Since 2019, The Boys has been one of the most well-known series on Amazon Prime Video. Soon it will conclude with Season 5, and in this regard, MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes has looked at the comics: That was a big mistake.
I am a big fan of the Amazon series The Boys and not only am I looking forward to the next season, but I also enjoy every social media post about the series. In light of Season 5, which starts on April 8, I wanted to check out the comics by Garth Ennis on which the series is based.
Well, that was not a good idea, because to make it short: I do not like the comics. I read about half and then stopped. It is a wonder that the Amazon series is so good, but it also shows the potential that an adaptation offers.
Break boundaries to break boundaries
The premise in the comic is similar to that in the series. After A-Train accidentally kills Hughie’s girlfriend, who here looks like actor Simon Pegg, he meets Butcher and ends up with the Boys. They investigate cases of the Supes for the CIA where things are not quite right.
The comic is just as brutal as the series, but in other places, in my opinion, it exaggerates a bit too much with the provocation. Right in an early storyline, the Boys investigate a club for homosexuals.
They are often insulted, not only by the Supes. Even Hughie, the only emotional anchor for the readers, uses homophobic terms. This could fundamentally be used to construct a social critique, but that never happens.
This is quite indicative of The Boys
in the comics. Boundaries are pushed, but never to tell something, but rather just to push a boundary. Some might like that, and series like South Park have a similar approach, but I miss the satire or critique that makes the Amazon series so good.
Ennis employs explicit depictions of violence and especially sexual violence to provoke a shock reaction, but never to tell something. This is particularly critical because it often happens in the comics.
Overall, there is a lack of depth. The characters are also quite flat. There is hardly any character development, and the Supes are mostly nothing more than simply incredibly evil. A good example is Homelander. In the series, he is also evil, but he has some depth due to his ego, past, and relationships that distinguish him. In the comics, he is simply a Superman clone with a big ego.
When comparing the storylines of the comics and the series, you realize that the series doesn’t really adapt much of it. What would otherwise be a sin for many comic fans was, in my case, probably the best decision.
The series takes the idea of the comics, makes it modern
Garth Ennis is not a fan of superheroes. He revealed this in several situations, as the Los Angeles Times quoted him in 2019 with the following words: [Superheroes] seem to be the perfect fantasy of hope and self-empowerment for a world increasingly lacking both. As I personally did not grow up with superheroes, I find them completely idiotic.
I find that sentence intriguing. Ennis wanted to show a world of heroes that is not heroic, but power-hungry and controlling. Unfortunately, the comics mostly come across as if he truly hates superheroes.
The Amazon series takes a different approach. It is not just a parody of superheroes, but of superhero franchises, with a societal critique level. This combination is missing in the comics. They are simply against the superhero concept, whereas the superheroes in the series are used as a projection for societal problems.
This makes every season of The Boys feel modern, as it addresses current events. The violence and coarse humor are part of the world in the series, but not the focus of the narrative. Fairly, one must also note that the series does not always get it perfect.
However, the Amazon production also shows: There is a good core somewhere in this dreadful world. No one represents that as well as the character A-Train.
The core of a hero is still there
Do not get me wrong. The Supes are also evil people in the series, but there are developments, especially with goofy characters like The Deep, but above all with A-Train. His story begins here, and in Season 4 he really slowly develops into a hero.
In Episode 6 of Season 4, MM has a heart attack and A-Train is the only one who can save him. Kimiko asks him to help, and he does it, at first reluctantly. He takes him to the hospital, and a little boy sees him and smiles. A-Train feels good, like a hero. A comment under the YouTube clip sums it up perfectly: It is never too late to be a real hero.
This core has been understood by the series and is also processed in a character that initially seemed evil. This shows that the world is not just made up of bad things, but also that there is always hope. Many Supes are evil, but not all of them.
Only A-Train has more character development than probably any character in the comics, especially than his drawn equivalent, which is really garbage as a character.
You can watch the clip here:
One character is still a highlight in the comics
Is everything really bad about the The Boys
comics? No. I often find the art style fitting for the crude world, and Butcher as a character has his charm, as he has a pretty evil streak like the Supes, even if he lacks the conflict from the series.
Here I must also mention James Stillwell. He is actually the big villain of the series, making decisions for Vought. In the series, he has been transformed into two characters, namely Madelyn Stillwell and Edgar Stan. However, they do not do justice to his comic appearance.
In every panel he appears, he has a strong presence, and his emotional coldness, also in conflict with Homelander, is always exciting and captivating. He represents a ruthless businessman who seems more threatening without superpowers than the superheroes do.
Edgar Stan has taken on this role, but I would have liked to see it more prominently in the series, as it works nicely as a counterweight to Homelander in the comics.
The Boys shows that you do not have to adapt everything exactly. Comics are a different medium, and not everything works on television. Above all, the series demonstrates that you can also modernly adapt works that no longer appear contemporary, as long as you have a vision and a coherent idea.
The Amazon series takes place not only within the individual episodes; the creators also work smartly with social media. This is also shown by The Deep, who philosophizes nonsense in YouTube videos: A supe from The Boys only spouts nonsense, thereby showing why the series is so good
