In The Boys, Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely
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Superheroes are everywhere in pop culture. The first superhero comic strip – The Phantom by Lee Faulk – was released in 1936 and comic book heroes have been part of our lives ever since. We all know the typical characteristics of a superhero: brave, selfless, moral, and just. Even when anti-heroes such as Namor the Sub-Mariner, Wolverine, and Deadpool took center stage, there was a certain standard to which they adhered. They might not be as squeaky-clean as Captain America and Superman, but their actions usually led to good triumphing over evil. So when The Boys exploded onto the comic book scene in 2006, it’s safe to say the world didn’t know what hit it.
In The Boys’ universe, superheroes are not good, the government does not have the public’s best interests at heart, and even our protagonists do terrible things for the sake of what they believe in. The series is unapologetically brutal, shockingly violent, and startlingly funny. Creators Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson took every superhero trope they could find, subverted them, twisted them, and set fire to them. Describing it as “not family friendly” is about as accurate as saying Homelander is “not a very nice person.”
In the comics, the Boys are a group of CIA-backed operatives tasked with keeping superheroes in line. Led by Billy Butcher, the crew includes Wee Hughie, Mother’s Milk, the Frenchman, and the Female. Superheroes are an institution in this universe; the Seven, led by Homelander, have absolute power and license to do as they please. Vought-American is the company that oversees the supes and has fingers in political, financial, and military pies. The Boys are responsible for holding supes accountable for the damage they cause. However, Billy Butcher’s intentions are not necessarily honorable. He has a deep-seated and justifiable hatred of supes, but, as with everything in The Boys, he takes it to the extreme. There are no good guys in The Boys, just some characters who aren’t as bad as everyone else.
In 2019, Amazon Prime released season 1 of The Boys TV series. The show is widely regarded as one of the best comic adaptations and is now entering its fourth season. It has been praised for its faithfulness to the comics, but even it shies away from some of the comic’s more violent and sexually explicit content. That’s not to say it doesn’t push boundaries: both the comics and the TV show are known for their confronting brutality and unforgiving examinations of social and political structures. From the culture of celebrities to the prevalence of sexual abuse to the puppetry of politics, The Boys doesn’t pull any punches. No aspect of society, good or bad, is free from scrutiny and dark parody.
Everything The Boys comic does, it does with humor. Its black comedy frames the harrowing events and interactions throughout the series, leaving you laughing and gasping in horror at the same time. This brutal and relentless humor is yet another thing that sets The Boys apart from other comic series. Despite its heavy themes and distressing content, there is always a laugh somewhere ahead, and somehow that makes it easier to accept the awful thing that just happened to that character you liked. Writer Garth Ennis has weaponized his razor-sharp wit and used it to deliver a story that is equal parts horrifying and hilarious. You never know what’s going to happen next – and maybe that’s a good thing.
The Boys comic series ended in 2012 after a 72-issue run, followed by a sequel miniseries in 2020 called The Boys: Dear Becky. Ennis and Robertson produced a number of miniseries (including Herogasm… if you know, you know) and spin-offs that make up the wider universe of The Boys. They celebrated the comic’s 15th anniversary with hardcover omnibus editions; volume 1 contains issues 1-30 and is a great starting place for newcomers and an impressive collector’s item for fans. The Amazon Prime series has undoubtedly brought The Boys back into the spotlight but the comics have had a dedicated fanbase for years. The series exposes the darkest part of society, human nature, and superhero culture, but it also presents us with well-developed, emotionally damaged characters whose trauma, vulnerabilities, and failings are laid bare in a way that’s hard to ignore. When your favorite characters do the wrong thing, you still root for them. When the villain’s traumatic past is revealed, you feel for them – even if it’s only for a second. Then someone probably dies horribly, and the story moves on at its usual break-neck speed.
Whenever you feel you might be suffering from superhero fatigue, turn to The Boys. The series is a raw, ruthless, and relentless exploration of how absolute power corrupts absolutely. It answers the age-old question, “Who watches the watchmen?” It may change how you view your favorite Marvel and DC characters and it may haunt your dreams at night. But it will make you think, it will make you laugh, and it will stay with you long after you’ve closed the tab or shut the book. The Boys are here to stay.
Have you read The Boys comics? Which characters do you think have been best portrayed in the Amazon Prime series? Tell us your thoughts and opinions in the comments below. And don’t forget to subscribe to our free newsletter, PopPulse Digest, for all things comics, collectibles, online deals, and more.
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