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Action Comics (2016)
Superman: Action Comics, Vol. 5: Booster Shot
Superman and Booster Gold travel back in time to verify the claims that Kal-El’s father somehow survived the destruction of Krypton. What they find, though, is a vastly different world than history has shown. When the time intruders are discovered, Jor-El and General Zod collaborate to capture or destroy them. The Eradicator will chase the pair through time to 25th-century Gotham City and back to Krypton in pursuit of justice. Collecting ACTION COMICS #993-999 and a story from ACTION COMICS SPECIAL #1.
200 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2018
45 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
Dan Jurgens
2,245 books285 followersDan Jurgens is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for his work on the DC comic book storyline "The Death of Superman" and for creating characters such as Doomsday, Hank Henshaw, and Booster Gold. Jurgens had a lengthy run on the Superman comic books including The Adventures of Superman, Superman vol. 2 and Action Comics. At Marvel, Jurgens worked on series such as Captain America, The Sensational Spider-Man and was the writer on Thor for six years. He also had a brief run as writer and artist on Solar for Valiant Comics in 1995.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
February 10, 2019
A weak finish to what has been a very good run for Dan Jurgens. Up to this point had been some of his best writing in years, but this is a clunker. Superman acts consistently out of character haphazardly bumbling around in other time periods, leaving Booster gold to clean up the timeline. These different time periods were confusing, they reference things that are no longer canon after the new 52 relaunch like the Earth / New Krypton war.
In the "B" story, Lois is now some kind of ninja. He dad is captured and she goes to rescue him before he's executed. Her dad who actually is special forces couldn't escape, but she can sneak into a hostile country and a prison to break him out. It's beyond dumb. All in all the writing was very poor. It's almost like you could tell Jurgens was pissed about getting booted off Action Comics before he could write issue 1,000.
In the "B" story, Lois is now some kind of ninja. He dad is captured and she goes to rescue him before he's executed. Her dad who actually is special forces couldn't escape, but she can sneak into a hostile country and a prison to break him out. It's beyond dumb. All in all the writing was very poor. It's almost like you could tell Jurgens was pissed about getting booted off Action Comics before he could write issue 1,000.
April 11, 2018
Satisfying but flawed finale to Jurgen's solid Superman run.
World: The art is mostly solid, I like the colors and the framing but I have always had issues with Booth's character's 'dead eyes' and they still have them. I love the world building for this arc, it's the end of Jurgens run so we have all the pieces that he's created since Rebirth used here and add to that General Lane and we have all the pieces for a wonderful story. Then there's Booster which make it even more awesome.
Story: I love Booster Gold and with this arc having him back it made me so happy. Jurgen's Booster run was solid but sometimes uneven and this story has all the best and not so best parts of Booster...meaning time travel. It's a bit all over the place and the rules are not consistent which irks me for time travel stories but in terms of emotions and story it is satisfying. It is a fun story, it's a bit draggy and pacey but it is a satisfying story with a lot of good emotional beats. Booster Gold is the best, I miss him and his story and his role in the DCU and having him back just put a smile on my face (when will he have a series again?!). I really also liked the side story with Lois and Lane, she's been amazing since Rebirth and this continues that trend..except. The end, which I did not like as she needed rescuing which I did not want cause she should have been able to take care of herself, but for the story I understand why...but I am not happy with that part. This hopeful Superman is great, and it was exactly what was missing from the New52, Rebirth, if nothing else changes, has made Superman great again and Jurgen's run as been solid in showing the world exactly what Superman is and why he's important and relevant today. Once final part with Hank was great, solidifying how Superman is timeless and that even old concepts can change for a new generation.
Characters: Superman is a bit off this arc, he should know better about time travel, but as we know for the sake of the story he needed to be inconsistent and wow was he ever inconsistent until the end. Other than that he's been solid and a rock and symbol of what he's suppose to be. Booster, he's awesome, there was a lot of info dumping and reintroduction of him to readers again which I've read so many times my eyeballs are tired of reading about he's the greatest hero no one knows, but man do I miss him. Not much of an arc for him but he was great to play off Supes and the banter with Skeets is always great. Then there is Lois who has been a rockstar since Rebirth and this continues, she's strong and complex and she's just the best. Her end was not deserved but oh well. The villains for this arc were solid, not much depth but they needed to be powerful and that's what they were.
A wonderful arc that had some janky pacing issues and time travel wet cement rule that took a bit away from the solid story. A wonderful end to Jurgen's run. Thank you Mr. Jurgens. I wonder what Bendis is going to do now?
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
World: The art is mostly solid, I like the colors and the framing but I have always had issues with Booth's character's 'dead eyes' and they still have them. I love the world building for this arc, it's the end of Jurgens run so we have all the pieces that he's created since Rebirth used here and add to that General Lane and we have all the pieces for a wonderful story. Then there's Booster which make it even more awesome.
Story: I love Booster Gold and with this arc having him back it made me so happy. Jurgen's Booster run was solid but sometimes uneven and this story has all the best and not so best parts of Booster...meaning time travel. It's a bit all over the place and the rules are not consistent which irks me for time travel stories but in terms of emotions and story it is satisfying. It is a fun story, it's a bit draggy and pacey but it is a satisfying story with a lot of good emotional beats. Booster Gold is the best, I miss him and his story and his role in the DCU and having him back just put a smile on my face (when will he have a series again?!). I really also liked the side story with Lois and Lane, she's been amazing since Rebirth and this continues that trend..except. The end, which I did not like as she needed rescuing which I did not want cause she should have been able to take care of herself, but for the story I understand why...but I am not happy with that part. This hopeful Superman is great, and it was exactly what was missing from the New52, Rebirth, if nothing else changes, has made Superman great again and Jurgen's run as been solid in showing the world exactly what Superman is and why he's important and relevant today. Once final part with Hank was great, solidifying how Superman is timeless and that even old concepts can change for a new generation.
Characters: Superman is a bit off this arc, he should know better about time travel, but as we know for the sake of the story he needed to be inconsistent and wow was he ever inconsistent until the end. Other than that he's been solid and a rock and symbol of what he's suppose to be. Booster, he's awesome, there was a lot of info dumping and reintroduction of him to readers again which I've read so many times my eyeballs are tired of reading about he's the greatest hero no one knows, but man do I miss him. Not much of an arc for him but he was great to play off Supes and the banter with Skeets is always great. Then there is Lois who has been a rockstar since Rebirth and this continues, she's strong and complex and she's just the best. Her end was not deserved but oh well. The villains for this arc were solid, not much depth but they needed to be powerful and that's what they were.
A wonderful arc that had some janky pacing issues and time travel wet cement rule that took a bit away from the solid story. A wonderful end to Jurgen's run. Thank you Mr. Jurgens. I wonder what Bendis is going to do now?
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
May 7, 2018
Let down. Dan Jurgens had been giving life into his action comics since the start. Getting better and better. However, this final volume was a BIG let down.
