Happy 4th (In Advance)

Ah, nothing like a quality ensemble! Not many people seem to actually do this, but when the National Anthem is played, EVERYONE is supposed to sing along! It's true - there's an entire set of rules of decorum dealing with the playing of the piece. Another little-practiced fact is that the National Anthem is not to be applauded regardless of how moving the performance. There are also very specific guidelines regarding how the piece is to be played. Jimmy Hendrix's solo at Woodstock - though impressive - was nonetheless against the rules. Trust me - I'm a musician and have conducted the piece enough times.

Well now, happy Fourth of July! As I will likely be busy with model rockets, grilling out, badminton, and family this weekend, I felt that a post recognizing America's "Birthday" would be best served coming this evening.

See, you must remember, without America's freedom and attitude, we couldn't have Booster Gold. As Independence Day approaches, I've decided to wax poetic about Booster's heroic role in our country.

Is there a more American character than Booster? I submit that there is not. Superman gets a patriotic reputation, but let's face it, he's simply an illegal alien trying to fit in to a foreign world. Wonder Woman? Puh-leeze. Olympians - or whatever it is that she's going to be from nowadays, I dislike the costume and story change, for the record - need not apply. No, Booster Gold's story reads like the following of the American Dream, if the American Dream includes lots of lasers and people in spandex.

In all seriousness, you have to face it - Booster Gold is a true American success story. He was a star in his own time playing what must have become America's pastime by the 25th century (sorry, baseball). His golden boy status was shattered by scandal, something we've seen with many celebrities lately - Brittney Spears, Tiger Woods, Ben Roethlisberger, Pac Man Jones... man, was Dan Jurgens ahead of his time! Yet, the scandal was not due to his own selfishness, but his desire to help his family out of a terrible situation. This was Booster's first major sacrifice, and he wasn't even a superhero yet!

Sure, Booster acquired his powers by somewhat dishonest means (ok, OUTRIGHT dishonest means) but we know from Skeets' conversation with Superman from way back when that he is SUPPOSED to be here doing what he is doing. Is that fate, negating the issue of his theft of materials from the museum? That may be another issue for another conversation. We'll spare the moralistic side of this for now.

A media darling nearly from the get-go, he built his career based upon capitalism and the almighty dollar. Sound familiar? It seems to be the current American Dream. In the beginning, his fame was based upon hype. He was almost the Paris Hilton of super heroes - doing very little, but gaining much acclaim. Yet again, Dan Jurgens was ahead of his time! He garnered the ire of other heroes and struggled to find respect, but in the beginning, the money was enough for him. That began to change slowly (despite some writers giving him fluff roles), but no change was more significant than the death of his best friend. This woke him up once and for all and he came to realize that he needed to do the right thing because it was right, not because of the pay day that it could bring.

He's been through his share of ups and downs, no doubt. His fortune has been lost and remade many times over, his reputation shattered, his credibility ruined over and over again - - but ultimately he salvages his situation. Really, that's Booster's life - salvaging the situation and finding a way to come out better, or at least the same. Even if he is he only one who knows it, as is the case with his work with Rip Hunter, Booster manages to come out a little wiser and a little better off.

This perseverance has even carried over in to the real world. His first run was canceled, but he found his way in to the Justice League. Those days came and went, but he found his role in other places. Then, the big break - just as he was about to give up when in the hospital, he ended up playing a crucial role in Infinite Crisis, broke through in 52 with a key story arc, and has now risen to a place that perhaps was impossible to envision when Booster Gold Volume 1 Issue 1 came out. Sure, that's a ridiculously cursory glance at a 25 year history, but I'm a man on a schedule.

Booster Gold represents many things, good and bad, about America - rampant consumerism, yet a desire to do good; failure, yet perseverance; overconfidence, yet moments of humility. If one only saw Booster on the Brave and the Bold cartoon, or only knows of him in a cursory sense, they may think that he is a very one-dimensional character. We know better.

All hail Booster Gold, a true American Hero!