Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

The All-New Booster Gold # 1

By Koppy Mcfad
August 18, 2007 - 01:03

Booster Gold returns, seeking to regain the world's respect as a superhero, only to find himself recruited by Rip Hunter to repair the holes in the timestream. This new series ties into the recent "Infinite Crisis" and "52" line of miniseries which reintroduced the multiverse and revealed that history was "broken" so it isn't going to be easy for the newcomer to understand what is going on. However the creative team do a good job of filling in the details, using Booster's flashbacks and exposition to give us just the gist of what we need to know. The die-hard DC fan however will be enthralled to see all the references to past events and all the hints of coming attractions, from a casual mention of a "Titans Hunt II" to the sight of a young Katma Tui. Amazingly, while DC has been using the prospect of the deaths of established characters to attract comic-buyers, this new title is using the possibility of the return of a deceased, beloved character as one of its lures. Of course, all these gimmicks wouldn't amount to much if the story itself was not well-told. Thankfully, it is a good tale with Booster being given a very endearing personality without ignoring his selfish, fame-seeking side. The dilemma that he is caught in, makes him even more sympathetic as he must ultimately sacrifice the thing he loves most for the people he loves most. The art is another major asset. Jurgens still has a clear, attractive, easy-to-understand style while Rapmund gives him more depth and shadow that compensates from the often-sterile look that Jurgens' pencils have had under other inkers. It will be very interesting to see where this book goes, even if you need a masters degree in DC lore just to follow it. Five out of five stars.

 

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12