This is just a what if story really. What if Superman can stop the destruction of his home? Like this hasn't been done a million times before? And Booster Gold is a fun character at times but having him for every issue, and Dan not writing him in my favorite way, this was a let down.
Good: The art was pretty solid and the very very ending was sweet.
Bad: Everything else was a bore, we knew there were no stakes, and nothing feels epic like the previous volumes.
Overall a let down in a BIG way. I still recommend Dan's Action Comics run but this is a weak part of it. A 1.5-2 out of 5.
This is just a what if story really. What if Superman can stop the destruction of his home? Like this hasn't been done a million times before? And Booster Gold is a fun character at times but having him for every issue, and Dan not writing him in my favorite way, this was a let down.
Good: The art was pretty solid and the very very ending was sweet.
Bad: Everything else was a bore, we knew there were no stakes, and nothing feels epic like the previous volumes.
Overall a let down in a BIG way. I still recommend Dan's Action Comics run but this is a weak part of it. A 1.5-2 out of 5.
August 6, 2018
[Read as single issues]
Look! Up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Booster Gold, because if Dan Jurgens can get him into a comic, you can be damn well sure he will. But Booster may be Superman’s only hope when Clark travels back to the death of Krypton to try and discover if Mister Oz really is his time-displaced father Jor-El, threatening the entire timestream in the process. And in the present, Lois takes on an undercover assignment to rescue her father, General Lane, from captivity – but she didn’t count on Jon hitching a ride with her…
I’ve missed Booster Gold. He’s had such a tumultous history since the New 52 hit, so it’s nice to see him back in mainstream comics again, and under the pen of his creator nonetheless (although I’m pretty sure if anyone at DC ever even mentions Booster Dan Jurgens just appears out of nowhere with a big grin on his face). His role in this arc is similar to his old ongoing series – he’s trying to protect the timeline, and manages to screw it all up. His banter with Superman is pretty great, although seeing Superman being the irresponsible one takes a second to get used to; considering what he’s been through lately though, it makes perfect sense.
The storyline takes a twist for the unexpected when Supes and Booster end up trapped in a Zod-controlled future, which feeds nicely into the Zod story Jurgens told a few volumes ago as well as with what Robert Venditti is up with the character over in Hal Jordan & The Green Lantern Corps. A good old fashioned Kryptonian throwdown makes any comic more fun. This kind of synergy between books (and time periods!) is one of the things I’ve loved so much about DC’s Rebirth initiative; everything seems so connected these days.
The subplot with Jon and Lois is almost as much fun as the main plot; Lois hasn’t had a lot of agency in the Superman comics for a while, but this restores a little of that and shows a) why she’s such a good journalist and b) why she’s such a good mum. Jon wanting to meet his other grandfather and heading straight into danger is perfectly in line with his character after everything he’s been through recently (like his father), and the one-shot issue right at the end of this arc that brings the entire Kent family together with General Lane is one of the most Superman-y comics you’ll read in a while as Clark desperately tries to get along with a man who clearly hates everything about him in a good twist on the old secret identity revelation issue.
Also collected here is a story from Action Comics Special #1, which is the true end of Jurgens’ Action Comics run before Brian Bendis comes in and ruins everyth-I mean, takes over. This is a Lex Luthor story, with Superman nowhere to be seen. It’s a shame that Lex’s heroic development seems to have taken a backseat recently, but it’s nice to see him revisited once more before the final return to villainy over in Justice League.
There’s a variety of artists on these issues, with Dan Jurgens himself pencilling Booster’s first issue while Brett Booth and Will Conrad tackle the rest of the series. Conrad has been in and out of Action Comics for a while now, and Booth seems to be floating after being dislodged from Titans, but they find good homes here with Booth taking the big bombastic action stuff that he does so well during the Zod stuff while Will Conrad tackles the later issues, and the Action Comics Special story.
Dan Jurgens bows out of a hugely entertaining and emotionally powerful Action Comics run with this final arc. Personally I’ve found Action Comics a lot more consistent than the Tomasi & Gleason Superman (which was also great, but a bit scattershot, especially near the end), and this final arc sums up the fun time that Jurgens was clearly having writing it. There’s a reason Jurgens is one of the most prolific Superman writers in history, and his Action Comics run here will no doubt withstand the test of time in the same way that his more iconic stories already do.
Look! Up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Booster Gold, because if Dan Jurgens can get him into a comic, you can be damn well sure he will. But Booster may be Superman’s only hope when Clark travels back to the death of Krypton to try and discover if Mister Oz really is his time-displaced father Jor-El, threatening the entire timestream in the process. And in the present, Lois takes on an undercover assignment to rescue her father, General Lane, from captivity – but she didn’t count on Jon hitching a ride with her…
I’ve missed Booster Gold. He’s had such a tumultous history since the New 52 hit, so it’s nice to see him back in mainstream comics again, and under the pen of his creator nonetheless (although I’m pretty sure if anyone at DC ever even mentions Booster Dan Jurgens just appears out of nowhere with a big grin on his face). His role in this arc is similar to his old ongoing series – he’s trying to protect the timeline, and manages to screw it all up. His banter with Superman is pretty great, although seeing Superman being the irresponsible one takes a second to get used to; considering what he’s been through lately though, it makes perfect sense.
The storyline takes a twist for the unexpected when Supes and Booster end up trapped in a Zod-controlled future, which feeds nicely into the Zod story Jurgens told a few volumes ago as well as with what Robert Venditti is up with the character over in Hal Jordan & The Green Lantern Corps. A good old fashioned Kryptonian throwdown makes any comic more fun. This kind of synergy between books (and time periods!) is one of the things I’ve loved so much about DC’s Rebirth initiative; everything seems so connected these days.
The subplot with Jon and Lois is almost as much fun as the main plot; Lois hasn’t had a lot of agency in the Superman comics for a while, but this restores a little of that and shows a) why she’s such a good journalist and b) why she’s such a good mum. Jon wanting to meet his other grandfather and heading straight into danger is perfectly in line with his character after everything he’s been through recently (like his father), and the one-shot issue right at the end of this arc that brings the entire Kent family together with General Lane is one of the most Superman-y comics you’ll read in a while as Clark desperately tries to get along with a man who clearly hates everything about him in a good twist on the old secret identity revelation issue.
Also collected here is a story from Action Comics Special #1, which is the true end of Jurgens’ Action Comics run before Brian Bendis comes in and ruins everyth-I mean, takes over. This is a Lex Luthor story, with Superman nowhere to be seen. It’s a shame that Lex’s heroic development seems to have taken a backseat recently, but it’s nice to see him revisited once more before the final return to villainy over in Justice League.
