I keep forgetting there's a
Blue & Gold book finally coming out next month, but I have to say I need to try an issue or two before I'm all in, since occasionally those two can test my saintlike patience. Like today's book! From 2008,
Justice League Unlimited #43, "Wannabes" Written by Keith Giffen, pencils by Christopher Jones, inks by Dan Davis.
Booster Gold and Blue Beetle have a line on extortionist super-villains the Demolition Team, which they think they could then leverage into Justice League membership. Because they have to discuss this to hype themselves up, the actual League shows up, and Booster and Beetle of course get in their way, letting the bad guys escape. John Stewart and Wonder Woman are immediately rubbed the wrong way by them, thinking they're only in it for the fame, the money, and the girls. Which they kind of are, sure: Booster and Beetle only get serious if one of them gets seriously hurt, of if there's a crying little kid or something.
After wrapping up the Demolition Team, Batman points out the League could have taken care of the situation without their interference: "Do it right or don't do it at all." That is Bats being charitable, though: he tells Wonder Woman, even they were new to this once, and he admits he never had to worry about money.
I actually thought the last page of this story was part of the Mad Kids sneak peak; that's not super encouraging. Giffen often wrote Booster and Beetle as dumb as hell in the
Justice League glory days, and the tradition continues! That's probably why I hadn't blogged this before, which of course led to buying it again; great system I've got going here.
Funny thing is, they were both already in this version of the League by this point. Maybe it was a flashback to before then or something.
ReplyDeleteThat Superdudes thing seems like a callback to those miniseries he and DeMatteis did a couple years before. Always nice to see the International style of writing in other formats. I think they did a couple episodes of the Brave and the Bold show too.
See I grew up on these two being written like bumbling idiots with good gimmicks too until I got to see them grow & finally mature with Superman's death and various other tragedies up to Ted's death in 2005.
ReplyDeleteThe key is balance. Making them jokey when it serves the purpose, but also treat them seriously enough to make them legit credible heroes as well.
Not all writers are good at maintaining that delicate balance
Hey, I just got started blogging, give me five minutes!
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you kept it up!