OG Booster booster Shawn Baston notified me that Booster makes a very brief, non-continuity appearance in this week's Teen Titans Academy #4 (thanks, Shawn!). Since I was already in the Boosterrific Database, I decided to take the time to (finally!) update data on some other minor reprint collection appearances I'd been putting off. That's when I noticed something odd.

Justice League Unlimited: Time After Time is a collection of time-travel themed Justice League Unlimited stories. The volume was published last November. (Sorry. Like I said, I got a little behind. I'm blaming the pandemic.) This is its cover:

Usually, these trades reuse cover art from one of the issues they collect, but this one clearly needed something a bit more general for the hodgepodge of volumes within. Instead of an existing cover, art was chosen from an existing interior splash page.

The chosen art comes from Justice League Unlimited #9, credited to penciller Carlo Barberi and inker Walden Wong and reprinted in Time After Time. The issue's story sees the JLU travel back in time to help Shining Knight save Camelot from Morgan Le Fey, and the selected art has some of the DCU's biggest names flying into action alongside King Arthur — swinging on a Batrope! That's an image that will sell some comics!

There's just one problem. To make the existing art fit the desired cover layout, it had to be altered. And I don't just mean that the art was recolored to remove the backgrounds. One hero was edited out of the picture entirely.

Care to guess who that hero was?

Here's the splash page as it originally appeared:

Poor Booster!

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I spent a lot of time in 2020 showcasing the best Booster Gold comics. But Booster Gold appears in plenty of other comics that while maybe not great are still pretty darn good.

Take, for one example, Justice League Unlimited #17, released 15 years ago today. The issue's story, "Let Freedom Ring" by Adam Beechen, Carlo Barberi, Lary Stucker, Heroic Age, and Phil Balsom, is based in the continuity of the excellent animated series of the same name and is, at its core, little more than a cliché excuse to have some good old-fashioned hero-on-hero super fisticuffs. As stale as the concept may be, there's plenty of fun in the execution.

But don't take my word for it; see for yourself. Here I've condensed the issue to remove most of the panels Booster Gold doesn't appear in (which is how I read most comic books).

As you can see, Booster doesn't play a very big part, but that doesn't mean the issue isn't a joy to read.

I assure you, the panels that Booster aren't in are just as good. (There's an especially entertaining bit between Superman and the Human Bomb.) If you get a chance to read the full issue, I recommend you do so. You won't be sorry.

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I'm a little late to post this, as the edition now seems to be entirely sold out, but that's no reason not to marvel that such a Boosterrific poster as this exists in the world.

That's the Warner Bros officially licensed Justice League Unlimited poster by Dave Perillo released via Grey Matter Art back in May. There were two editions, the normal one you see above and a foil edition. The Blot has pictures of both on Twitter.com.

Sorry about that, everybody. I'll try to pay better attention ion the future.

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Over the weekend on Twitter, Booster booster The Blot Says called our attention to the upcoming line of Heroclix Justice League Unlimited. It's a good looking set based on one of the best cartoons ever made. (Hard to believe that the last episode was broadcast in 2006!)

Of course, I wouldn't have much to say about it if it wasn't for one figure in particular. Feast your eyes on this:

As you can see, that's just a computer rendering of the figure. Perhaps we'll get a picture of the actual product closer to its release in April. I'll keep you posted, because I'm sure you'll all want to get your own JLU Skeets.

In the meantime, if you want a better look at what else you'll find in the set, check out wizkids.com.

Thanks, Blot.

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I mentioned on Wednesday that I was going to be picking up a copy of Young Justice #4. I've actually been buying all the Wonder Comics titles, and I like most of them. (Wonder Twins is my favorite.) A great deal of what I like is the lighter tone of the books.

I have a tendency to complain about the "grim and gritty" nature of the contemporary DC universe. That makes me part of the problem. DC has, in fact, published plenty of "lighter" fare in recent years featuring the characters that I know and love, and I've done a poor job of spotlighting those. The best was unquestionably Justice League Unlimited, based on the Cartoon Network cartoon of the same name.

The series ran for 46 issues from 2004 through 2008. Booster Gold appeared in many of those, including issue 20, released on this day in 2006, in which he helped welcome Mary Marvel to the Justice League.

Art by Rick Burchett

The issue is a great example of the series' traditional, family friendly super hero hijinx that got me into reading comic books in the first place. The story, "Just Us Girls" by Paul D. Storrie, borrows notes from Booster's mainstream DC universe history while introducing readers to Mary Marvel and "girl power" fisticuffs. It's a delightful read.

Advance reviews of the movie Shazam!, opening today and focused on Mary's big brother Billy, indicate that it aims to be in the same vein. I wish it was based on the original Fawcett Whiz Comics characters and not Geoff John's New 52 re-invention of them, but I applaud DC and Warner Bros for at least trying to reach an audience other than fans of the black-as-night Zack Snyder film universe. Beggars can't be choosers.

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