I have a dilemma, and I could use your feedback, Booster boosters. Let me explain.

When I first started the Boosterrific! Database in 2007, I intended it to track every Booster Gold appearance in a DC Comics comic book. At that time, I made no allowance for non-unique Booster Gold appearances, by which I mean advertisements, mostly DC house ads and other promotional backmatter.

Eventually figuring that few people ever collect every instance of an advertisement (and realizing that it's impractical for me to track down and buy hundreds of comics just so I can look through them for ads), I decided about a decade ago that it would be this site's policy going forward to not track non-unique appearances in the database but to indicate them, when known, as part of the Boosterrific! Advertisements page. That system works well enough, and I'm happy with it.

However, as a result of my original oversight and prior to my decision to intentional exclude them, some comics which contain only non-unique appearances have been included in the Boosterrific! Database, most visibly in cases featuring the 1985 advertisements of Booster Gold's debut appearance such as DC Challenge #4.

And now I find that discrepancy bothering me.

The solution seems binary. Either A) I change my position again and add books with just non-unique appearances to the database, or B) I remove the existing books with only non-unique appearances from the database.

Which brings me to you, the loyal Boosterrific visitor. Before I make my decision and make some pretty big changes to the database, which do you think I should do? A or B?

Please let me know in the comments below or via the Boosterrific! Contact page.

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Serious question: how long is long enough before something should no longer be considered a story spoiler?

Case in point: it's been nearly 2 months since the release of Blue and Gold #8 in which we learned the secret identity of one of Booster Gold's longest-running foes.

Is 2 months long enough that I can now update the site with the character's secret identity without spoiler warnings? Or should I at least wait until after the trade collection is released in September? Or maybe longer?

What do you think?

This week's poll question: Can I publicly discuss the Black Beetle's identity without a spoiler warning? Please visit the Boosterrific Polls page to view results for this week's poll.

UPDATE 2022-07-19: The results of this poll indicate that you overwhelmingly think that it's been long enough. While I *want* to talk about this, I don't *need* to talk about it yet, so I think I'll try to wait until the trade is released. The big reveal is a fun part of the series, and I really don't want to ruin it for anyone who doesn't want it ruined.

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Have you read Batman Beyond #48 yet? If not, that's your assignment this weekend.

If you don't want to go to your Local Comic Shop for some reason — like, maybe you're still bailing out from a tropical storm that reached hundreds of miles inland like I am — you can always buy the digital comic at comixology.com (assuming your power has been restored).

Judging from the response to last week's poll, most of you are cool with that option.

Last week's poll question: Should the Boosterrific database include comics existing only in digital formats? (28 votes)

I have to admit that digital comics do have some unique positives. You certainly don't have to worry about a leaking roof or flooded basement — or, if you're on the left coast, a raging forest fire — damaging your digital comic collection. That's worth considering in 2020 and beyond.

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First things first: if Booster Gold appeared in a new comic today, I remain unaware of it. But Batman Beyond #48 is due next week, so we've got that to look forward to.

Second things second: Jennifer wrote me to note that Booster Gold's cameo from Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #7 is not in the Boosterrific database. She's right. It's not.

I mentioned the cameo here on the blog the week it was released back in June, but I never added it to the database. As a reminder, here's what that cameo looks like:

Superman: Man of Tomorrow #7, words by Dave Wielgosz; art by Miguel Menonca, Yasmine Putri, David Baron

You might ask why I haven't gotten around to adding that yet. It's a good question. Four months is a long time. There have already been ten more issues of Superman: Man of Tomorrow already! How lazy can a guy be? While I can be pretty darn lazy, the exclusion of Superman: Man of Tomorrow #7 has been intentional.

As a matter of tradition, all the books in the Boosterrific database are the printed editions (you know, the old-school kind that you can read without LED screens and batteries). Therefore, I had been waiting for DC to reprint the Digital First Superman: Man of Tomorrow series before adding it to the site. That's what DC did in the past. Until lately, they have combined 2 or more of these digital comics into a single floppy available at your Local Comic Shop.

But 2020 is interesting times, and DC isn't the same company it was at the start of the year. They have yet to announce any printed editions of Superman: Man of Tomorrow. It might come eventually as a trade collection of the whole series, but these days who can tell?

So the question becomes: should I change the way I've done things in the past to start adding individual issues of digital exclusive content? Or should I hold fast to my old fashioned concepts of what a "real" comic book is? What do you think?

This week's poll question: Should the Boosterrific database include comics existing only in digital formats? Please visit the Boosterrific Polls page to view results for this week's poll.

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If you missed your chance to pick up Dark Nights: Death Metal #3 at your Local Comic Shop two weeks ago, you get a second shot this week. Considering the heavy metal music theme, instead of a "second printing," we should probably call it a "re-release."

And while we're on the subject of Death Metal, let's look at your response to last week's poll.

Last week's poll question: Does the face in the crowd in Dark Night Death Metal Guidebook belong to Booster Gold? (32 votes)

That's about as close to an even split as I could have expected, and those responses are coming from people who love and watch for Booster Gold appearances. I guess that means that *was not* Booster Gold in Dark Nights: Death Metal Guidebook. Case closed?

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