Late last week, Booster booster J sent me a bunch of new sighting of old ads to update the list of Boosterrific Advertisements. However, one of his finds is this:

That house advertisement comes from Flashpoint Companion, a collection of promotional material — mostly cover art — supporting the Flashpoint event.

So far as I can determine, Flashpoint Companion was a digital only release originally published online in 2012 at read.dccomics.com. Although DC discontinued that subdomain URL in 2013, you can still read it free online via DC Infinite, Google Play, Apple Books, or Amazon (and probably many others).

Other than this two-page spread — essentially a glorified reading list — the only actual "story" inside the book is a two-page "The Origin of the Flash" written by Scott Beatty (which, according to his blog, scottbeatty.blogspot.com, was originally created as a Converse shoe promotion, probably sometime around 2008-2009, as I believe it was included in the DC Universe: Origins collection of the 2-page origins published in 2010 Never mind. It's not in there).

In fact, it's probably worth mentioning that all the art for this promo was pulled from other sources. The central image of Flash comes from an Andy Kubert drawn house ad at the end of 2010's The Flash Volume 3 #1 (as you can see at Flash fansite speedforce.org). The background behind the Flash (a callback to the sublime wraparound slipcase cover for the Crisis on Infinite Earths hardcover by George Perez and Alex Ross) was taken from Flashpoint #5 (also drawn by Kubert).

The crackle section with Booster and Professor Zoom are the covers of Booster Gold #45 by Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund, and Hi-Fi Designs and Flashpoint: Reverse Flash #1 by Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes.

I don't find print copies of this thing documented online in any of the usual places, but it's possible it has been overlooked given its slight content. Does anyone know if Flashpoint Companion was ever officially published (i.e., committed to paper)? Perhaps as an in-store giveaway?

As a general rule, I confine mention of digital-only content to here on the Boosterrific Blog and leave it out of the larger tracking Boosterrific Database, in large part because digital content is so ephemeral, even by comic book standards. Should I make an exception here given the ubiquity of the free copies floating around online ten years after its original release? Oh, the headaches of being an obsessive comic book chronicler!

Hearty thanks to J for your ongoing efforts to make Boosterrific better than ever.

UPDATE: J adds via email

A few years ago, DC had booklets advertising various characters, such as Batman 101 and JSA 101, where they'd print a list of essential stories, a some two-page origin stories, and comic covers.... In the "Justice League 201" booklet, they'd reprinted the Origin of Booster Gold from 52 #24. But unfortunately, it seems to no longer be available.

Like the Flashpoint Companion, I believe those also only existed digitally, and my bias against tracking digital media applies. For years, DC made those 2-page origins available for free on their website as part of their character guides; that content seems to have evaporated as well.

And that's why I prefer physical floppies: DC can't take the paper away from me (unless they back a moving truck up to my house).

Comments (1) | Add a Comment | Tags: andy kubert dccomics.com flashpoint house ads j scott beatty scottbeatty.blogspot.com speedforce.org

I hope everyone has awesome Labor Day plans, so I'll keep this brief.

Booster Gold may or may not be in Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 this week. He's not in the preview at aiptcomics.com. He wasn't in issue #2, so maybe Booster is taking the even-numbered issues off.

UPDATE 2022-09-06: Nope, he's in there, smiling away in a one-panel cameo appearance on page 6.

Booster probably isn't in Flashpoint Beyond #5 this week, but Rip Hunter's pre-Flashpoint Time Masters definitely are, as is Rip Hunter's secret time laboratory and future-teasing chalkboard. All of those things are visible in the preview at aiptcomics.com, which also seems to provide some spoilers to the ending of Dark Crisis, so beware.

Booster is almost guaranteed not to be in New Champion of Shazam #2, but I recommend you take a look at it anyway. I bought the first issue last month, and I loved it. What can I say? I'm a sucker for Hoppy the Marvel Bunny, especially when drawn by Doc Shaner. Some comics can be good even without Booster Gold.

Thank you for your consideration. I now return you to your regular scheduled holiday.

Comments (2) | Add a Comment | Tags: dark crisis flashpoint mary marvel previews rip hunter

While our hero doesn't actually appear on the pages within, this week's Flashpoint Beyond #0 can be considered Booster Gold-adjacent thanks to the inclusion of Rip Hunter's famous chalkboard of hints.

words by Geoff Johns; art by Eduardo Russo, Trish Mulvihill, Rob Leigh

Hunter's chalkboard made it's first appearance in 52 Week Six (written in part by Geoff Johns) and could be seen frequently in Booster Gold Volume 2 (written in part by Geoff Johns). That Geoff Johns sure knows a good idea when he sees one!

A variant of the Silver Age Rip Hunter and his team of Time Masters will clearly be playing a key role in Flashpoint Beyond as it goes forward. The zero issue also makes several references to other famous DC Universe time-travelers, such as Chronos, Abra Kadabra, and Professor Zoom. Of course, the original Flashpoint story was all about the chaos unintentionally unleashed by a time-traveling Flash, and the only DC Universe hero other than Flash to visit the Flashpoint Timeline was Booster Gold (in Booster Gold #44).

Will we see Booster in future issues of this mini-series? Only time will tell.

