DC Comics reviews for 12/13/17

Action Comics #993

Superman is desperate for answers and travels through time to learn the truth about Mr. Oz. Writer Dan Jurgens wisely follows up with The Oz Effect instead of having Superman passively waiting on answers. Superman takes the initiative here, but even Superman isn’t above screwing with the time line. Fortunately, he’s got some unanticipated backup in DC’s greatest time traveler, Booster Gold.

It’s always great seeing Jurgens revisit his creation. Booster has been one of the more missed popular DC characters since Rebirth began. With this issue, Jurgens makes a strong case that Booster deserves more screen time in DC comics. Maybe even his own title? This Booster is not quite the same self-absorbed narcissist, but he does have some occasional lapses in good judgment, but that was always part of Booster’s charm. There was some fun irony in learning Booster’s biggest fan and their ties to Superman, but it made perfect sense.

As great as Jurgens’ take on Booster is, his portrayal of another Justice League member felt way off and far too aggressive. Superman’s actions are understandable in this case despite the potential for irrevocably damaging time. This issue also sees an interesting development for Lois Lane and Jon, which mirrors Jon’s encounter with Mr. Oz.

Jurgens also does double duty this issue handling the pencil art with Joe Prado and Cam Smith completing the finishing and ink work. There’s definitely some softer pages where Jurgens’ pencils didn’t seem as pronounced dropping the art quality down somewhat. The art never looks terrible, but it would have been nice to have a more consistent look.

Booster Shot already shows a lot of potential and with the rare Superman/Booster Gold team-up, Jurgens has a potentially great dynamic to play with in this arc.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10