52 #7
52 #7 is the first comic book appearance of Kate Kane — the modern Batwoman — making it a genuine character-introduction milestone for DC Comics. When Kane's identity as a lesbian was announced simultaneously with the issue's release, coverage from CNN, USA Today, and Out magazine made this one of the most publicly discussed superhero debuts of the decade, signaling DC's deliberate push toward greater representation. For Booster Gold and Skeets, the issue accelerates a growing conspiracy: Booster's fraudulent heroics are publicly exposed by the very villain he paid to stage a fight, a humiliation that reframes him as a character in genuine need of redemption rather than just celebrity. These two threads — a new hero's quiet debut and a familiar hero's public unraveling — make #7 a pivotal structural issue in one of the most ambitious weekly serial experiments in American mainstream comics.
"Going Down" delivers a sharp, character-driven moment in Superboy’s journey, set against the backdrop of a high-stakes mission that tests his resolve and place within the larger DC universe. With J. G. Jones’ striking cover art capturing the tension, this 2006 issue stands out as a pivotal chapter in the ongoing series, featuring a story that lingers in the mind long after the final panel.
In "Going Down," Jo questions her role in the Question’s investigations while reaching out to an old flame for answers. Meanwhile, Ralph challenges Booster’s priorities, Booster is brought down in public by Manthrax, and high above, Adam, Animal Man, and Starfire realize they’re not alone in space.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
52 was conceived as a real-time chronicle of the 'missing year' between Infinite Crisis and DC's One Year Later publishing line, written collaboratively by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid with story breakdowns by Keith Giffen — the first DC weekly series since Action Comics Weekly ended in 1989. Senior editor Dan DiDio explicitly framed the project as a vehicle to elevate B-list characters to A-list status, which is precisely the editorial context in which Kate Kane was introduced in #7. Interior art for this issue was penciled by Ken Lashley (layouts by Giffen), with the backup 'History of the DC Universe' feature by Dan Jurgens and Art Thibert running across Weeks 2 through 11. The original plan for Booster and Skeets involved a relatively straightforward fix-the-timeline plot, but the writing team pivoted mid-series — Skeets' subtle data errors seeded across early issues, including #7, were retroactively part of a much darker arc that would eventually reveal Skeets' body as a cocoon for the villain Mister Mind.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Kate Kane (the modern Batwoman) in comics — she appears in her civilian identity, revealed as a wealthy Gotham heiress and former romantic partner of Renée Montoya; she does not yet appear in the Batwoman costume (that debut comes in issue #11).
- Published June 21, 2006 (cover date August 2006); the seventh installment of DC's 52-issue weekly limited series running May 2006 – May 2007.
- Written by the collaborative team of Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid; story breakdowns by Keith Giffen; interior art by Ken Lashley and Draxhall Jump Studios; cover by J.G. Jones.
- Booster Gold's staged heroics — in prior issues he had been paying an actor to play the villain 'Manthrax' — are exposed in this issue when the real Manthrax appears and publicly humiliates Booster in front of Lois Lane and news cameras, with Ralph Dibny refusing to offer Booster any cover.
- Skeets' ongoing inability to accurately recall future historical data, a subtle plot thread introduced in the earliest weeks of 52, continues here; this arc was deliberately re-engineered mid-series from a generic 'fix the timeline' story into the revelation that Skeets' body had been inhabited and used as a cocoon by Mister Mind.
- The issue also advances the stranded-in-space storyline (Adam Strange, Starfire, Animal Man) and marks an early appearance of Devilance the Pursuer — a Jack Kirby creation from Forever People #11.
- The 'Going Down' lead story is reprinted in the 2007 four-volume 52 trade paperback collection (Vol. 1), the 2016 two-volume edition (Vol. 1), and the 52 Omnibus.
- A 'History of the DC Universe' backup feature by Dan Jurgens and Art Thibert runs in this issue, part of a continuing strip appearing in Weeks 2 through 11, in which Donna Troy narrates DC history using Harbinger's recording device.
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Reprinted in 52 #1 (2007), 52 #2 (2007), 52 #3 (2007), 52: The Covers #[nn] (2007), A História do Universo DC #[nn] (2009), 52 #1 (2012), The 52 Omnibus #[nn] (2013), 52 #1 (2016), DC Comics Graphic Novel Collection Premiumband #6 (2017), DC Comics Graphic Novel Collection Premiumband #7 (2017)
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