REVIEW: The Boys, #71

[CBR News]

"The Boys" #71 is Billy Butcher's last stand, last con and his last clash and heart-to-heart with Wee Hughie, one last aria by before the curtain, a final all-out reckoning courtesy of Garth Ennis and Russ Braun, and it's a good one.


Full review here.

[Brad Barton]

Seems this book's entire fanbase has jumped ship, shame. I still like the book and love(d) the characters, even though overall it hasn't quite lived up to early promise. The final issue is plagued with what so much of the series has been plagued with- talking head-itis, and I have to admit Garth leaves emotional payoff to an absolute minimum, if not outright absent. It almost seems like he lost interest in the story himself a few dozen issues ago and finished purely for the fans/out of a sense of completion/because it's a living.

Sad to see the series go out with a whimper creatively, but it's still been one of my all-around favorites of all-time. Here's hoping the final issue does have a little more emotional payoff, and that a future movie version might actually streamline and spruce up the rather weak ending.

[idlewildered]

Seems this book's entire fanbase has jumped ship, shame. I still like the book and love(d) the characters, even though overall it hasn't quite lived up to early promise. The final issue is plagued with what so much of the series has been plagued with- talking head-itis, and I have to admit Garth leaves emotional payoff to an absolute minimum, if not outright absent. It almost seems like he lost interest in the story himself a few dozen issues ago and finished purely for the fans/out of a sense of completion/because it's a living.

Sad to see the series go out with a whimper creatively, but it's still been one of my all-around favorites of all-time. Here's hoping the final issue does have a little more emotional payoff, and that a future movie version might actually streamline and spruce up the rather weak ending.

Is it not selling well? I trade waited all of it as even early on I found it more fun to digest in large doses.

I've not read the review as I'd rather wait until I can read the whole trade but I didn't feel Over the Hill was particularly weak.

[Arse Face]

I don't feel it's been a weak ending. It hasn't been as funny as early issues but I like how serious it got. I admit there is a lot of talking in 71 but this issue feels like the quiet part of a Tarantino film just before everything gets crazy. A few minutes to reflect on what's happened and get ready for the grand finally.

Can't wait for issue 72.

[jackdaw53]

I'm pretty sure its still selling well. Original plan was to wrap up story in 60 comics... its made it to 72 in main series, plus 3 minis. Don't see any evidence that its ending due to poor sales, it seems to me its just that story has run its course.

I've enjoyed reading it, and plan to re-read it over winter.

"Main problem" for me (on first reading) is that its been massively uneven in tone.... with some story arcs being little more than parodies of other comics, while other story arcs have tried to tackle more serious issues. Certainly my own wish is that Garth had stuck to his 60 comics plan, and omitted the "parody" arcs. I'm sure I'm in minority in feeling that way.

Even with that "main problem", I've enjoyed the comic a lot.... much more than large majority of current big two super hero comics.