Saturday, July 16, 2011

25 Days of Supporting Characters: Batman




#14 Batman (Bruce Wayne)

Unlike Superman the dark knight has usually been pretty supportive of Booster Gold. There was only one infamous time where he wasn't although Batman wasn't without his more frustrated moments. And there were time where he sent mixed messages of how welcomed Booster was. (During the Gray Man arc he went back and forth on praising and complaining.) But I think that was more telling as being unsuited for leading JLI than Booster himself.

Why he's important to Booster: This actually goes back to the little known fact that Booster grew up in Gotham. Although it's never outright stated Batmans' influence is hinted at by a statue in the art. There's little doubt that he became a fan as a result. It's been assumed they met in JLI but their first meeting took place in Teen Titans when heroes were gathered to find the missing team. Booster must have made an impression when he answered "of course" when asked if they were willing to find the Titans or die trying.

Back in the early days Batman was the first big name hero to accept Booster. He agreed to have him in the league after fighting the Royal Flush Gang actually casting a smile his way. Now he's one of the few people to know the truth about Booster playing the fool to protect his greater mission. That's right, Booster has the long sought after Bat-approval.

Suggested Reading: Booster Gold #1 million Vol. 2 Just for the heartwarming feeling you get when Bruce tells Booster that he known what kind of hero he is for awhile and is giving his support. A moment that redeemed the Bat in fans eyes after him previously being a jerk and gave Booster the support he needed to go on. Proving Bruce does have a heart and understands Michael on a level you wouldn't suspect. 

2 comments:

  1. After all the crap that Booster has to go through, I am glad that he does finally have the support of Batman. But it is still hard for me to forgive Bruce for his brutality and cold-heartedness back when Ted was killed. Booster was the only one who called him on it, and rightly so. Of course Bruce was going through his OWN asshole stage at the time.

    So yes, it is good that Booster knows he has someone OTHER than Rip to rely on.

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  2. I find it ironic/hysterical that Superman is the jerky one to Booster while Batman (for the most part) has always seen the best in him. Yeah, Superman has improved but I always smile when I think about it. I like that Booster isn't afraid to stand up to Bruce anymore.

    I more or less forgive Bruce because he's one of the few people that seemed to have learned from the OMAC Project. Heroes still look down on Booster, he looks out for him and offers support. Bruce even looked out for Jaime without the kid even being aware of it. He hasn't (so far) taken over JLI from Booster. That's A LOT of growth from Teds' death.

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