Blue Devil or Booster Gold?
random73
Posts: 2,318
I was 13 in 1986. So when Booster Gold #1 came out I felt like I could get in on the ground floor. Booster was MY hero. (in the same way that Peter Davison is MY Doctor) My best friend latched onto Blue Devil, which came out around the same time. So now, 20 some-odd years later how do these two C-listers stack up? What stands out about them and what (like that terrible Extreme Justice costume) would we like to forget. Also, anybody else have any heroes that they feel is THEIR hero? Actually, have we even seen Blue Devil in the new DCnU?
Best Answers
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EarthGBilly
Posts: 362
I completely get what you are saying.
I've had discussions about ownership of heroes - "This is MY _______" - and everyone has great answers as to what constitutes their character.
Basically, I'm saying, "Great topic!"
I'm also a fan of Booster Gold. I enjoyed the original series, but loved the character in the original JLI. Later, I think the character really came to a maturity in "Countdown to Infinite Crisis" and "52." I loved his solo series following "52."
With the New 52, though, I feel like so much of what made the character amazing is lost. He doesn't have the same personality or distinctiveness that he had before.
Anyway, the character I "own" more than any other will have to be Firestorm. I had started reading comics just before the start of the 1982 series, and picked him up from the beginning.
The character seemed different to me, different from all of the other superheroes. I loved the design of the character, the costume, the backstory. I loved when he joined the Justice League in the Super Powers cartoon, and he was the first Super Powers action figure I bought with my own money.
I picked up the entire series, right up until the end, despite Firestorm being barely recognizable by that point.
I also picked up Extreme Justice, to get my Firestorm "fix."
Years later, I picked up the Jason Rusch Firestorm series, and, while not quite as good as the book was previously, I still enjoyed it.
Firestorm is one of my top "go to" characters when I get sketches, and I own every Firestorm toy ever produced.
And, then, New 52...
... in which, despite my absolute love of the character, I could not continue reading such a terrible book. It is NOT "my" Firestorm. My Firestorm is now lost to history. It is okay. I have all the old issues to comfort me.
In the vain of your Doctor, there are specific times/eras/creators of characters that I call "my" characters. They include John Byrne's Superman, Neal Adam's Batman, the Wally West Flash, and Kyle Rayner as Green Lantern. (Of note - I read the Flash and Green Lantern before these characters took over the roles, but it wasn't until they came along that I felt real connections with the characters.)
Again, great topic.
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CaptainCarrot
Posts: 69
No, you are right, LotR has way too much in it. Just take the council of Elrond for example, it felt like 2 days of reading just so they can say 'yeah you can go'. The whole thing could be re-written to be about the same size as the Hobbit.Hallejuia Brother! It is geek blasphemy I know but have never been fan JRRT. Now, Morecock, Zelazney, Lewis give me more of THAT!
In my eyes,and I know I will catch major shit for this, the LotR trilogy of novels could have been edited down to 1 thick book and been a whole lot better.
Hmm come to think of it if they did that people would buy the condensed book, then re-sold the original three books, then re-sold the same books again with a fancy new cover and a few words at the beginning from Sir Ian McKellan, then re-sold..you get the idea. So how many copies of LotR have you bought over the years?
Answers
I think a lot of these character's are ones I attached to as a kid.
I've said before that Jim Aparo drew MY Batman from back in the Outsider days. My favorite Of the Outsiders were Katana and Geo-Force. I think it is crime
nobody can do anything with Brian Markov as a character. I remember right towards the end of Meltzer's run on Justice League there was a sub-plot thread that involved Geo-force and I was super excited to see where it was going and...nothing. Meltzer's left the book an the plot thread was left hanging. If I remember Brian had suddenly found himself manifesting Terra'a powers in an uncontrollable way. I thought that was going to be huge.
The Jack Monroe Nomad series. Loved it, every issue. I was crushed when Brubaker killed him off. I get why and it was well written but boy it broke my little 13 year old heart. I hated to see Jack as such a pathetic waste.
All of the West Coast Avengers every issue, Hawkeye was the man and damn Matt Fraction for making me buy this new series. (insert Godfather line here)
Werewolf by Night! My first two werewolf issues scared the crap outta me and I read and reread them for years! It was the haunted house story with Belaric Marcosa, creepy shape shifting nutjob had rubies set in his teeth waaaaay before decorating your "grill" was a thing!
Okay, done with my nostalgia trip, for now.
I was given a few comics that he was in when I was a kid. He looked awesome and scary. Had a dark, dry humor about him. And was badass. Also was in one of the greatest What Ifs ever. And is probably one of the best crossover characters as well. (Marvel-616, Marvel 2020, Transformers UK, Doctor Who)
'Nuff said, yes?
Booster Gold always felt like a built in ret-con. From the future, using ancient artifacts trying to live up to standards he could never possible meet. I think he was utilized well in the Justice League and his friendship with Blue Beetle was priceless but I did not like his solo book and never liked him as a solo character.
Blue Devil was what I liked about 80's comics, Booster Gold was what I did not. I wish Blue Devil had won that popularity contest
I tend to go low brow myself. Power Man & Iron Fist, Batman and the Outsiders, Werewolf by Night. Probably why I have never been a fan of Grant Morrison.