Booster Gold: Future's End #1

OK, DC Comics has got to stop teasing me here. Just like in Future’s End Batman, this FE one-shot has nothing to do with any greater storyline in the rest of the September specials. (A good thing, since I haven’t read any others.) This issue follows Booster Gold as he hops around through different dimensions, seeing examples of heroes and villains from other Earths. It is unclear if he’s just bouncing from city to city or if he is truly bouncing from multiple Earth to Earth.

If Booster is just hopping cities, then I’ll assume that the upcoming and teased “Blood Moon” is going to involve a new Brainiac who steals cities from different realities. I’m, of course, hoping that Booster is actually hopping through alternate Earths, implying that all those worlds we catch glimpses of here are actually out there. Some of the high points include a Victorian Batman, Charlton-hero Earth, Kamandi’s post-apocalyptic animal world, and an Earth that seems remarkably close to the “old DCU.”

It is worth noting that there are two Boosters at the heart of the story, one is captured and being interrogated about Rip Hunter, while the other is bouncing through all these dimensions. Dan Jurgens has written the character long enough that Booster’s voice sounds pretty dead on through all the oddball situations. That said, Booster isn’t doing much more than narrating his world-bouncing, so the dialogue and interaction never become very complicated.

I did enjoy seeing the artistic switches for each world. The high point, of course, is Ron Frenz’ take on Kamandi and the animals of the war-torn future. Fortunately, Booster’s costume is dynamic enough that just about every take on it is going to look pretty good.

If there is even a remote chance that “old” versions of characters are going to show up, well man, I sure need to keep an eye out. If Marvel has published the Ultimate line for all these years, surely there is room on the stands for a few books featuring the old DCU? If that is the case, then this is GOOD. If it is just a one-off that tried to dodge a true plot? Then it will be EVIL. Only time will tell!