There’s a variety of artists on these issues, with Dan Jurgens himself pencilling Booster’s first issue while Brett Booth and Will Conrad tackle the rest of the series. Conrad has been in and out of Action Comics for a while now, and Booth seems to be floating after being dislodged from Titans, but they find good homes here with Booth taking the big bombastic action stuff that he does so well during the Zod stuff while Will Conrad tackles the later issues, and the Action Comics Special story.
Dan Jurgens bows out of a hugely entertaining and emotionally powerful Action Comics run with this final arc. Personally I’ve found Action Comics a lot more consistent than the Tomasi & Gleason Superman (which was also great, but a bit scattershot, especially near the end), and this final arc sums up the fun time that Jurgens was clearly having writing it. There’s a reason Jurgens is one of the most prolific Superman writers in history, and his Action Comics run here will no doubt withstand the test of time in the same way that his more iconic stories already do.
May 5, 2019
Booster is always a treat in small doses, but the interpretations of all the other main characters are a bit off, even including the big man himself, who betrays the very essence of TRUTH, Justice and the American Way when he lies to Lex Luthor in the parting panel, for no explicable reason other than spite.
June 22, 2021
Superman and Booster travel to the past of Krypton to see the mysterious origin of Mr Oz and see how he came to being and in the way they run into the ancient Eradicators, go to Gotham of 25th century in connection to Booster and then on Jekuul to fight against a future version of Zod all in order to find what happened to Jor-El? Shenanigans happen and its a time travel story about a son trying to find what happened to his family, planet and its an emotional story and the ending breaks your heart but confirms the previous storyline.
Meanwhile Lois and Jon have to rescue Sam Lane in a foreign country and by the end we get such a grandfather-grandson reunion and its so well earned plus a great moment of Clark uniting the family and finally an evil future version of Luthor vs Superman.
Great volume and great ending to an amazing run and just shows how deep Dan understands this characters and everyone has a great story here and well earned and highlights their quality traits and Superman despite going through such hardships and difficulties persists and shows why he is the greatest hero of all time and the art was amazing throughout the volume! One of the best Superman runs easily!
Meanwhile Lois and Jon have to rescue Sam Lane in a foreign country and by the end we get such a grandfather-grandson reunion and its so well earned plus a great moment of Clark uniting the family and finally an evil future version of Luthor vs Superman.
Great volume and great ending to an amazing run and just shows how deep Dan understands this characters and everyone has a great story here and well earned and highlights their quality traits and Superman despite going through such hardships and difficulties persists and shows why he is the greatest hero of all time and the art was amazing throughout the volume! One of the best Superman runs easily!
December 3, 2018
This was so disappointing .
Dan Jurgens run in Action comics to this point has been superb and I'd say , his run returned this title back to it's glory, sadly this didn't work for me .
The plot in itself is filled with various plot holes and both Superman and Booster act opposite to how their characters are supposed to act , with Superman not caring about the timelines , to acting all stubborn and insisting on not returning . And don't even get me started on the Lois lane story line that turned her into a ninja .. hang on , I just realized , that storyline turned her into Batwoman , Katherine Kane . Ffs Jurgens
In the end , the story lacked any heart that previous Jurgens story had , part of it is maybe due to lack of Superman's interaction with his son and partly because of how out of character everyone is in this
Dan Jurgens run in Action comics to this point has been superb and I'd say , his run returned this title back to it's glory, sadly this didn't work for me .
The plot in itself is filled with various plot holes and both Superman and Booster act opposite to how their characters are supposed to act , with Superman not caring about the timelines , to acting all stubborn and insisting on not returning . And don't even get me started on the Lois lane story line that turned her into a ninja .. hang on , I just realized , that storyline turned her into Batwoman , Katherine Kane . Ffs Jurgens
In the end , the story lacked any heart that previous Jurgens story had , part of it is maybe due to lack of Superman's interaction with his son and partly because of how out of character everyone is in this
December 8, 2018
Booster gold is back and is fixing the timeline because Superman is gonna break it, wait that’s flashes job!!
This is really sad because I really loved the first four trades but this and the oz effect are really bad, I just felt like dan jurgens was under pressure because after this was the debut of Brian micheal Bendis.
Overall boring book
This is really sad because I really loved the first four trades but this and the oz effect are really bad, I just felt like dan jurgens was under pressure because after this was the debut of Brian micheal Bendis.
Overall boring book
April 24, 2018
I LOVED this! Booster is amazing.
April 18, 2018
This was an ok volume. Superman acted a little out of character by . Also, since when did Lois Lane become a ninja? "She has a military father and knows how to take care of herself" doesn't automatically turn her into Jason Bourne.
I also don't like how they.
My favorite part was Booster Gold mentioning the Marvel universe.
I also don't like how they.
My favorite part was Booster Gold mentioning the Marvel universe.
March 17, 2020
Last time when I tried to read it, I don't know what happened and I put it down saying it's a boring one and the end doesn't worth the read of Jurgen's run. Today as I gave it a try again.. and man, what a great conclusion.
Last time I read Booster and Superman together, it was in Death of Superman and Hunter-Prey. Booster is a hero who saves times and mostly nobody knows him. Not every being was lucky to get parents like Kents. Dealing with his own past Booster tries to save Superman from saving Krypton.
Time travel is a tricky business and Booster, his sidekick a AI robot named Skeet and Superman adventures through past then future and then present. This writing reminds me of old classics. I have been following Superman Action Comics Rebirth and Bendis' Superman and nothing disappointed me yet.
Booster Gold and esp Skeet, both impressed me much and Superman, in my opinion, was behaving wreckless by trying to change the past. I loved the part where Skeet hacks the Eradicators' technique and use it against Zod and family. This sets the future for Mr Blue that his future is going to be very challenging.
Booster makes the biggest sacrifice in the end for Superman and it gave me a weird feel that no one will ever know about that sacrifice.. esp not Sueprman, Lois and General Lane.
Lex Luthor and Cyborg Superman returns. The reason why Superman frees Cyborg Superman from Phantom Zone can only be done by someone who knows how to grow beyond hate. Superman's ability to embrace the man always inspires me in a way that I know is near to impossible to achieve in real life. Lex's entry confused me as how there were two Lex Luthors. I think it's time to do some homework on Lex's history.
It's a very well put TPB consisting of emotions, actions, sacrifices, trust, pure hate and vengeance and all the ingredients that makes the end wonderful.
Don't hesitate. Just purchase and read. Highly recommended the Action Comics Rebirth Saga by Dan Jurgens and then follow the Bendis' run.
Last time I read Booster and Superman together, it was in Death of Superman and Hunter-Prey. Booster is a hero who saves times and mostly nobody knows him. Not every being was lucky to get parents like Kents. Dealing with his own past Booster tries to save Superman from saving Krypton.
Time travel is a tricky business and Booster, his sidekick a AI robot named Skeet and Superman adventures through past then future and then present. This writing reminds me of old classics. I have been following Superman Action Comics Rebirth and Bendis' Superman and nothing disappointed me yet.
