I can't imagine myself cosplaying. I'm far too short and fat to come within 10 feet of spandex. But I'm glad to think that someone out there is making the effort to bring our heroes to life.

Last week's poll question: What is your opinion of cosplaying? (41 votes)

With the publication of Justice League International Annual this week, the JLI is no more. At least for the time being. I thought the issue was terrible, but I've been informed that some people actually liked it. I'm going to put it to a straight up or down vote this week: how did the wrap-up issue sit with you?

(If you want to put more than just two cents in, I invite you to rate and comment on the issue yourself here.)

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Justice League International Annual #1, the first and last Justice League International Volume 3 annual, hits shelves today. According to the advance solicitations, this issue "ties in to the shocking events of JUSTICE LEAGUE #12!" A preview of the issue was released earlier this week at USAToday.com (thanks to MetalWoman for the link).

Since Justice League #12 also comes out today, you may want to keep your eyes open when you visit your Local Comic Shop this week. False alarm. I bought it. It's terrible and in no way has anything to do with Booster Gold. Never mind.

What's next for the JLI? Even Skeets wants to know what happens in this annual. Skeets covers its visual receptacles and hides.

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Remember this poster?

That's Kevin Maguire's "Class of 1987" Justice League International poster. I need a good, high-resolution close-up photo of Batman. If anyone can lend a hand, please let me know in the comments, forum, or via email (Webmaster [at] Boosterrific.com). Thanks.

UPDATE 08/27/12: Shawn, Booster Fan Club Member #001, stepped in and got me the pic I needed. Thanks, Shawn!

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As we all know, Booster Gold was inspired by Batman and Superman. But what happens when our hero crosses paths with another up-and-coming hero? Would he provide inspiration of his own? In short, no.

In all likelihood, Booster Gold was completley unaware that he was crashing Maxi-Man's attempt at a debut appearance in Mister Miracle, Volume 2, #9. Though Maxi-Man meant well, it was this constant upstaging by more established heroes that would drive him to seek the attention of the public and lead him directly into a confrontation with Booster's Justice League teammate, Mister Miracle. Needless to say, Maxi-Man was outmatched.

Booster and Maxi-Man would go on to work together in the Conglomerate (in Justice League Quarterly #1), but the group was disbanded before they had much time for bonding. Years later, Maxi-Man met his end in Roulette's casino, so we may never know if Maxi-Man held a grudge against everyone's favorite Corporate Crusader. Maybe Maxi-Man will get a second chance in the New 52.

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The Justice League International Annual isn't due for another two weeks. While it might seem odd to release an annual to a series that has already been canceled, it certainly won't be the first time that this has happened to a Justice League title. Sixteen years ago today, DC published Justice League America Annual #10 more than two months after the series had been canceled at issue #113. Then, as now, Booster Gold took center stage.

The theme of the DC annuals in 1996 was "Legends of the Dead Earth," a series of tales about how the heroes of the DC Universe would go on to inspire humanity years after their own deaths. While many of the stories in these annuals could be considered unlabeled Elseworlds tales of an alternate reality, the Justice League story was heavily linked to ongoing continuity.

The story focuses on Captain Atom during one of his many unintentional trips through the quantum field to a future where Maxwell Lord's villainous schemes were oppressing humanity. (Sound familiar, Justice League: Generation Lost readers?) Lord has created a new JLI-inspired team called the Alliance that spend most of their time violently putting down "Trogs" bold enough to oppose Lord's tyranny. Whatever his original motivation, it becomes clear that Maxwell Lord has become corrupted inside former JLI-foe Lord Havok's robotic body (expanding on a plotline last seen in Justice League America #100).

The other original member of the JLI on the team is Michael Jon Carter. Refusing to be called Booster Gold, Michael acts as the team's field leader. Michael's position as Lord's right-hand man is fitting given that Lord had once hand-picked Booster to join his new JLI (as seen in Booster Gold #16). Michael is still something of a time traveler, having survived the intervening centuries by replacing his organic parts with mechanical imitations (a process begun in Justice League America #90). Wearing a prototypically Extreme! 1990s costume, this Michael exhibits a no-nonsense demeanor, increased power, and a warped set of personal values, even by Booster's admittedly questionable standards.

Before the story careens to its conclusion, it is revealed that Maxwell Lord is an evil megalomaniac who relives his past with living puppets based on his JLI template. Booster's motivations are never made clear, though Captain Atom expresses many uncharacteristically derogatory theories. Booster Gold fans are likely to be far more forgiving to our hero's actions.

Clearly a product of its era, this book is hardly the best annual in which Booster Gold appeared. Christopher Priest's story really doesn't make much sense, and Nick Napolitano's inks are especially unattractive. With the bar for annuals of cancelled series set this low, Geoff Johns and Dan DiDio won't have to do much work to top this effort.

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