Booster Gold

But the JLI needs–

Batman

Wake up, Booster. With everything that’s happened today, the JLI we knew is done for. But our work isn’t. Justice calls. 

Previously: The Justice League International was the UN’s idea of a transparent, public superhero team answerable to the people and their politicians. Booster Gold’s team had been thrown in at the deep end against the Signal Men before they won a messy victory. The UN’s Security Group was narrowly convinced to continue their sponsorship and a massive press event was organised to unveil the JLI to the world. However, their entrance was immediately followed by a massive explosion.

Flames and billowing smoke obscure the UN pPaza as Booster Gold and Guy Gardner carry Fire and other wounded survivors to safety. They are met by Batman who was watching from a nearby rooftop and Godvia who had been shielded by the General. The explosion was caused by bombs placed under the stage, but energy creatures have now started attacking the survivors.  Guy destroys them, but their unseen creator, Lightweaver, is prevented from sending in more by his master who tells him to remain out of sight. Vixen is so badly injured that Batman has Guy take her directly to hospital. Booster finds Ice inside an ice cocoon within the flames and hands her over to a waiting ambulance. The only people unaccounted for are the August General and Gavril Ivanovich (Rocket Red). Booster starts to go back for them, but he stops when he sees the General carrying Gavril’s body out of the flames. He is dead.

Godvia and Booster can’t believe they’ve been decimated by a simple bomb, but Batman cuts through their thoughts and gets people moving. Booster is sent back to look for more civilian survivors while Batman sets out to find the people responsible. Guy Gardner is still at the hospital when Ice is taken straight into surgery. Guy calls out to the doctors that she’s “special”, but he’s then taken to task by a bystander who reminds him that all the injured were special to somebody. Booster has Skeet’s download any useful data from a fragment of Gavril’s armour. He, the General, and Godvia, then continue pulling survivors and bodies out of the wreckage. Two of the last bodies Booster finds those of Andre Biggs and Emerson Esposito, the JLI’s civilian liaisons to the UN. The three heroes finally make it to the hospital to learn that Fire’s in a coma and that Ice and Vixen are still in surgery.

Booster breaks the news to Guy that Gavril, Andre, and Emerson are dead, but he’s overhead by the bystander who had earlier taken Guy to task. It turns out that the man is Emerson Esposito’s father. He accuses Booster of attracting trouble wherever he goes. It seems that Chairwoman Bao of the UN agrees. She says that the UN is rescinding the JLI’s charter and that creating them was a mistake (“All you did was bring death and destruction to the doorstep of the United Nations.”) An angry Booster walks away before he says something he’ll regret, but he’s ambushed by Lightweaver as he leaves the hospital. The villain admits to being with those responsible for the UN bombing and then knocks Booster to the ground. Booster sees a familiar bat-shaped silhouette coming to his aid. However, this one belongs not to Batman, but to Batwing!

International Exchange

During their monthly JLI chat, Russ Burlingame quizzed Dan Jurgens on Rocket Red’s death.

What was the thinking behind Gavril being the character to die? Is it just to do with the idea that the Rocket Reds are a bit of an anachronism?

It’s part of creating the reasoning and rationale for why this team will stay together– or not. Does loss motivate them? Or does it take them down the road of not seeing the benefit in trying to bond as the JLI?

As for Gavril specifically, I don’t know that the Rocket Reds are an anachronism. Sure, that’s partially true, as the concept probably worked better when the Soviet Union still existed. But I think there is still source material there for a story.

Sales

My Thoughts

Surveying the Internets

Poet Mase (IGN):

Aaron Lopresti takes every opportunity to remind readers that the devastation resulting from the terrorist explosion has consequences. Lopresti punctuates most of the revelations that Jurgens piles onto his characters with images appropriate to the mood and situation.

A Comic Book Blog:

Booster yet again stands out as the emotional crux of the whole issue. His reaction to the situation is emotive and resonates with the readership. Even though he’s been hurt, watched his team mates get rushed to hospital and dug dead friends out of the rubble he still continues to believe in the JLI.

Nicole D’Andria (Player Affinity):

This issue is attempting to be the culminating point in JLI’s history, with hints of imminent deaths, established deaths and critical conditions. But never does the tension reach the crescendo it’s trying for.

The Verdicts

Page 5. The Hall of Justice was blown in Justice League International (vol. 3) #1 (Nov 2011), Batman and Booster Gold caught the culprits in  Justice League International (vol. 3) #6 (April 2012).