Eleven years ago today, DC released JLA: Incarnations, an anthology mini-series focused on telling the "untold" stories set a various points in the prior history of the Justice League. Most of the fun and frustration of this series was in seeing how writer John Ostrander would mangle characterization and history in order to squeeze his new stories into pre-existing continuity. Issue #6, published 11 years ago today, was no exception.

This issue contains two stories set about 7 years apart, and both stories generously feature Booster Gold. Booster and Blue Beetle are the protagonists in the issue's lead story, "Buddies." The pair invent the villainous identities of Bloodspot and Deathmetal in order to sneak into the rogue nation of Bialya. As entertaining as the story is, at times almost everything seems to be an anachronism. Errors stretch from DC Universe chronological impossibilities (Mister Miracle's inclusion in events would have been impossible in the time period) to real-world industry conventions (the ultra-violent "grim and gritty" comics that would feature characters with ridiculous names "Bloodspot" and "Deathmetal" wouldn't be published for several years after the era in which this story was set). Even the relationship between the protagonists is blatantly misrepresented (Booster Gold should be playing straight to Blue Beetle's zany ideas, not the other way around).

The other story, "Authority," doesn't do much better. "Authority" details the untold and much-needed story of the dissolution of Extreme Justice, mostly from the point of view of team leader Captain Atom. Booster naturally plays a part in this story as well, although artist Eric Battle doesn't seem to realize that Booster wore more than one costume between the founding of the Justice League International and the conclusion of the Extreme Justice debacle. Again, Ostrander doesn't let history get in his way, as he, like Geoff Johns in the more recent retcon seen in Justice League International Annual, ignores that the United Nations washed its hands of the JLI long before the end of the team. As we all know, DC's writers never let facts get in the way of telling their stories.

That's not to say these stories aren't enjoyable, because they are. Objectively, they are entertaining reads that add to our knowledge of the period they represent. Subjectively, however, they don't quite live up (or in Extreme Justice's case, down) to the era that inspired them. Without hesitation, I recommend reading the issue, but like any story of historical fiction, I'll leave leave it up to the reader to decide how much truth they contain.

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Why was Justice League International volume 3 cancelled? Probably because by issue 12 it was selling about as well as Booster Gold volume 2 was selling at issue 47.

If Booster can do as well alone, why stick him with a bunch of dead weight like Guy Gardner and Batman? (Note that while our old pal Shag at FirestormFan.com will attribute the sales bump beginning at issue 9 to an appearance by Firestorm, but it's really do to a change in DC's return policy.)

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Last month the DCnU Justice League made it's video-game debut in Justice League: Earth's Final Defense for the iPad/iPhone. While Booster Gold isn't a playable character, he (and Skeets!) do appear as one of the game's hidden, upgradeable Support Cards. (I found Booster Gold by beating Lex Luthor with Green Lantern on the game's Easy setting.)

The 5 playable heroes (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman plus unlockable Flash and Green Lantern) and characters in most of the 30 Support Cards wear their New 52 costumes, but Booster is wearing his classic power suit. Skeets, however, looks like he's gotten a bit of a the DCnU redesign treatment with unnecessary segmentation a new ventral fin! The artist of this piece is unknown, though odds are he is an employee of this game's South Korean game developer, CJ E&M. (Artist found! See update below.)

The game is not without its flaws, the most egregious of which is that by the time you've found the Booster Gold card and earned enough points to fully upgrade him, you're probably done playing. (Booster's card increases a character's maximum health and energy. It's a useful effect late in the game, but the cost to unlock the card is a significant obstacle.) That's not to say that it can't be fun for a few hours, and is therefore probably a better use of $2.99 than buying a New 52 comic book.

You can download the game for your portable iOS device via iTunes.

UPDATE 09/16/2012: Kim In Tae receives in-game credit for the game's 2D art.

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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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