Booster Gold and esp Skeet, both impressed me much and Superman, in my opinion, was behaving wreckless by trying to change the past. I loved the part where Skeet hacks the Eradicators' technique and use it against Zod and family. This sets the future for Mr Blue that his future is going to be very challenging.
Booster makes the biggest sacrifice in the end for Superman and it gave me a weird feel that no one will ever know about that sacrifice.. esp not Sueprman, Lois and General Lane.
Lex Luthor and Cyborg Superman returns. The reason why Superman frees Cyborg Superman from Phantom Zone can only be done by someone who knows how to grow beyond hate. Superman's ability to embrace the man always inspires me in a way that I know is near to impossible to achieve in real life. Lex's entry confused me as how there were two Lex Luthors. I think it's time to do some homework on Lex's history.
It's a very well put TPB consisting of emotions, actions, sacrifices, trust, pure hate and vengeance and all the ingredients that makes the end wonderful.
Don't hesitate. Just purchase and read. Highly recommended the Action Comics Rebirth Saga by Dan Jurgens and then follow the Bendis' run.
October 24, 2018
Love it...Jurgens plays with the two heroes he's likely best known for in a time travel adventure.
Love the Avengers Easter Egg.
Love the Avengers Easter Egg.
December 11, 2022
This felt like it should have been more engaging than it was. Booster Gold is an interesting character and I thought I knew what he did, because I recognised him, turns out I knew nothing about him lol.
But I was frustrated almost the entire arc with Superman because he kept repeating the same BS, that he was told was irrelevant or wouldn't work, and he stubbornly stuck to it even when it made no sense. He was acting more like a child than an adult man who should know what he's doing.
But I was frustrated almost the entire arc with Superman because he kept repeating the same BS, that he was told was irrelevant or wouldn't work, and he stubbornly stuck to it even when it made no sense. He was acting more like a child than an adult man who should know what he's doing.
May 25, 2019
Jurgens si dokončil Oz Effect a v čísle #1000 přebírá štafetu Bendis - neděje se tu tak nic extra zásadního, Superman s Boosterem skáčou v čase a mlátí se s lidma kolem Zoda. Moc mě to nebavilo, ale objektivně to na 2* není. Velmi průměrná suprácká rutina
January 25, 2021
5 🌟
Superman and Booster Gold travel back in time to see if Jor-El survived. Lois and Jon go to rescue Lois' father from being executed.
Superman and Booster Gold travel back in time to see if Jor-El survived. Lois and Jon go to rescue Lois' father from being executed.
October 10, 2020
Just going to be honest.... I only read the title story involving Booster gold. This collection also has two more issues, one involving Jon getting to know Lois' dad while Superman thinks about father-ly things and fights Cyborg Superman, and another involving Lex Luthor.
In the "Booster Shot" story, Superman has used Flash's cosmic treadmill to travel back in time to Krypton's destruction to see if what he's learned- that the new villain Mr. Oz is actually his father- is true. Booster Gold quickly follows, concerned that Superman will mess with the timeline. This, so far, is the only time (apart from Convergence) that we've seen Booster effectively doing his real job of protecting time, rather than filling in the cover story of being an idiot who's at least partially in the hero game for the attention. For those who don't know about Booster Gold, maybe consider reading his series from 2008 by Geoff Johns.
Anyway, the story is good, although there is a lot of time-jumping going on as well as talk of "soft time," "concrete time," and "fractured time" until you don't know what's going on, exactly. There are face offs with Eradicators, members of House Zod, and even just normal 25th century police. Superman seems to be written pretty standardly, and Booster is doing his real job, although still shown to be a bit of a goof and heavily relying on Skeets to come through.
At the same time on Earth, Lois is trying to rescue her father, the General Lane, who has been captured while on a mission in an unstable country and is to be executed. Jon follows her to help her, but the two still manage to get into trouble.
My reaction? I want to like this so much more than I do in reality. The art isn't that great; honestly, it's pretty messy, really, until about the last Booster issue. The plot feels a little jumbled, and then at the end of the day, a little pointless. They went back to the wrong time, a fractured time, and it took several issues to complete the short task that Superman set out to do in the first place. Why? Timey-wimey nonsense, apparently. Not that satisfying.
In the "Booster Shot" story, Superman has used Flash's cosmic treadmill to travel back in time to Krypton's destruction to see if what he's learned- that the new villain Mr. Oz is actually his father- is true. Booster Gold quickly follows, concerned that Superman will mess with the timeline. This, so far, is the only time (apart from Convergence) that we've seen Booster effectively doing his real job of protecting time, rather than filling in the cover story of being an idiot who's at least partially in the hero game for the attention. For those who don't know about Booster Gold, maybe consider reading his series from 2008 by Geoff Johns.
Anyway, the story is good, although there is a lot of time-jumping going on as well as talk of "soft time," "concrete time," and "fractured time" until you don't know what's going on, exactly. There are face offs with Eradicators, members of House Zod, and even just normal 25th century police. Superman seems to be written pretty standardly, and Booster is doing his real job, although still shown to be a bit of a goof and heavily relying on Skeets to come through.
At the same time on Earth, Lois is trying to rescue her father, the General Lane, who has been captured while on a mission in an unstable country and is to be executed. Jon follows her to help her, but the two still manage to get into trouble.
My reaction? I want to like this so much more than I do in reality. The art isn't that great; honestly, it's pretty messy, really, until about the last Booster issue. The plot feels a little jumbled, and then at the end of the day, a little pointless. They went back to the wrong time, a fractured time, and it took several issues to complete the short task that Superman set out to do in the first place. Why? Timey-wimey nonsense, apparently. Not that satisfying.
September 30, 2018
This is a truly solid, action-packed, and emotional read. It has just about everything: time travel, alternate realities, and Super Family bonding. Seriously, there was one part of this graphic novel (which I won't share because... spoilers) that was a punch to the gut. But the way it ended... was actually really nice. Even comforting. The end theme--about how family is what really matters--is exactly why I keep coming back to the Superman and Action Comics titles. Like I've said before: We have Batman, Red Hood, and other titles to give us the doom and gloom of life. Let's leave Superman for the hopeful side of it. That's not to say that Superman stories shy away from sometimes dark and difficult themes... but the stories always ensure that hope, in some way or another--even if it's not always the way the reader expects--shines through. I think my favorite story was actually the one following "Booster Shot," where someone (no spoilers as to who, though) finds out Superman's secret identity. That was a thrilling story--causing the Man of Steel to face what he fears most: something happening to his loved ones--that ultimately ended up being a very thematic story as well. I'm curious what it means for the future of a certain character (who, because of spoilers, will remain nameless.) I have noticed that each volume of both Action Comics and Superman seem to raise the stakes in terms of danger for Lois and Jon--specifically, by examining what it means to be the wife and son of Superman. I hope DC is not building up to something devastating for the Man of Steel. This volume came seconds away from taking such a drastic turn... and I hope that the writers continue to always evade certain doom for the Super Family. But still... they certainly are giving us some great stories, and I'm ready to read what's up next.
