Firestorm Reading Recommendations

[Grayson]

Does anyone have any good reading recommendations on Firestorm? I’ve read the Legends of Tomorrow series that had a mini series with them in it, and I believe that they had a new 52 series but that wasn’t met with good reception so what else is out there that’s good?

Also while I’m creating this topic, can anyone recommend good stories that show the dynamic of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold?

[LordMikel]

Blackest Night and Brightest Day for later reading. Someone will have to suggest earlier reading.

Justice League America for Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. The one that started in 1987.

[Lee Stone]

I've always preferred the Gerry Conway run of Firestorm:
Firestorm (1978) #1-5
DC Comics Presents #17
Flash #289-299, 301-304
Brave and the Bold #172
DC Comics Presents #45
Fury of Firestorm #1-53, Annual #1-4
Blue Devil #23 (crossover)
Secret Origins #4

For Beetle & Booster:
JLI #1-51 (Beetle is in it from the start, Booster joins in #4), Annual #1-5
Suicide Squad #13 (crossover with JLI)
JLE #7,8 (crossover issues with JLI)

Also, if you like Firestorm and the Blue & Gold team, you might be interested in Blue Devil, as well as the solo Blue Beetle and Booster Gold runs from the '80s.

[Frontier]

I'm kind of amazed that the original Firestorm run hasn't been collected yet.

[Lee Stone]

I'm kind of amazed that the original Firestorm run hasn't been collected yet.

It appears it has...
If you're referring to the 1978 run.
http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mik...?comicid=86751

[Jim Kelly]

Lee Stone beat me to it . . . Never mind.

[Lee Stone]

If you mean the original original run, it was in a 2011 TPB. But I don’t believe the second run has got a collection as yet.

I was surprised that it didn't at least get a Showcase Presents collection.

[Grayson]

Thank you for these recommendations, I plan to check out the 1978 series, the annuals, Fury of the Firestorm, and the new 52 issues starting with #13 with Jurgens. Then I’ll have to check blackest and brighter night.

So what was wrong with the new 52 series? I read that the early issues before Dan took over that Ronnie and Jason were each their own Firestorm and that does sound lame to me but what else was wrong?

Just for clarification, I should read JLI by Giffen correct? Also is Beetle and Booster as fun to read as people make them out to be?

[Lee Stone]

Just for clarification, I should read JLI by Giffen correct? Also is Beetle and Booster as fun to read as people make them out to be?

Yeah. The Giffen/DeMatteis run. Giffen did plots and DeMatteis did the dialogue.
It was titled simply 'Justice League' for the first six issues, then they added 'International' with #7. And it was renamed 'Justice League America' with #26, after the team was split into two seperate JLI groups.

The first couple years, it was played a little more seriously, with the humor coming mostly from the dialogue and interactions between people 'working together'.
After the first couple years, and the launch of 'Justice League Europe', the comedy moved more to the plots and situations, while JLE stuck with the formula that had been developed in JLI.

The Beetle/Booster chemistry really started with their trip to Bialya in #16 and 17, where the two of them with Batman and Fire go secretly into Bialya.
It's pretty much solidified by #34.

[JackDaw]

Not read much of the Gerry Conway run, but read and really enjoyed the entire John Ostrander run (54 to 100, annual 5??).

Certainly the story arc where Martin was desperately ill, and he and Ronnie decide to action a plan to rid the world of all nuclear weapons as a last “adventure” was outstanding.