Comments (0) | Add a Comment | Tags: eduardo russo flash flashpoint flashpoint beyond geoff johns new releases rip hunter

Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Flashpoint came out back in December. I ignored it at the time because A) 2020 was dark enough that I really didn't feel the need to spend any more time than necessary in DC's darkest timelines, and B) I didn't expect to find Booster Gold in it.

Turns out, I might have been wrong. (About B not A. 2020 was terrible by any objective standard.)

Take a look at this splash page and see if you see what I see.

by Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, Scott Hanna, Alex Sinclair, Jeremiah Skipper, Rob Leigh

That's not the Dark Multiverse's version of the Flashpoint alternate reality, but the alternate-alternate Dark Multiverse Flashpoint reality created specifically by Professor Zoom to... well, his motivation isn't really that important, is it?

What *is* important, at least to Booster boosters is the question of whether this is the Booster Gold of that alternate-alternate reality?

I say sure, why not. The more Booster Golds, the better.

Comments (2) | Add a Comment | Tags: alternate reality bryan hitch dark multiverse flashpoint

I've already covered Booster Gold's appearance in the upcoming Generations Forged (due February 23), but that's not the only BG appearance included in DC's February solicitation as provided by GamesRadar.com.

First up is the collected edition of Booster's recent guest-starring role in Batman Beyond #47, #48, and #49:

BATMAN BEYOND VOL. 8: THE ERADICATION AGENDA TP
written by DAN JURGENS art by SEAN CHEN, SEAN PARSON, PAUL PELLETIER, and NORM RAPMUND
In the final volume of Batman Beyond, Batman and Batman Beyond meet at least, with Booster Gold caught in the middle! But first, Terry McGinnis forges an uneasy alliance with Damian Wayne in order to stop Mr. Zero and his radical faction from turning Gotham City into an ice-covered hellscape. To set things right, Batman, Damian, and Batwoman Beyond must declare war on the League of Assassins! And one more thing: Inque returns, posing as Batman and wreaking havoc in Gotham City! Collects Batman Beyond #43-50.
On sale March 16, 2021

But that's not all!

FLASHPOINT: THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OMNIBUS HC
written by GEOFF JOHNS, SCOTT SNYDER, JEFF LEMIRE, JAMES ROBINSON, BRIAN AZZARELLO, DAN JURGENS, PETER MILLIGAN, JIMMY PALMIOTTI, ADAM GLASS, DAN ABNETT, and others art by ANDY KUBERT, FRANCIS MANAPUL, DAN JURGENS, EDUARDO RISSO, MIKEL JANíN, BEN OLIVER, SCOTT KOLINS, RAGS MORALES, and others The event that reshaped the DC Universe, now collected in its entirety in one massive omnibus edition! Barry Allen works for the Central City Police Department, where he's solved numerous criminal cases. As the Flash, he protects the innocent and battles evil. He is the Fastest Man Alive! Or he was...
Barry Allen wakes up to a world that is not his own. A place where his mother was never killed...and the Flash never existed. This altered universe is on the brink of a cataclysmic war. No human has ever wielded the Green Lantern's light, and no one has ever heard of Superman. Batman has as much blood on his hands as his enemies do, and America's last hope is Cyborg. Powerless and alone, Barry Allen desperately tries to hold on to his memories of the reality that once was. If there is any hope of setting things right, he must convince this world's strange, dangerous heroes to help him fix what was broken.
This omnibus collects Flashpoint #1-5, Booster Gold #44-47, The Flash #9-12, Flashpoint: Reverse-Flash #1, Flashpoint: Abin Sur the Green Lantern #1-3, Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman #1-3, Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance #1-3, Flashpoint: Citizen Cold #1-3, Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint #1-3, Flashpoint: Deadman and the Flying Graysons #1-3, Flashpoint: Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager #1-3, Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance #1-3, Flashpoint: The Outsider #1-3, Flashpoint: Secret Seven #1-3, Flashpoint: The Canterbury Cricket #1, Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies #1-3, Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost #1-3, Flashpoint: Project Superman #1-3, Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #1-3, Flashpoint: Green Arrow Industries #1, Flashpoint: Grodd of War #1, Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #1-3, Flashpoint: The Legion of Doom #1-3.
On sale April 20, 2021 | $150.00 | 1,504 PAGES

Whew! That's a lot of comics in one book. I recommend reading it at a table. If you try to read it in your lap, you might lose circulation in your legs.

And, since we were very recently on the subject, I should mention that BleedingCool.com has uncovered that a new edition of Bizarro Comics is coming in the summer:

BIZARRO COMICS THE DELUXE EDITION
Comic icons come together to tell the strange and wonderful tales of BIZARRO! The tales of Superman's twisted doppelganger, BIZARRO, are collected in this brilliant deluxe edition format! Follow along as Bizarro decides to publish his own comics from BIZARRO COMICS HC #1 and through the strange and wonderful tales told in BIZARRO WORLD!
On sale June 22, 2021

(Bleeding Cool also alerts us to an upcoming 10th Anniversary collection for the New 52 relaunch due in August, but so far it looks like it will just be a select few titles and will not include Booster Gold's Justice League International. I'll be sure to let you know if that changes.)

Obviously none of those are new Booster Gold appearances, but I'm sure many of these books will introduce Booster to new audiences, and that's a good thing, too.

Comments (0) | Add a Comment | Tags: batman beyond bizarro comics bleedingcool.com flashpoint gamesradar.com solicitations