The third Booster Gold comic released on September 15, 1987 was Justice League International #9, which contained events explicitly taking place immediately after Millennium #1 (also released on September 15).

As it happens, for several reasons, not the least of which was limited funding, I didn't buy every Justice League International comic the week it was released. But it happens that I did buy this one because it tied into Millennium #1. (So I'm living proof that major crossover events sell books, I guess.)

I mention that because at the time, page 3 was my favorite page simply for the reason that I always thought it was cool that Blue Beetle was able to put out a cry for help with his breath on a window.

But my tastes have changed. These days, I have a different favorite page... for two specific reasons. One of those reasons will be immediately self-evident to all Booster boosters who lay eyes on it:

See? Booster Gold is just the coolest. (Golly, I love those panels 3-6 of reaction shots zooming in closer and closer to the eyes before the big reveal that it was Booster Gold who saved the day.... just in time for Blue Beetle to bring our arrogant hero back down to Earth! What a wonderful sequence.)

The second — and considerably nerdier — reason I love this page is how wrong it is.

What you see above is the page as it appeared in more modern reprints on higher quality paper. You can see that the re-colorist (presumably using the original color master?) maintained the coloring mistakes that the late, great Gene D'Angelo unintentionally made in the original newsprint publication, such as Booster's flesh-colored star and Martian Manhunter wearing Booster's pants.

When the same issue was republished just a few years ago in Justice League International: Born Again, the page coloring was corrected, but washing out the existing color from scans of the original resulted in thinner blacks. The overall effect is a page that actually looks worse despite the "correction." (Leave D'Angelo's work alone!)

And both of those reprints have eliminated one of my favorite details: the page number! In the original publication, this is clearly marked "14" in the lower left corner. Why did it go away when other pages have maintained their in-art numbering?

(Side note: As a chronicler, I love page numbers! Please, please, please, bring back page numbers, DC!)

All of these little idiosyncrasies plus a badass Booster Gold moment add up to make page 14 (numbered or not) my favorite page of the issue.

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Last week's "favorite page" subject was Action Comics #594, which ended on a cliffhanger. But today's featured comic isn't the continuation of that story. No, we'll get to Booster Gold #23 later.

Released a week before BG #23 was was the unrelated, standalone Justice League International #8, perhaps best known as the first appearance of what would become the JLI's signature catchphrase: "bwah-ha-ha!"

Even more significantly, it's also the dawn of what will become the DC Universe's greatest comedy double act. Do you know who I'm talking about?

Although Booster Gold and Blue Beetle had both been members of the JLI for a couple of months, this issue is where the bromance really begins. As you can see, their relationship was built on a foundation of mutual respect.

Bwah-ha-ha, indeed.

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As Brandon has accurately pointed out in comments on other entries in this series, Booster Gold #22 is indeed a downer. Bad things happen to Our Hero, and worse things happen to his family. But that drama actually makes for a pretty good comic book.

One of those bad things is a large gray monster more powerful than the assembled might of the entire Justice League International.

In hindsight, especially under the direction of Dan Jurgens, this feels more than a little like a Doomsday scenario, don't you think?

Page 10 above is certainly a lot of fun, but it's hardly the only great page. Page 13 is also a blast — or perhaps I should say a "ba thooomm"? — and pages 18, 19, and 22, though less fun, are masterfully delivered full-page compositions. If you chose any of those as your favorite page of the issue, I certainly wouldn't argue.

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At last we come to Justice League International #7, which happens to be the *first* issue of Justice League International because back in the day publishers didn't restart series every other week; they just retitled existing series and kept the previous numbering. Was it confusing? Sure. But that's comic books for you.

Taking the Justice League international was a pretty big deal at the time (heck, if you ask me, it's still a big deal), but Booster Gold didn't have much of a role in the events. Aside from (kind of) saving Batman's life in space on international television, Booster spends most of the issue as just another pretty face in a crowd.

Which explains why he's not on my favorite page of the issue. Superman is.

The Man of Steel enters the United Nations Security Council politely. By walking in the door. So many writers/artists would get that detail wrong.

Speaking of artists, Kevin Maguire's art for the oversized issue has always looked a little rushed, but it's especially sketchy in higher-definition reprints. I recommend reading this on the original blurry newsprint if you have the option. Newer isn't always better.

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If you don't remember life before the Internet, you may not realize how much harder it was back then for young people to find a community who shared your interests outside of mainstream pop culture.

I distinctly recall being teased quite mercilessly in high school for admitting in front of the class that my ideal Saturday night was staying home and watching Tom Baker Doctor Who reruns on PBS. (I can't say much has changed.)

Which is why, once I'd found friends who liked to quote Star Wars and watch Japanese cartoons, we especially cherished the things that brought us together. Such as comic books.

Especially when those comic books had something really cool in them.

Like that time Batman punched out Guy Garner in Justice League #5.

Like Blue Beetle, we talked about that forever. Which is why, despite having very little Booster Gold content — he's present but off panel — this is one of my very favorite pages of all time.

(Seriously. Why isn't this a movie yet, Warner Bros?)

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