Time
is broken, but that was kind of obvious last issue when Superman witnessed his
father in league with General Zod. Superman has journeyed back to the past,
before Krypton’s destruction, in an effort to discover how/why Jor-El survived
the catastrophe. Thankfully, Booster Gold followed him and is able to save his
bacon from being fried by Krypton’s red sun.
But what this
means for the future (our present) is yet to be determined. Has Superman
somehow interfered with the proper timeline, a la the butterfly effect? Or was
it damaged already and his efforts to repair it are doomed to failure? The
story takes a surprising turn at the end of the chapter, as our two heroes
manage to escape Krypton’s destruction, but don’t actually return home. Stay
tuned, true believers.
It’s fun to
see Booster Gold in action, from creator Dan Jurgens. He presents him as being
a much more likable hero than I remember him being. This Booster is adequately
concerned with the brand he has become, but not quite the self-involved egotist
I took him for. He legitimately has heroic qualities, even if some of his
“enhanced abilities” are little more than futuristic toys. It works for me.
The artwork
in this issue is a bit of a challenge for me, though. Dan Jurgens provided
pencils, which were then finished by no less than four inkers. The changing
styles were a bit jarring, and I may have preferred one or two fewer artists
involved. But I understand the nature of deadlines. Perhaps when DC returns to
its monthly publishing schedule, we’ll see more stable art teams in place.
Rating:
8/10