BLUE AND GOLD #1/ Script by DAN JURGENS/ Art, Colors and Cover by RYAN SOOK/ Letters by ROB LEIGH/ Variant Cover by DAVE JOHNSON/ Published by DC COMICS

One is the Greatest Hero You’ve Never Heard Of! The other doesn’t really have a catchy nickname. Apart, they are among the World’s Finest heroes. Together, they are a huge pain in the neck. Yet Ted Kord and Michael Carter (aka Blue Beetle and Booster Gold) have always been there for each other when the chips were down. Because who else would be?

It’s been a rough few months for the Corporate Crusader and… that other guy, what with reboots and crises and being impersonated by a crime boss. (Long story.) But Blue and Gold are back together and ready to rejoin the Justice League! As soon as they actually invite them back in. Which is just a matter of time, surely! I mean, they let Black Adam in and he’s a villain! Right?

I had certain expectations coming into Blue and Gold #1. I expected it to be funny and was not disappointed. I did not, however, expect it to have as much heart and respect for its protagonists as it did, despite being written by Booster Gold’s creator Dan Jurgens.

Jurgens neatly updates Booster Gold, who was originally created a satire of 1980’s consumerism and seamlessly shifts Booster into the Information Age. The opening sequence, in which Booster launches a one-man effort to rescue the abducted Justice League from alien invaders, has Booster playing to the web-cameras live-streaming the event, begging for donations to his Patreon. This is intercut with comments from various trolls hoping that Booster dies horribly while complaining about this is all clearly staged. More impressively, Jurgens manages to restore the classic Blue Beetle without diminishing the rather rough time Ted Kord has had in recent years or hand-waving his losses.

The artwork by Ryan Sook is top-notch. The action sequences flow as smooth as silk and the colors are vibrant and lively throughout. The letters by Rob Leigh are also excellent. This is one gorgeous book, to put it plainly.

Blue and Gold are back and thank goodness for it! There isn’t a BWA-HA-HA to be found within these pages, but this book is guaranteed to make you smile. Grab it now while you still can, before it becomes the Greatest Book You Can’t Get A Hold Of!