February 11, 2019
This book is very much about family, more specifically parents. Lois and Clark investigate their fathers, both hoping to reconcile what they believe to have occurred in the past.
I found myself more interested in Lois's relationship with her Dad, the reasons they've been estranged and the resulting effects of leaving him out of Jon's life.
It was also nice to have a story about Lois and Jon. So much of his time is spent learning about his powers with his Dad, so it's good to see his human side take some attention.
Booster Gold features pretty heavily in Clark's story. I haven't had much experience with the character but I enjoyed him in this, seeing his double life as a kind of Bruce Wayne buffoon in public while secretly policing the timeline.
An added bonus was the sudden reemergence of Superman's classic outfit, red underwear and all. I know very shortly he'll be getting a new creative team, but it's nice that Jurgens is back to writing the classic looking Superman he spent so much of his time with back in the 90's.
I found myself more interested in Lois's relationship with her Dad, the reasons they've been estranged and the resulting effects of leaving him out of Jon's life.
It was also nice to have a story about Lois and Jon. So much of his time is spent learning about his powers with his Dad, so it's good to see his human side take some attention.
Booster Gold features pretty heavily in Clark's story. I haven't had much experience with the character but I enjoyed him in this, seeing his double life as a kind of Bruce Wayne buffoon in public while secretly policing the timeline.
An added bonus was the sudden reemergence of Superman's classic outfit, red underwear and all. I know very shortly he'll be getting a new creative team, but it's nice that Jurgens is back to writing the classic looking Superman he spent so much of his time with back in the 90's.
May 13, 2024
3.5 stars. Though not as good as some of the other volumes, this is still a strong conclusion to Jurgens’ excellent run on Action Comics. I’m also pretty unfamiliar with Booster Gold and I think this made me a fan of his, he was a pretty cool character here. The art is mainly done by Brett Booth and Will Conrad and I thought it was really good.
The story itself was really fun, but Superman’s characterization here seemed a little flawed. Superman is traveling back in time to the moment Krypton exploded to find out if his father actually survived. This seems like a pretty reckless decision for someone who is always a responsible leader. So Booster Gold then travels back to make sure he doesn’t screw anything up, because Booster’s job is protecting time. Booster and Skeets are pretty cool and even though he is often comedic relief, Booster shows a lot of heart here and also acts responsibly.
So Superman continues to act pretty reckless. Something is clearly off with the Krypton they traveled to, as Zod and Jor-El are allies. The two then get discovered and Zod sends a bunch of Eradicator robots after them. It’s a difficult battle and Superman is insistent that he stays to get the answers he’s looking for even though Booster is rightfully saying they need to get out of there before they make things worse. They eventually flee and crash land in Booster’s future time in Gotham. They also try to keep a low profile but still get in a fight and Booster is taken to jail.
We get nice backstory that Booster had a really abusive criminal father and things were hard for him and his mom. He ends up in the same cell as his father. Superman then comes to the rescue and Booster has a nice reunion with his mom.
They jump through space and time again and end up on some unknown world set a couple decades in the future from normal present day. This is the planet Zod, Ursa, and Lor-Zod have taken over since we last saw them leave earth. They are brutal rulers and have enslaved everyone. They also have Eradicator robots patrolling everything. This is where Superman again gets a little annoying, because he desperately wants to save these people. Booster, again in the right, is saying do not worry about saving them because we can prevent this from happening in the first place and we need to go. Of course they end up captured and I like how brutal the Zod family is. This family is seriously so intense and out for revenge. It looks really bleak for Booster and Superman but Skeets makes a nice save. The heroes prevail but then Superman again insists on going back to the explosion of Krypton. This time it is the correct time, and Superman has to watch in horror his planet and mother die, but this also confirms that Jor-El did survive as he was mysteriously taken away at the last second. It is what it is I guess with this confirmation that Jor-El lived.
Meanwhile there has been this whole other plot with Lois trying to save her dad. Her and Sam Lane have not spoken to each other in years, before Jon was born. Sam was mad she exposed some secret military operation he was doing. He also does not trust Superman at all (but does not know his secret identity). Sam was captured and set to be killed the next day and the US military was going to say he went rogue and therefore make no rescue mission. Lois somehow gets him freed from prison and they are making a final escape to get lifted out by the US military. Jon also snuck in without her permission and helped at times, but this was largely Lois taking care of business. I liked it, but this also seems a little out of her league.
So then Booster and Superman are finally traveling back to present day earth when they see where Lois and Jon are. As Superman takes off to help them, Lois and Sam are killed. Booster, who has been so adamant about not changing the past, decides to make an exception this time and goes back in time just a little bit to save them. He never tells Superman the truth and Superman never knew this happened. Booster says he will deal with the consequences of his actions but he could not let them die. It was actually a pretty touching and dramatic scene.
Then we get some wrap up with Sam visiting the Kents but getting into a huge argument with Lois over Superman. Jon does not like all the fighting. Clark then arrives and smooths things over. It’s a fairly nice conclusion and getting the family back on better terms. Also, Superman felt pretty guilty hearing how inhumane the phantom zone was for Zod’s family. He knows it is ultra secure but he does not like how cruel it is. So he releases Henshaw from the phantom zone and after a brief fight, he creates some new prison for him in the fortress with a rare meteor fragment that should hold him. He gives him some kryptonian crystal that allows him to relive his best memories. Look, I understand Superman is all about hope and redemption, but seriously? Henshaw literally killed millions of people and you think the phantom zone is too cruel? I guess it’s in line with his character but Henshaw of all people is not someone to show mercy for.
The last story here is a one-off where some future Lex Luthor shows up and discovers Superman’s identity and his family. A big fight breaks out but then modern Lex also shows up to help out. Current Lex never finds out this was a future version of him. It was an ok story, but seems pretty inconsequential.
Overall, I liked the action, the art, and the character interactions, but Superman consistently seemed to act a little out of character or just be irrational. He was way too set on time traveling and interacting with the people in these new time streams despite countless lessons before about why this should never be done. Booster Gold was a definite highlight here. Overall, the Jurgens action comics run was consistently great. Stuff from the earliest issues still has implications here at the end of his run and it really felt like a nice connected narrative. This particular volume was not quite as good as others, but it was still strong.
The story itself was really fun, but Superman’s characterization here seemed a little flawed. Superman is traveling back in time to the moment Krypton exploded to find out if his father actually survived. This seems like a pretty reckless decision for someone who is always a responsible leader. So Booster Gold then travels back to make sure he doesn’t screw anything up, because Booster’s job is protecting time. Booster and Skeets are pretty cool and even though he is often comedic relief, Booster shows a lot of heart here and also acts responsibly.
