Superhero comics are stories about beings intended to embody the best of humanity. Back in the early 2000’s, writer Garth Ennis and artist Darrick Robertson asked the question…what if they were just dickheads like the rest of us? The Boys comic’s told that story through the eyes of an average English bloke that resembled Simon Pegg. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s television adaptation of the comics changes the name of the game.
The Boys pilot episode “The Name of The Game” is an homage to the very first story arc of the series published ironically enough by DC before they simply got cold feet and it shifted to Dynamite Entertainment. These comics would show how super-powered beings would interact with the normal world. Its mishmash resembled a peanut butter and ketchup sandwich. Two things that just didn’t belong together, yet Garth Ennis crafted a narrative which at its core was a deeply insightful tale of caution in giving anything too much power.
Amazon’s series takes the already grounded tone of the material and strips it to a Daredevil like street level. We’re introduced to a very average American electronics salesman named Hughie Campell (Jack Quaid). Like the rest of the world, Hughie sees superheroes through a vale, far from the collateral damages often caused by heroic acts. Until a speedster called A-Train unintentionally liquifies Hughie’s girlfriend, Robyn. Now the real world is hitting Hughie and we’re seeing just how he’ll hit back.
Karl Urban (Star Trek, Dredd) plays a mysterious character called “Butcher”. A leather jacket-wearing fixer with a grudge against supers. The first episode doesn’t so much build a relationship between the two as it deals more with Hughie’s biggest character flaw, his meekness. You’re beaten more over the head with how mundane the character’s life is than why he wants revenge.
The episode also sets up our analog for the Justice League called “The Seven”. Funded by a fictional mega-conglomerate, Vought American, the group is made up of substitutes for Flash (A-Train), Wonder Woman (Queen Maeve), Aquaman (The Deep), and Superman (Homelander). This superman known as Homelander serves as the series main villain.
Just as in the comics, we’re introduced to a genuinely good-intentioned superhero named Starlight. We meet her on her first day in The Seven and Starlight’s world view is immediately shaken by the old adage “never meet your heroes”. The series will show us just how much growing up this young lady is going to have to do in this powered world.
When Goldberg and Rogen adapted Preacher they didn’t take liberties with the material. More so, they expanded upon certain things the books barely touched upon in a long game approach. With The Boys, there’s a rubicon of differences the creative team cross. None of which is simple or subtle but shows glimpses of being an interesting alternative take on the characters. Butcher isn’t shown as someone trying to seduce Hughie into a war, instead, he’s simply a force of nature using grief as a motivator to get a simple act from the wee one. Garth Ennis original story put The Boys and The Seven on an almost even playing field from the start by giving our protagonist “Compound V” which gave them enhanced strength and endurance. The show opts to not have this start off the blocks. Butcher and Hughie can only use their wits in order to fight these supers. Something demonstrated in the episode’s after-hours store brawl climax.
To accept Amazon’s The Boys is to accept a lot of changes in the name of giving the audience something easier to digest for those new to this fictional world. Fans of the comic book series may find a few things hard to swallow such as the exclusion of Butcher’s bulldog companion Terror, who in many ways served as the innocence of the team. There’s also a watering down of admittedly gratuitous aspects of the comics. From the outset, the messaging of let’s say workplace sexual harassment feels more like a commentary on Weinstein events than a shock value moment from the comics. To the credit of the show’s creative team, they tried to handle an adolescent fantasy moment with some contemporary adult conversation.
The Boys on Amazon does deliver enough of the world’s intriguing elements. Opting for more serialized storytelling than SVU procedural from the comics. Its different route is bold and has earned at least a chance from fans who know the material well. If you’re new to the world of The Boys or superhero drama, The Boys is the grounded take on the capes and tights pop culture landscape you’ve been waiting for.
The Boys streams on Amazon beginning July 26
About the Boys
Supes have been committing atrocities, which keep getting swept under the rug because they are revered by the adoring public. Billy Butcher recruits The Boys who have all been wronged by The Seven, the world’s most notorious superheroes, to bring them down and stop the corruption. Based on the best-selling comics by Garth Ennis, The Boys is a revenge story where the nobodies take on the somebodies.
About Prime Video
Want to watch it now? We’ve got it. This week’s newest movies, last night’s TV shows, classic favorites, and more are available to stream instantly, plus all your videos are stored in Your Video Library. Over 150,000 movies and TV episodes, including thousands for Amazon Prime members at no additional cost.
Get More Prime Video
Stream Now: http://bit.ly/WatchMorePrimeVideo
Facebook: http://bit.ly/PrimeVideoFB
Twitter: http://bit.ly/PrimeVideoTW
Instagram: http://bit.ly/AmazonPrimeVideoIG
