Pop culture website 13thdimension.com posted an "exclusive first look" at upcoming issues of Action Comics this weekend. Running throughout the title in September and October will be a five-part story by Dan Jurgens called "The Oz Effect," in which we will finally discover the true identity of Mr. Oz.

Reading the advance solicitations included in the article, all I could think was "please don't let Mr. Oz be Booster Gold."

The popular theory is that the mysterious Mr. Oz, introduced three years ago (!) in Superman #32, is Ozymandias from Watchmen. Personally, I think that seems a little too "on the nose" to make a very satisfying reveal after all this time. And even if the fans were right and it was supposed to be Ozymandias, I would expect DC to change Mr. Oz's secret identity mid-story to maintain the surprise. (Anyone out there still remember the last minute Captain Atom/Hawk swap in Armageddon 2001?)

Many of the things Mr. Oz has done and said over the past three years indicates a fixation on Superman. Therefore, I assume that Mr. Oz is someone aware of Superman's past in Smallville, Kansas. (I think Mr. Oz takes his name from the original manipulative "man behind the curtain," the Wizard of Oz, who also has ties to Kansas.) While those clues might point to familiar Superman foes like Conduit or Ruin, I begin to worry that it might be a time traveler with historical ties to the Man of Steel.

Which is fine, just so long as it's not Booster Gold.

I mean, if Mr. Oz is revealed to be a nearly omnipotent time traveler seeking to unify a fractured universe (post-"Crisis", "Flashpoint", "New 52", "Rebirth", "Watchmen," etc.), it would certainly explain why fan-favorite Booster Gold has been M.I.A. since Convergence. And we can't deny that Booster has beef with Superman that goes way back. And Dan Jurgens does like to recycle his favorite characters . . . .

As I said, I don't want this to be the case. I don't want Booster to be a "villain." (And I certainly don't want to have to add all 30+ appearances of Mr. Oz to the Boosterrific database after the fact.) But it could be worse. After three years of waiting to find out who Mr. Oz really is, it might turn out that he's the Black Beetle.

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Once upon a time, Booster Gold appeared quite regularly in the annual crossover events uniting the DCU. For example, it was just 25 years ago today that Booster Gold appeared in a supporting role in Action Comics Annual #4.

Words by Dan Vado, Art by Chris Wozniak and a team of inkers

Back then, Booster and other members of the Justice League International were on the scene to try and free Superman from the clutches of Eclipso. These days that job would go exclusively to Batman, because... well, Batman.

It might be interesting to note that Blue Beetle wasn't with the rest of the Justice League for this mission (he had gone missing in the JLA Annual the previous month). That is consistent with the approach to the character taken by the current Blue Beetle series.

According to writer Kieth Giffen in an interview with Vaneta Rogers for Newsarama.com, the modern "rebirth" incarnation of Ted Kord was never a member of any Justice League. But Giffen also says that the events of Justice League 3000 are in Blue Beetle's future. JL3k was openly stated to take place in the same continuity as the original Justice League International stories. So . . . I have no idea what all that means for the current status of Blue and Gold.

Congratulations, DC. I'm not even trying to make sense of your continuity anymore.

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As the DC Comics April 2017 solicitations began trickling in, the big news is that Superman is soon to be a pair of red shorts and a yellow belt away from his classic costume.

As happy as that makes us long-time Superman fans, I have to wonder if that doesn't signal bigger reversions for the DC Rebirth Universe.

Last month, we saw that Booster Gold will be appearing in a crossover with The Flintstones. The cover included in those solicitations clearly depicted Booster in his pre-Flashpoint costume.

I had assumed that the costume on that cover was an accident on the part of cover artist Mike Allred, who perhaps was using an outdated template. But since DC is now clearly backsliding on Superman's look, what's the chance they're finally fixing Booster's atrocious New 52 costume?

Maybe we'll find out more when Booster Gold/The Flintstones Annual #1 finally arrives on March 29.

Meanwhile, you can read more about DC's plans for Superman at Comicbook.com

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Today is a "skip week" for DC Comics, so instead of your regular titles, you'll be seeing a lot of annuals and trades at your Local Comic Shop. One of this week's trades is Superman and the Justice League of America Volume 2.

The book is reported to collect Justice League America #69 through #77, which is kind of a weird run to include in a collection with "Superman" in the title. The Man of Tomorrow makes only a cameo appearance, dies in another title after the first issue, and doesn't come back. Perhaps they should have titled it Justice League of America Minus Superman.

These issues were originally published in 1992. My, how different comics looked 20 years ago. Clean line work! No gradients! Boots and red briefs! (Sigh. I really hate you, New 52.)

Obviously, I'm not complaining to see these issues back in print. Everyone needs to know that Booster gives Doomsday his name. It's important to remember that DC's resident time cop has some history himself.

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So Comic Con has taught us that we can look forward to seeing Booster Gold in action figures and cartoons. But what about the comics? Things might be looking up there, too.

ComicBookResources.com reported from the DC Rebirth: Superman panel where Action Comics writer Dan Jurgens had this to say:

"One of the great things about having a book coming out twice a month, you can explore corners you might not be able to in a monthly book," Jurgens said, as having "forty pages a month to play with" allows for more detours.

A fan asked what the Time Masters have been up to since "Convergence." "It's on my list of things to get to," [Jurgens] said. "The good thing about two books a month is you can get through a lot of material really quick."

Jurgens also expressed hope that he would get the chance to return Superman's red trunks. That sounds like a perfect excuse for a time travel story to me!

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