So Superman continues to act pretty reckless. Something is clearly off with the Krypton they traveled to, as Zod and Jor-El are allies. The two then get discovered and Zod sends a bunch of Eradicator robots after them. It’s a difficult battle and Superman is insistent that he stays to get the answers he’s looking for even though Booster is rightfully saying they need to get out of there before they make things worse. They eventually flee and crash land in Booster’s future time in Gotham. They also try to keep a low profile but still get in a fight and Booster is taken to jail.
We get nice backstory that Booster had a really abusive criminal father and things were hard for him and his mom. He ends up in the same cell as his father. Superman then comes to the rescue and Booster has a nice reunion with his mom.
They jump through space and time again and end up on some unknown world set a couple decades in the future from normal present day. This is the planet Zod, Ursa, and Lor-Zod have taken over since we last saw them leave earth. They are brutal rulers and have enslaved everyone. They also have Eradicator robots patrolling everything. This is where Superman again gets a little annoying, because he desperately wants to save these people. Booster, again in the right, is saying do not worry about saving them because we can prevent this from happening in the first place and we need to go. Of course they end up captured and I like how brutal the Zod family is. This family is seriously so intense and out for revenge. It looks really bleak for Booster and Superman but Skeets makes a nice save. The heroes prevail but then Superman again insists on going back to the explosion of Krypton. This time it is the correct time, and Superman has to watch in horror his planet and mother die, but this also confirms that Jor-El did survive as he was mysteriously taken away at the last second. It is what it is I guess with this confirmation that Jor-El lived.
Meanwhile there has been this whole other plot with Lois trying to save her dad. Her and Sam Lane have not spoken to each other in years, before Jon was born. Sam was mad she exposed some secret military operation he was doing. He also does not trust Superman at all (but does not know his secret identity). Sam was captured and set to be killed the next day and the US military was going to say he went rogue and therefore make no rescue mission. Lois somehow gets him freed from prison and they are making a final escape to get lifted out by the US military. Jon also snuck in without her permission and helped at times, but this was largely Lois taking care of business. I liked it, but this also seems a little out of her league.
So then Booster and Superman are finally traveling back to present day earth when they see where Lois and Jon are. As Superman takes off to help them, Lois and Sam are killed. Booster, who has been so adamant about not changing the past, decides to make an exception this time and goes back in time just a little bit to save them. He never tells Superman the truth and Superman never knew this happened. Booster says he will deal with the consequences of his actions but he could not let them die. It was actually a pretty touching and dramatic scene.
Then we get some wrap up with Sam visiting the Kents but getting into a huge argument with Lois over Superman. Jon does not like all the fighting. Clark then arrives and smooths things over. It’s a fairly nice conclusion and getting the family back on better terms. Also, Superman felt pretty guilty hearing how inhumane the phantom zone was for Zod’s family. He knows it is ultra secure but he does not like how cruel it is. So he releases Henshaw from the phantom zone and after a brief fight, he creates some new prison for him in the fortress with a rare meteor fragment that should hold him. He gives him some kryptonian crystal that allows him to relive his best memories. Look, I understand Superman is all about hope and redemption, but seriously? Henshaw literally killed millions of people and you think the phantom zone is too cruel? I guess it’s in line with his character but Henshaw of all people is not someone to show mercy for.
The last story here is a one-off where some future Lex Luthor shows up and discovers Superman’s identity and his family. A big fight breaks out but then modern Lex also shows up to help out. Current Lex never finds out this was a future version of him. It was an ok story, but seems pretty inconsequential.
Overall, I liked the action, the art, and the character interactions, but Superman consistently seemed to act a little out of character or just be irrational. He was way too set on time traveling and interacting with the people in these new time streams despite countless lessons before about why this should never be done. Booster Gold was a definite highlight here. Overall, the Jurgens action comics run was consistently great. Stuff from the earliest issues still has implications here at the end of his run and it really felt like a nice connected narrative. This particular volume was not quite as good as others, but it was still strong.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2018
This book is an entertaining time travel romp. Your suspension of disbelief has to roll with Superman and Booster continually arriving - accidentally - at a time and/or location when they can interact with a piece of their past (Booster's past being our future, just happening upon the future of a world Zod has conquered). And toward the end of the book, Jurgens damsels out Lois too much for my tastes (Booster's "timely" save and several attempts on her life by super-old Luthor), but in the grand scheme of things - it's not a great Superman book, but it's still pretty fun with good action in the Zod chapters, some compelling father drama for Superman, Booster AND Lois.
November 24, 2018
Basic plot: Superman wants to know if Jor El actually is alive or not, and goes back in time to fund out, forcing Booster Gold to prevent him from messing up the time line.
Any time Booster Gold gets involved, humor runs high and the story gets interesting. If I had any frustrations with this volume, it was that Superman was acting like a dick throughout and not actually talking to Booster. It went against type for Supes, which bothered me. Other than that, the story was enjoyable.
Any time Booster Gold gets involved, humor runs high and the story gets interesting. If I had any frustrations with this volume, it was that Superman was acting like a dick throughout and not actually talking to Booster. It went against type for Supes, which bothered me. Other than that, the story was enjoyable.
December 13, 2019
This felt like a really unnecessary addition to the Superman story, and much more like a filler episode on their way to the 1,000th issue of Action Comics.
October 22, 2018
3.5 Stars.
When Booster Gold gets involved, we know everything is going to get messed up. But the main driving force behind the adventure in this Volume is the appearance of Mr. Oz, who claimed to be Jor-El, Superman's father (who we saw previously). The Volume starts with Superman taking Flash's Cosmic Treadmill to go back in time to see the destruction of Krypton, wanting to see if Jor-El was indeed taken from the explosion before it happened. What he comes across is a Krypton alive and thriving under Jor-El and Zod, a fleet of ships being built so the society can escape the dying planet. This is when Booster Gold shows himself and tries to prevent Supes from getting further involved. What ends up happening is a adventure through time and various universes, seeing how Zod would take control, his family escaping the Negative Zone, etc. All crazy time travel hijinks....
While they are on their adventure, Lois has found out that her father is being held as a POW in a very unstable country and is scheduled for execution. She takes it upon herself to mount a rescue mission, and although she thought she left him at home, Jon is tailing her, keeping her safe from a distance. She eventually saves him, though with Jon's help, but the family is gunned down in the escape.
Superman sees (after lots of back and forth through time with Booster) the destruction of Krypton, watching his mother die and father being taken away, just like Oz said he was. When he returns to Earth, he heads for Jon and Lois, not knowing they are already dead. Booster breaks time law by going back in time several seconds and prevents them from being shot, allowing Superman to help them and complete the rescue.
This Volume ends with Action Comics #999, so I thought it would be something amazing to lead into the landmark issue #1000, but it ended up feeling a little like filler to me. The story wasn't bad overall, but way longer than it needed to be.
Recommend, even though I wish the Volume had more impact.
