25 Days of Supporting Characters: Broderick

#24 Broderick

Introduced as a cop from Boosters' time that seemed to take Boosters' crimes a little too personally. Broderick was downright obsessed with ensuring his quarry had his death sentence carried out. So much so that he followed Booster back to the past to take him down himself. The flip side of the lawbreaker turned hero Broderick was a cop that started to truly like the idea that he would bring Booster in or take him out himself. But like a lot of characters in the series he had a special depth to him that's sorely missed. 

Why he's important to Booster: Broderick was a solid connection to Booster in a way neither Skeets nor Michelle could be. He's a constant reminder that won't let Booster forget that he screwed up and that he can't ever really escape his mistakes by running away. Broderick flat out refuses to refer to him as "Booster Gold" and only calls him Carter, thinking that the codename is utterly ridiculous. By actually confronting Broderick, Booster's able to give the man choices that weren't given to him showing that he can be the bigger man and offer aid to a fellow stranger in a strange land. By doing so he's finally able to put a little of his past behind him. 

Suggested Reading: Booster Gold #18 Vol.1 Most of the story is told from Brodericks' POV and it's truly one of the best, if not the best, issue in the first run. In a way Broderick acts as not just the eyes of the 25th century but the viewer. He remarks on the oddities of this time from the eyes of an outsider, inner thoughts we don't really get a lot of insight on even from Booster himself. Broderick remembers being a fan of Boosters' football days until the scandal and his thirst for both justice and vengeance. It's a good story that shows his mixture of admiration and disgust for what Booster stands for and his own instincts as a cop warring with his personal feelings. He witnesses Boosters' actions and begins to see something that BG himself to this day doesn't fully realize: that he really is the hero he set out to be. I'd love to see this guy again and have them have a strained sort of alliance. The fact that Boosters' a time cop makes it delicious irony that needs to be played with.