Well here it is, the long awaited spoiler filled follow-up to Holy Retcon Batman! Booster Gold #5 is finally out and (DEEP BREATH) the DC Universe as we know it is still in tact. Big props to writer Geoff Johns for not using time travel to retcon the Joker’s infamous shooting of Batgirl and thus destroying the origin of everybody’s favorite paraplegic crime fighter Oracle (and no Charles Xavier doesn’t count, he’s walking again or hadn’t you heard).
 
Better still, Batgirl’s paralyzation was not a time anomaly at all but rather a cruel life lesson in moving on perpetrated by Booster Gold’s handler Rip Hunter. And when I say cruel I mean seriously f’ed up. After nearly dying in the first attempt to try and stop the Joker, Booster goes back three more times with only a bruised face, concussion, and a bullet wound to show for it! Apparently Booster is a slow learner because on the 5th attempt Rip tells Booster that he was hoping he’d figure it out for himself.
 

 
It being that not only is saving Batgirl never meant to be and neither is saving Blue Beetle, Booster’s best friend and the whole reason he agreed to become a time cop in the first place. Talk about tough love.
 
But fear not true believer, after all this is comics we’re talking about here. Enter Melodramatic Man, who tells Booster rules are for squares. Now let’s go save your butt buddy you big baby! (I’m paraphrasing of course)
 
 

 
Now whereas I was strongly opposed to using time travel to save Batgirl (or at least her legs), this is different. Besides my general indifference towards Blue Beetle as a character, saving him doesn’t pose any major problem for me as wouldn’t necessarily rewrite any of his history other than the dead part. In fact, I can see this working quite well into the book’s zany humor, something along the lines of say Plastic Man commenting “you were dead?” as he was replaced by a new Blue Beetle almost immediately after his demise.
 
 
It just doesn’t get any better than this guys and guyettes. Seeya in 30 for the moment of truth!