When Booster Gold gets involved, we know everything is going to get messed up. But the main driving force behind the adventure in this Volume is the appearance of Mr. Oz, who claimed to be Jor-El, Superman's father (who we saw previously). The Volume starts with Superman taking Flash's Cosmic Treadmill to go back in time to see the destruction of Krypton, wanting to see if Jor-El was indeed taken from the explosion before it happened. What he comes across is a Krypton alive and thriving under Jor-El and Zod, a fleet of ships being built so the society can escape the dying planet. This is when Booster Gold shows himself and tries to prevent Supes from getting further involved. What ends up happening is a adventure through time and various universes, seeing how Zod would take control, his family escaping the Negative Zone, etc. All crazy time travel hijinks....
While they are on their adventure, Lois has found out that her father is being held as a POW in a very unstable country and is scheduled for execution. She takes it upon herself to mount a rescue mission, and although she thought she left him at home, Jon is tailing her, keeping her safe from a distance. She eventually saves him, though with Jon's help, but the family is gunned down in the escape.
Superman sees (after lots of back and forth through time with Booster) the destruction of Krypton, watching his mother die and father being taken away, just like Oz said he was. When he returns to Earth, he heads for Jon and Lois, not knowing they are already dead. Booster breaks time law by going back in time several seconds and prevents them from being shot, allowing Superman to help them and complete the rescue.
This Volume ends with Action Comics #999, so I thought it would be something amazing to lead into the landmark issue #1000, but it ended up feeling a little like filler to me. The story wasn't bad overall, but way longer than it needed to be.
Recommend, even though I wish the Volume had more impact.
September 26, 2018
The Goodreads description is for another volume in the series. This volume collects issues #993-999 by Dan Jurgens with art by Dan Jurgens (issues #993-994), Brett Booth (issues #995, 997), and Will Conrad (issues#996, 998-999) (and assorted inkers). Superman goes back in time and space to see for himself if Jor-El really escaped the destruction of Krypton. Time cop Booster Gold manages to track Superman down in an attempt to mitigate time-related anomalies. What Superman and Booster find is a much different Krypton than Superman has always known. This Krypton is a spacefaring planet, readying an armada of spaceships to evacuate the population. Before Superman can verify what's going on, Booster launches him into the future. They end up on a planet ruled by General Zod and his family. This time hopping forces Superman to begin to come to grips with his destiny. This duo, dubbed Time's Finest by Booster, is an entertaining pair, and Booster is painted as a little bit less of a dolt than many other appearances, possibly because Dan Jurgens created the character and knows how to write him.
The final issue is an epilog wherein Lois tries to reconcile with her estranged father. Superman, meanwhile, tries to give Cyborg Superman some hope beyond a numbing existence in the Phantom Zone. Not the greatest finale for Jurgens, but it sets up some interesting dynamics that may or may not pay off when Michael Bendis takes over the writing chores.
The final issue is an epilog wherein Lois tries to reconcile with her estranged father. Superman, meanwhile, tries to give Cyborg Superman some hope beyond a numbing existence in the Phantom Zone. Not the greatest finale for Jurgens, but it sets up some interesting dynamics that may or may not pay off when Michael Bendis takes over the writing chores.
February 19, 2019
Normally, I’m a pretty big fan of time travel stories, especially when they feature Booster, but Superman and the storytelling are just so dumb in this one, I couldn’t enjoy it. His insistence on staying on old Krypton even though he’s clearly screwing up time, to the point that Booster and Skeets have to literally drag him away, is just ridiculous. And then the forced pit stops to other places and times thanks to the time bubble getting wrecked, only for it be just as quickly and improbably fixed just in time to get to the next forced forced pit stop... ugh.
Meanwhile, Lois Lane goes to a fictional African nation to save her father with Jon in tow, and even though Sam Lane doesn’t know Superman’s true identity or the fact that Jon has powers, he still seems to just ignore the obvious horribleness of bringing a child into a war zone when he has the same exact argument with Lois that he always done, but Clark Kent somehow magically fixes it in the space of two pages. Sigh.
Rounding off this collection of not great stories is one that serves no other purpose than to return Lex Luthor to his villainous ways. Never mind that he’s never been as interesting as when he was trying to be an actual hero and working alongside Superman while still being an egotistical jerk. Now he’s just gonna be another villain. Yay.
Meanwhile, Lois Lane goes to a fictional African nation to save her father with Jon in tow, and even though Sam Lane doesn’t know Superman’s true identity or the fact that Jon has powers, he still seems to just ignore the obvious horribleness of bringing a child into a war zone when he has the same exact argument with Lois that he always done, but Clark Kent somehow magically fixes it in the space of two pages. Sigh.
Rounding off this collection of not great stories is one that serves no other purpose than to return Lex Luthor to his villainous ways. Never mind that he’s never been as interesting as when he was trying to be an actual hero and working alongside Superman while still being an egotistical jerk. Now he’s just gonna be another villain. Yay.
February 22, 2024
Jurgens kończy czasowo prace nad Supermanem i finiszuje w niezłym stylu, kończąc najwrażliwsze wątki. Niestety nie jest to tak angażujące jak poprzednie odsłony serii, ale nie ma co narzekać. Akcji tu jest co niemiara, czemu towarzyszy rzemieślnicza kreska. Nic specjalnego.
W poprzednim tomie poznaliśmy tożsamość jegomościa o ksywce Oz, co wstrząsnęło psychiką Supermana. Teraz bohater chce się przekonać, czy to wszystko nie jest fałszem. W tym celu sięga po wehikuł czasu i cofa się do chwili, kiedy Krypton jeszcze się nie zapadł i eksplodował. Tyle, że całe te zajścia powodują pewne paradoksy, jakie trzeba będzie skorygować. Tu na scenę wkracza Booster Gold, który zamierza pomóc Supkowi i przy okazji zrobić sobie dobry PR w mediach...
Ich przygody są w miarę urozmaicone, bo problemy się tylko piętrzą, co powoduje kolejne zawirowania czasowe, ale jest to przyjemne. Z drugiej zaś strony możemy zobaczyć co robi Lois Lane, aby wydostać swojego ojca z niewoli. Szczęśliwie może liczyć na swojego syna. Oprócz wiodącej historii mamy tu jeszcze dwa krótkie wątki, które są nieco zapchaj dziurą.
Run Jurgensa po tych kilku pozycjach oceniam jako serię, z którą warto się zapoznać. Ma równy, dobry poziom, choć to w zasadzie raczej proste akcyjniaki, niźli coś co zdefiniuje postać na nową.
W poprzednim tomie poznaliśmy tożsamość jegomościa o ksywce Oz, co wstrząsnęło psychiką Supermana. Teraz bohater chce się przekonać, czy to wszystko nie jest fałszem. W tym celu sięga po wehikuł czasu i cofa się do chwili, kiedy Krypton jeszcze się nie zapadł i eksplodował. Tyle, że całe te zajścia powodują pewne paradoksy, jakie trzeba będzie skorygować. Tu na scenę wkracza Booster Gold, który zamierza pomóc Supkowi i przy okazji zrobić sobie dobry PR w mediach...
