The Boys

[Charles RB]

I know I'm not the only one on here who reads it, but: anyone else who did, did you expect the end to #36 to be as good and hard-hitting as it was? It's the complete lack of any impact or warning in the flashback that got me, you just turn the page and there's total darkness - that, and Mother's Milk's pride about the Bridge's construction and everything that went in to making it.

[K-DoG7p7]

I liked The Boys when they where at Wildstorm
kinda went overboard as soon as they changed publishers

[Charles RB]

The Wildstorm arc was the weakest for me - most of the really strong stuff, the big character bits and the thematic points and everything, didn't start until Dynamite. (I don't know if Ennis planned that - "let's do something lighter and more profane first to ease readers in and get their attention" - but it comes off like he did)

[jamesfreeman]

Originally Posted by Charles RB

The Wildstorm arc was the weakest for me - most of the really strong stuff, the big character bits and the thematic points and everything, didn't start until Dynamite. (I don't know if Ennis planned that - "let's do something lighter and more profane first to ease readers in and get their attention" - but it comes off like he did)

Well, he probably had more creative freedom at Dynmaite. I know that Wildstorm dropped the book because some higher ups weren't happy with what Ennis was doing.

And I just love EVERYONE on that cast. I really hope Ennis decides to maybe do something with some of the Seven. They're RIPE for parody.

[Stressfactor]

My feelings about "The Boys" can be summed up in two words: Bored now.




And I know I'm in the minority but I've honestly felt that his stuff was MORE creative and intelligent when he left more stuff up to readers' imaginations rather than just splatting all his bile onto the page.

[Lester C.]

I think it's worth the money. It's not Ennis or Robertson best work but it's still pretty good just off. It just doesn't seem to have the heart and intellegence that both men are known for but the writing and art are still top notch so good times.

[KevinTBrown]

Originally Posted by Stressfactor

My feelings about "The Boys" can be summed up in two words: Bored now.




And I know I'm in the minority but I've honestly felt that his stuff was MORE creative and intelligent when he left more stuff up to readers' imaginations rather than just splatting all his bile onto the page.

I agree.

The last few issues I've read, I've flipped through and wondered what happened to the STORY that was being built....

[DubipR]

Originally Posted by Stressfactor

My feelings about "The Boys" can be summed up in two words: Bored now.

And I know I'm in the minority but I've honestly felt that his stuff was MORE creative and intelligent when he left more stuff up to readers' imaginations rather than just splatting all his bile onto the page.

I'm in agreement with you, T.
I got bored with The Boys in the middle of that "We Got to Go Now" arc where Hughie was undercover... dragged way too long. Sure part of the Russia arc was slow too, but that's what you get with all the padded writing. Right now, it's reading a bit more and more like Transmet...you know the confrontation with the Seven is coming up and possibly if not all of the Boys will die. It's becoming typical cliche Ennis writing. There's no anima or depth to these guys...just 5 cyphers and that's it.

[Charles RB]

Originally Posted by jamesfreeman

And I just love EVERYONE on that cast.

Even A-Train? You're a sick man.

Originally Posted by Stressfactor

I've honestly felt that his stuff was MORE creative and intelligent when he left more stuff up to readers' imaginations rather than just splatting all his bile onto the page.

When did he ever not splatter his bile about politics and social horrors onto the page? He's done it since he started.

Originally Posted by KevinTBrown

The last few issues I've read, I've flipped through and wondered what happened to the STORY that was being built....

Well, in the last few issues, we found out the backstory for one of the main characters, including the amorality of Vought-American; V-A sent their second strongest team to outright slaughter the Boys (which failed but only just); Hughie showed growing bitterness over Butcher's cavalier approach to the horrors they wade through; the Homelander has become disconnected and apathetic, and is dangerously close to cutting loose; four of the Seven tried to break Annie but were forced back by Queen Mauve, the first proactive act we've seen her do; and the nameless executive has risen to CEO level.

That's not counting Herogasm, since it's a seperate miniseries (though it's really part of the main story), where the Homelander murders hundreds of people and attempts a coup against Vought; we find out VA wanted the President out of the way on September 11 so the Seven could save the day and Vic the Veep knocked out the President in order to assume command & stand down NORAD, and that the White House has been in quiet civil war since then; we learn VA have mercs in the Secret Service and it's confirmed they intend to kill the President; Hughie gets assaulted.

[Stressfactor]

Originally Posted by Charles RB

When did he ever not splatter his bile about politics and social horrors onto the page? He's done it since he started.

HIs "Hitman" stuff was a bit sharper, more like a scalpel than a baseball bat. Because Ennis was limited in what he could do with graphic sex, graphic language and even his allusions he had to come up with more creative ways to get his message across. Because of this his bile seemed to have more... humor... in the mix and it didn't seem quite as mean spirited and deliberately geared to insult even the readers.

[Gnarl]

I find it suffers from an big internal contradiction. The Supes are built up as these massive threats, but besides being mostly stupid and self-indulgent, they are quite squishy.

When they flamed out the mansion in the undercover arc, non of the supes there could do anything, they just died. No invulnerability, not enhanced reactions, teleportation, precognition, telepaths reading the pilots brains, pyrokinesis etc.

Stormfront was supposed to be the second most powerful guy on earth, and he just got kicked to death. The treat level of the superhuman suffers when they are so very, very easy to just kill.

[jamesfreeman]

Originally Posted by Charles RB

Even A-Train? You're a sick man. .

I love A-Train because he's an asshole who does whatever the fuck he wants because he knows there are no consequences. In a real world setting, that's how I imagine most people would act if they could get superpowers.

[bringthenoise]

Originally Posted by Gnarl

Stormfront was supposed to be the second most powerful guy on earth, and he just got kicked to death. The treat level of the superhuman suffers when they are so very, very easy to just kill.

He got kicked to death by the combined forces of The Boys (who are all on Compound V and therefore essentially Supers themselves) and Love Sausage - and they only JUST avoided dying. If he'd take them on one at a time, they'd be dead.

[Aubergine~!]

Kinda makes you wonder why they don't just try isolating and killing Homelander. Thought the power gap was much much bigger myself.

But yeah, love the series, though at the moment Ennis seems to be spinning his wheels a bit, what with the origin stories. We've just finished with Mother's Milk, and the Frenchman's origin is apparently up next.

[bringthenoise]

I think the difference between Stormfront and Homelander is big enough that he'd be able to survive an assault like that. He's more Dr Manhattan than Superman.