25 Days of Supporting Characters: Dirk Davis

I tried to do this a while back so maybe I'll finish this time. As a way to say goodbye to Boosters' series I'm going to try to do 25 character summaries. Their all supporting characters/roles that I feel are important in some way to Booster. That helped shape him into the person he is in some way whether it's small or not. Ones that stood out or had their interaction with him say something important about who he is. Some are better known than others, some are bit players but I think their all worth a look. And no, these aren't purposely in any real order. SPOILERS of course.

#25 Dirk Davis

In Boosters' first series he had an agent named Dirk Davis. Dirk didn't come off in the best of light at the beginning nor does his story end in on a particularly good note. There were times at the start that he seemed to want money more than Booster did going as far as chastising the hero for failing in front of the cameras. He was always promoting and selling giving him a sleazy vibe. But like Booster, Dirk also started to soften over the course of the series with the introduction of his daughter Sarah, a potential romantic interest in Trixie and a friendship with Booster. Dirk went from the money grubbing guy you couldn't stand to a man with hidden depths. Unfortunately a tie in to DCs' event Millennium required that every hero have at least one close ally betray them and/or be a Manhunter. Dirk got the short stick. This led to confusion over the characters' conflicting personalities and even more when Booster tracked Dirk down in Extreme Justice over his stolen funds.

The character has since been all but forgotten except for Booster fans willing to track down the first run. A once promising character ripe with potential wasted due to an editorial mandate.


Why he's important to Booster: Dirk helped bring out a certain side to Booster that hasn't really been seen since, the more business minded side. While there certainly were more promotions, sponsorships and businesses with Ted, his time with Dirk helped show that he was serious about the venture. He may not have thought out certain details (like the whole secret ID thing or you know, paying taxes) but making money and being respected weren't a joke. Booster got an agent that knew what he was doing and learned a thing or two. Sad thing is that I can't recall another series that showed Booster as an intelligent businessman besides this.

On an emotional level Dirk was really one of the first friends Booster had in this time. As such he's one of the first people he trusted with his secrets. And while this was screwed over even the change unintentionally provides more reason for Booster to be so hesitant with completely trusting people. Booster isn't really that open about his life, some of his friends didn't even hear about his scandal until sometime after Superman joined the league. Even Johns wrote his difficulty with revealing emotional bits from his past when Booster admitted to a younger Guy Gardner that he never told Ted the details about his father. Trust is a big issue for Booster given the betrayals and abandonments he has in his life. An ironic twists given his life as a Time Master.

Suggested Reading: Booster Gold #11 Vol. #1 The issue highlights Dirks' struggles as he has to decide whether to keep going along with his daughters' kidnappers orders or help his friend out. It shows Dirk trying to keep distracting Boosters' concerns with his usual tactics that--for once--fail miserably. Which showcases Boosters' maturity and humanity as he refuses to dismiss Trixies' absence. Much like Booster, he's able to find a measure of redemption (for a time.) Dirk acts courageously later on earning a special place in the hearts of fans who hated to see him go turn coat at the end of the series.