Booster Gold's one-panel appearance in Wednesday's Blue Beetle, Volume 3, #10 caught me entirely by surprise, despite the fact that we all knew Booster would be guest starring in next month's issue #11. (We did all know that and were already planning to purchase it, right?) Thanks to Morgenstern for pointing this appearance out.

To make up for my lax oversight, I present to you the Blue Beetle comic I wish Booster Gold had appeared in this week:

The above image must be the best All Star issue that DC never published. Unwilling to wait for DC to get around to publishing this series, clearly the greatest idea in the history of comics, Thormeister created this as the cover to an entire 7-page story pitting the pair against Darth Vader. You can find that whole story and more in Thormeister's gallery at Deviant Art.

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The last time Booster Gold didn't appear in a comic for a whole month was in 2006, an otherwise very busy year for our hero. In addition to the events of Infinite Crisis and 52, Booster Gold had time to make a cameo in another major event: Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers.

In Seven Soldiers: Bulleteer #3, Booster steals the scene in his one panel appearance as a presenter at the Zenith City Superhero Convention. That's right, Booster Gold was the Neal Patrick Harris of 2006. In fact, Booster's performance was so good that DC will collect it for a second time in Seven Soldiers of Victory Volume 2, scheduled for release today.

Even putting Booster Gold aside, the Seven Soldiers saga is pretty darn good. The story makes far more sense and is far more satisfying than Grant Morrison's more recent mega-event, Final Crisis. In many ways, this story is reminiscent of Morrison's best days on JLA, but with a more diverse cast and scope. Recommended.

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Remember those bombers who destroyed the Hall of Justice and then hospitalized half the JLI team? DC's solicitation for today's Justice League International #10 finally gives the group a name.

The JLI team — BOOSTER GOLD, AUGUST GENERAL IN IRON, GODIVA, GUY GARDNER, BATWING, O.M.A.C. and FIREHAWK — face off against THE BURNERS, who want to create anarchy by any means necessary!

That's right, an anarchist group that calls themselves The Burners. All things considered, it's probably a better name than Justice League Anarchy or Mutant Liberation Front.

Buy this issue and tell DC that we want Skeets!

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The cliffhanger story from Justice League International #9 is continued in today's The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #9. Bombers are on the rampage in Paris! Firestorm has transmuted the Eiffel Tower into rose petals! New Firestorms appear on every page! With so much going on, how does DC tease the issue in their solicitation text?

Don't miss this crossover with JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #9!

Oooh, Doesn't that sound exciting! At least it doesn't give much away since the JLI is on the cover and all. Certainly, it sounds better than "we care so little about Firestorm that we're going to promote it with a tie-in to a book we've already canceled."

For those of you interested in the events of this issue despite the fact that it will have Firestorm in it, you can read a 4-page preview at IGN.com. You gotta admit, Ethan Van Sciver's Yildiray Cinar's Booster Gold looks pretty darn good. (My fault. Van Sciver is only drawing the cover. Cinar handles interior art.)

Buy this book and... well, just buy it. There's no consoling Skeets right now.

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I can't personally recommend that you buy today's Justice League #9. I haven't liked anything about this title since its "New 52" relaunch, and I actively despise the current Captain Marvel Shazam back-up story. Typically, I'd tell you to flush your money down the toilet before spending it on this trash. However, this issue begins a new story which this week's earlier solicitations advertise will tie-in with the Justice League International Annual (and possibly hint at the reason for the cancellation of the Justice League International.)

So if you've got $5 burning a hole in your pocket, consider blowing that cash on this issue. (I suspect we won't be seeing that endorsement as a pull quote on the cover of the inevitable collected trade edition.) Meanwhile, Skeets is too busy self-medicating its abandonment issues with heroin to care about what you buy. (Green Arrow fans will know what I'm talking about.)

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