Perhaps most famous for its uncharacteristically metaphorical opening splash page, I can't imagine that Booster Gold volume 1 #10 is anyone's favorite Booster Gold comic.

The issue's main story is almost entirely about positioning the pieces for the final act of Booster's first long story arc. But the slower pace does allow for building emotional development, especially as we finally see the motivation of Booster's foes, the desperation of Dirk Davis, and most importantly, the friendship (romance?) Trixie Collins feels for our hero.

Artist Dan Jurgens reinforces writer Dan Jurgens' theme of plumbing character depths with pages of panels that start with large establishing shots and tighten to small panels of specific details.

The story starts on page 2, opening in a claustrophobic alley and then ratcheting up the tension as panels shrink the scope down to a very threatening cassette tape. On page 5, we literally follow the villain down as he descends into irrational madness. Page 11 is another fantastic example as focus is narrowed from a crime scene to the relevant clue, and on page 19, panels keep cutting away to closer and closer reaction shots of Doctor Shocker's glee at Booster's decreasing power. Alfred Hitchcock would be proud!

All of those are great pages, but my favorite is the most serene in the whole book: just Booster and Trixie hanging out in a pizza place.

You can actually see these two growing closer! Call me sentimental, but I think that's Boosterrific!

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