Completely shameless and obsessed with wealth and fame, 35th century thrill seeker Michael Jon Carter decided to build his future in the past. Armed with a flight ring, force field and other weapons "borrowed" from the Space Museum, Carter travels back to the twentieth century and uses his knowledge of things to come to build an empire, which funds his super-heroic activities as Booster Gold. Offending the heroic community with his unabashed self-promotion, Booster becomes his own kind of adventurer - but that's not necessarily a good thing. Fame and fortune come at a price - a lesson Booster Gold will learn the hard way. When it's time to pay those dues, will Michael Carter remain a scoundrel, or become a true hero?...

This volume is the first in the Showcase Presents series to feature Booster Gold. For those of you unfamiliar with the Showcase Presents range, they basically reprint collections of a certain comic book series in a thick (typically 600+ pages) paperback edition. With a retail price of only £11, this is excellent value for money. The only downside is that the pages are reprinted in black and white.

Volume 1 collects together issues #1-25 of the '80s Booster Gold comic book series, as well as Action Comics #594. When disgraced future sports star Michael Carter discovered a time-travel device, he came to our time intent on becoming superhero Booster Gold - and making a fast buck. Follow Booster's earliest adventures in this action-packed collection, as he saves the President, joins the Justice League, finds fame and fortune - and loses it - and meets his long term ally and sparring partner, Blue Beetle, for the first time.

For those who don't mind owning black and white versions of the original comic, then this is the perfect way to revisit the origins of Booster Gold.

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Nick Smithson