Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Booster Gold #16

By Nathan Madison
January 25, 2009 - 19:20

     Booster Gold #16 presents the second installment of writer/artist (and Booster Gold creator) Dan Jurgen's arc, "Reality Lost." Booster is found wandering the wasteland of No Man's Land on the Western Front of the Great War, captured by an American soldier, and finally attacked by German ace pilot, the Hammer of Hell, Enemy Ace. With the Time Sphere not available to him, and his suit significantly de-powered by the journey through the timestream, Booster is forced into the hands of Hans von Hammer, along with the American solider, now wounded in the Ace's attack. Meanwhile, closer in time to current DC Comics continuity, Booster's sister Michelle and younger Ralph Dibney are contemplating Booster's sudden disappearance last issue, with Michelle taking the Time Sphere, the Time Knife and Skeets back into the timeline, in an effort to find Booster, unknowingly bringing along the previous issue's unnamed and mysterious adversary.

     Back in the early 1900's, the injured American solider and

his time-lost companion are to be tortured for information, especially any concerning the mysterious "flight suit" won by the gold and blue-clad "American fighter pilot." The Hammer, however, owing to his legendary sense of honor among warriors (and DC Comics readers), realizes the two have no information to divulge that would aid his fatherland, and allow the two to escape to safety and American lines. Booster is suddenly transported to another place in time, via the Time Knife (which mysteriously also exists at this particular location in which Booster was transported at the end of the previous issue.)

     If there is a single person qualified to depict, in both illustration and narrative, Booster Gold (or any other DC character), it is certainly Dan Jurgens. His ability to create realistic and emotional expressions in his characters, copmlimented by Rapmund's inks, is above reproach, and his ability to write and illustrate have grown over time. Dan Jurgens has been a long-time favorite of mine, throughout the years and the various companies and series he has awarded with his work, and I see no reason for my following to end anytime soon. Art, characterization and story-telling are what I expect from Jurgens, and he continuously delivers, time after time.  Booster Gold continues to be a surprising and consistently excellent read.

Rating: 9 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12