

I'd like to help, but sadly, I have no idea how to reach Mr. Campos. All I know is that back in the day, he worked out of Brazil (and presumably still does).

Can anyone be a hero and point us in the right direction to contact Campos? If so, leave a note in the comments, and I'll be sure to pass it along.

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If you followed the adventures of Booster Gold in the mid-90s, you must be familiar with the work of Dan Vado. Vado was the writer who gave Booster his first suit of bulky 20th-century power armor in Justice League America #80, cut off his arm and killed him (temporarily) in Justice League America #89, then restored what remained of the fortune Dirk Davis had stolen in Extreme Justice #6.

Vado's time writing the character is often overshadowed by the, um, "extreme" art of the era. That's a shame. Vado's writing strongly emphasized the troubles and personalities of the characters in the ensemble cast. Yes, it's all a bit melodramatic, but that was always a component of the International era of the Justice League. Extreme Justice might not have a sterling legacy, but it's really pretty good if you can read it with your eyes closed.

Happy 56th Birthday, Dan Vado. And thank you.

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