It was 25 years ago today that Doomsday killed Booster Gold.

What's that you say? You think Booster Gold survived 'The Death of Superman'? Take another look:

panels from Superman #74, released October 20, 1992. Story and art by Dan Jurgens

I mean, Doomsday, a creature powerful enough to kill Superman, punched a defenseless Booster Gold in the face then crashed his head into a tree then slammed his neck in a car door. If Micheal Carter was human, he died three times that day.

How did Booster Gold survive this beating? Credit the advanced healing technology of S.T.A.R. Labs, if you like. Personally, I have another theory. Booster boosters may recall that in Booster Gold Volume 1, #25, Harbinger told Martian Manhunter that Booster Gold was a descendant of the Guardians' evolved "chosen" in Millennium. This presumably gives Booster an unusual genetic makeup, a fact later confirmed when it saves Booster from Monarch in Extreme Justice #14. That's right, I'm saying that Booster has an accelerated healing factor! Snickt!

Or maybe Doomsday was only playing around.

However it was that Booster survived, "Death of Superman" was a pretty good story. It's hard to believe that it was written a quarter of a century ago.

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When DC released its December solicitations last month, we learned that Booster would be appearing in Action Comics #993 and 994.

DC released January solicitations earlier this week, and Booster Gold is getting even more Action!

ACTION COMICS #995
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
Cover by DAN JURGENS and TREVOR SCOTT
Variant cover by NEIL EDWARDS and JAY LEISTEN
"BOOSTER SHOT" part three! Time is broken, and Superman and Booster Gold are in over their heads trying to repair it! Meanwhile, Lois Lane confronts her estranged father—and Sam Lane now stands face to face with his grandson Jon for the first time. As Clark struggles to reconcile the truth of his own father, can Lois Lane do the same?
On sale JANUARY 10 • $2.99 US

ACTION COMICS #996
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art by WILL CONRAD
Cover by DAN JURGENS and TREVOR SCOTT
Variant cover by NEIL EDWARDS and JAY LEISTEN
"BOOSTER SHOT" part four! Superman and Booster Gold are out of time, and they've found themselves marooned on a strange planet sometime in the future. So why does this planet's infrastructure look...Kryptonian? The answer shakes the Man of Steel to the core as the ruler of this planet reveals himself . . . the son of Zod reigns supreme!
On sale JANUARY 24 • $2.99 US

You may remember that Brett Booth was solicited as the artist for the previous issues, and he denied it on Twitter. Well, Booth confirmed that these January solicitations are correct. (Still no official word from DC on who will be drawing #993 & #994, though.)

In addition to all those, take a look at the solicited cover to Nightwing: The New Order #6:

If you look closely, you'll see a familiar blue star under Nightwing Jr's right arm. Booster isn't in the first two issues in this six-issue out-of-continuity limited series, but might we see him in January's conclusion? The future is looking increasingly golden!

You can read all the original solicitation details on Newsarama.com.

UPDATE: I hear via Shan on Twitter that Booth says "Booster Shot" is going at least 6 issues. So expect more Booster Gold news in February!

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Earlier this week, DC released a new "Art Academy" video on YouTube. Each of these short films showcases the talents of one of their artists. The latest featured artist is Dan Jurgens, who drew (and inked!) Superman at Comic Con International back in July.

If you don't care to see Jurgens draw Superman — what kind of monster are you? — you can skip ahead to 7:44 to hear him talk about why he created Booster Gold.

Pay attention until the end. There's a trivia question at about 15:05 that I expect everyone reading this to be able to answer. (That's all it takes to get a Dan Jurgens' sketch? I've been working too hard!)

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I know that I said on Monday that I'd be busy this week and that "big news" would have to wait until next week.

I was wrong.

DC Comics released solicitations for December on Wednesday, and guess who's coming to Action Comics!

ACTION COMICS #993
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art by BRETT BOOTH* and JOE PRADO
Cover by DAN JURGENS and TREVOR SCOTT
Variant cover by NEIL EDWARDS and JAY LEISTEN
"BOOSTER SHOT" part one! As Superman struggles to cope with Mr. Oz's true identity, the Man of Steel turns to the only "hero" he knows who can prove once and for all if Oz's story is true: Booster Gold! But a massive power doesn't want our heroes venturing through time, and will do anything it can to sabotage their journey!
On sale DECEMBER 13 • $2.99 US

ACTION COMICS #994
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art by BRETT BOOTH* and JOE PRADO
Cover by DAN JURGENS and TREVOR SCOTT
Variant cover by NEIL EDWARDS and JAY LEISTEN
"BOOSTER SHOT" part two! It's the time-hopping team-up of Superman and Booster Gold—and on their quest to verify Mr. Oz's identity, a mysterious force attempts to sabotage the journey! This time (pun!) our heroes wind up in the crosshairs of a deadly new villain—the time wraith responsible for their tumultuous journey!
On sale DECEMBER 27 • $2.99 US

(* Note that while the solicitations indicate both issues will be drawn by Brett Booth, he has denied via Twitter that he will be the artist, calling the solicitations "a mistake". Therefore, actual artist for these issues remains unknown.)

It's been a good week for Booster Gold fans. We learned on Wednesday that the true identity of Mr. Oz isn't Booster but Kal-El's father, Jor-El . (*Whew!*) And now news that our hero will be returning from obscurity to team up with Superman in a story by Dan Jurgens? Whoo-hoo!

Thanks for this early Christmas present, DC. Extra thanks to all who called this news to my attention.

You can read the original solicitation details on Newsarama.com.

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Last week, ComicBook.com got a first look at a couple of variant covers to upcoming Action Comics that tease the outcome of the "The Oz Effect" storyline.

art by Neil Edwards and Jeromy Cox

Hmm. The back of that head looks kind of familiar.

Article author Russ Burlingame noted the similarities between Mr. Oz and one of his favorite heroes.

The reader cannot see Oz's face, although from behind he appears to have a headband and exposed hair -- a descriptor that could apply to Ozymandias, Jor-El (in most continuities, including the current version), or numerous other characters, including Booster Gold.

Say it ain't so, DC!

You can read the whole article, including Burlingame's guess at who the hooded man might turn out to be, at ComicBook.com.

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