Ich przygody są w miarę urozmaicone, bo problemy się tylko piętrzą, co powoduje kolejne zawirowania czasowe, ale jest to przyjemne. Z drugiej zaś strony możemy zobaczyć co robi Lois Lane, aby wydostać swojego ojca z niewoli. Szczęśliwie może liczyć na swojego syna. Oprócz wiodącej historii mamy tu jeszcze dwa krótkie wątki, które są nieco zapchaj dziurą.
Run Jurgensa po tych kilku pozycjach oceniam jako serię, z którą warto się zapoznać. Ma równy, dobry poziom, choć to w zasadzie raczej proste akcyjniaki, niźli coś co zdefiniuje postać na nową.
October 1, 2023
Dan Jurgens is probably the best writer of Booster Gold, especially when he leans into the 'Greatest Hero you've Never Heard of' side of the character, rather than the goofier Blue & Gold version. Here, Booster is the star of the show as he tries to repair the damage Superman does attempting to investigate Mr. Oz. We get flashes of alternate pasts, presents, and futures, with the two stumbling through everything making messes, but mostly cleaning everything up after themselves (usually due to Skeets). There's a lot of punching going on, with that being Superman's primary involvement in things, which seems a bit out of character, but otherwise, it's a fine enough story. We also get a B-story back in the present with Lois rescuing her father and introducing Jon to him, all without revealing Jon's abilities. I think there's a level of acceptance for Jon's presence that seems a bit absurd, but other than that, it's nice to see Lois using her resources and resourcefulness to accomplish something significant. The last issue temporarily undoes some of that, but repairs it quickly enough.
All in all, this isn't a volume Superman fans will love. But Booster fans will probably enjoy it enough to make up for the lack.
All in all, this isn't a volume Superman fans will love. But Booster fans will probably enjoy it enough to make up for the lack.
March 1, 2019
This was an odd duck of a book. Superman spent most of this time moping, time travelling and generally suffering from a personality transplant. The b-plot involved Lois saving her dad from a hostile country holding him hostage. I am not sure where she got her ninja skills or why she didn't let Jon go instead but it irked me. Superboy is good enough to fight against supervillains but he can't take on bad humans?
I get Mr Jurgens was trying to show the parallels between the two stories with both focus on loss and fathers but I was not impressed. There were ways of focusing on the emotional kernel which could have been interesting but instead we got bad action and inconsistent characterisation. I enjoyed parts of it when I switched off my brain - which is ok I guess.
The artwork was also janky in places with faces appearing elongated in one panel and then normal in others. Nothing truly awful but nothing great either. All in the ok range.
I liked Booster Gold in general but he couldn't save the odd plot. I gave this an ok rating / 2 stars in the end for his character, for some of the art in the back and a few lovely moments. Like Superman talking to Booster Gold's mom.
I get Mr Jurgens was trying to show the parallels between the two stories with both focus on loss and fathers but I was not impressed. There were ways of focusing on the emotional kernel which could have been interesting but instead we got bad action and inconsistent characterisation. I enjoyed parts of it when I switched off my brain - which is ok I guess.
The artwork was also janky in places with faces appearing elongated in one panel and then normal in others. Nothing truly awful but nothing great either. All in the ok range.
I liked Booster Gold in general but he couldn't save the odd plot. I gave this an ok rating / 2 stars in the end for his character, for some of the art in the back and a few lovely moments. Like Superman talking to Booster Gold's mom.
December 15, 2020
Superman travels into the past to see what happens at the moment of Krypton's destruction. But will he be able to resist changing the past?
Booster Gold is the sidekick character in this one, as he - or Flash - frequently are when dealing with timey wimey shenanigans. And while it is a bit interesting, I feel like this has been done many times before. It's something that really pushes the limits of Superman's hope to the brink. He wants to save his parents but he knows he cant change the past.
I think the unoriginal plot is not the worst thing about the book. The worst thing is the writing in general. Which I hate to say because Jurgens has actually been doing a great job on this book. But in this one, it reads more like a golden age book where characterization and rationality kind of get thrown out the window in order to move the plot along. The dialogue also reminded me of golden age books where it was very campy and cheesy. I don't know if Jurgens was going for a throw back vibe, but for me this didn't work at all.
An unfortunately end to a good run, I would check this out only if you are a die hard Superman fan only.
Booster Gold is the sidekick character in this one, as he - or Flash - frequently are when dealing with timey wimey shenanigans. And while it is a bit interesting, I feel like this has been done many times before. It's something that really pushes the limits of Superman's hope to the brink. He wants to save his parents but he knows he cant change the past.
I think the unoriginal plot is not the worst thing about the book. The worst thing is the writing in general. Which I hate to say because Jurgens has actually been doing a great job on this book. But in this one, it reads more like a golden age book where characterization and rationality kind of get thrown out the window in order to move the plot along. The dialogue also reminded me of golden age books where it was very campy and cheesy. I don't know if Jurgens was going for a throw back vibe, but for me this didn't work at all.
An unfortunately end to a good run, I would check this out only if you are a die hard Superman fan only.
January 27, 2023
This is Dan Jurgens last run in Action Comics before the 1000th issue so he put in the story his favorite creation: Booster Gold.
I'm not a fan of Booster Gold. I learn about him in the Justice League Animated Series. I know he is a fun character but he just didnt get me.
The premise of this volume is that Superman travel to the past to see if his father really survived the explosion of Krypton. While Lois Lane try to make amends to his father. The story answers some loose end to the mysterious Oz but it doesnt have the strength and appeal to make this an engaging story.
In the art department, I love the early issues drawn by Dan Jurgens himself. It is strong and fine detailed. It reminds the comic book from the yesteryears. While Brett Booth's art is inferior to Wil Conrad. I love how smooth and detailed the art of the latter rather than the former.
I'll take a break to my Action Comics binge reading and read something else. It's been fun and Rebirth event truly put the Man of Steel back to the right track.
I'm not a fan of Booster Gold. I learn about him in the Justice League Animated Series. I know he is a fun character but he just didnt get me.
The premise of this volume is that Superman travel to the past to see if his father really survived the explosion of Krypton. While Lois Lane try to make amends to his father. The story answers some loose end to the mysterious Oz but it doesnt have the strength and appeal to make this an engaging story.
In the art department, I love the early issues drawn by Dan Jurgens himself. It is strong and fine detailed. It reminds the comic book from the yesteryears. While Brett Booth's art is inferior to Wil Conrad. I love how smooth and detailed the art of the latter rather than the former.
I'll take a break to my Action Comics binge reading and read something else. It's been fun and Rebirth event truly put the Man of Steel back to the right track.
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