The Boys (comics)
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| The Boys | |
|---|---|
 Cover of The Boys #1. Art by Darick Robertson and Tony Avina Clockwise from top: The Frenchman, Mother's Milk, The Female, Wee Hughie, Billy Butcher |
|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Wildstorm (#1-6), Dynamite Entertainment (#7 onward), Titan Books (TPBs) |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Publication date | October 2006- |
| Number of issues | 36 (as of November 2009) |
| Main character(s) | (List of characters) |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Garth Ennis |
| Artist(s) | Darick Robertson Peter Snejbjerg |
| Colorist(s) | Tony Avina |
| Creator(s) | Garth Ennis Darick Robertson |
| Collected editions | |
| The Name of the Game | ISBN 9133305463 |
| Get Some | ISBN 1933305681 |
| Good for the Soul | ISBN 1933305924 |
The Boys is an American creator-owned comic book series, written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Darick Robertson. It was originally published by Wildstorm before moving to Dynamite Entertainment
The series is set in a contemporary world very much similar to the real one, with one notable exception: a number of people have some form of superpower. The series follows a superpowered CIA squad, known informally as "The Boys", whose job it is to keep watch on superheroes and, if necessary, intimidate or kill them.
Ennis has said that the series will "out-Preacher Preacher"[1], presumably referring to the extreme violence and sexuality that were that series' hallmark. He has also stated that he expects the series to last for approximately 60 issues. Ennis has recently stated that the series may last up to 70 issues
[edit] Publication history
The first six issues were published by Wildstorm, starting in 2006. On January 24, 2007, the series was abruptly canceled with issue 6. Ennis later explained that this was because DC (of whom Wildstorm is an imprint) were uneasy with the anti-superhero tone of the work.[2] The planned collection of said issues was also canceled. However, Robertson said that "DC is being good about reverting our rights so we can find a new publisher and we're in the process of doing that now". [3] Ennis then released a statement telling of interest from a couple of publishers and that issue 7 and a trade of the first six issues would be available. While Darick Robertson is currently on exclusive contract to DC, he has been given special dispensation to continue working on The Boys.[4] In February 2007 the series was picked up by Dynamite Entertainment and it resumed in May. A collected edition of the first six issues was also published by Dynamite, with a foreword by Simon Pegg.[5]
In February 2009 Dynamite announced a spin-off mini-series Herogasm, with art from John McCrea, who Ennis has worked with numerous times before,[6] and Keith Burns, a friend of McCrea's who has said "Keith's strengths are my weaknesses and vice versa."[7][8] The series is The Boys version of the big 'event' storylines but, according to Ennis "while we're having a pop at the notion of mass crossovers within a shared universe, we're not picking on 'Crisis' or 'Secret Wars' or 'Countdown' or whatever in particular."[9] The idea for the mini-series came about because the first part of the story does not involve the team and focuses on the superheroes, but will have an impact on the main series:
| “ | Our heroes' minor role in the story gradually alters its dynamic, until something happens in #4 that sends things off on a completely unexpected tangent. After that, life gets serious fast, and by the end you'll have witnessed events that will change things in the Boys' world for good. We'll start to pick up on the effects of that with #31 of the regular title.[9] | ” |
[edit] Characters
[edit] Story arcs
[edit] "The Name of the Game" (#1-2)
Billy Butcher learns of a directive made by The President of the United States to have the CIA monitor all superheroes and uses this to get the backing required to reform 'The Boys', a black-ops team designed to keep superheroes in their place. He brings together Mother's Milk, the Frenchman and the Female of the Species, but their fifth member, Mallory, refuses to return as his grandkids were murdered due to his involvement with the group. Requiring five in the team, Butcher recruits a Scottish conspiracy nut named Wee Hughie, whose girlfriend was accidentally killed by A-Train, a member of major superhero team the Seven.
[edit] "Cherry" (#3-6)
Wee Hughie meets the team for the first time in their new headquarters in the Flatiron Building, New York. There, Butcher reveals that their first mission is to intimidate teen superhero group Teenage Kix. The Boys spy on the group, gathering dirt on each of its members. Butcher sends them surveillance images and a note telling them that he will expose all of them to the media if they do not choose their own sacrifice victim. During surveillance work on Teenage Kix, it is revealed that all superpowers come from a drug called Compound V, or "Blue", invented during the Second World War by Nazi scientists. If it is taken in its pure form, the drug gives permanent superpowers that can be passed on genetically. Judging that he is suitable to join the team, Billy injects Hughie with a specially formulated mix of Blue that gives him super-strength and durability - but Hughie doesn't take kindly to this. Meanwhile, Annie January, a.k.a Starlight, is recruited from the Young Americans to join the Seven, whom she soon discovers to be a lot less clean-cut than the press make out. Hughie encounters Starlight, although neither are aware of the others' team. The Teenage Kix are forced to boot a member, and decide that Shout Out will out himself, on the grounds that nobody will publicly criticize a black homosexual and that his loss will hurt the team the least. Homelander informs the Kix that the Boys are responsible. Blarney Cock is killed in the ensuing fight.
[edit] "Get Some" (#7-10)
Butcher takes Wee Hughie to meet a man called "The Legend" - comic book magnate and a source for Butcher. The Legend has the Boys investigate the mysterious murder of a young gay man which was apparently at the hands of a superhero. The trail leads to Tek Knight, a man of machinery, who is suffering from an unusual problem that has left him without a butler, sidekick, superhero team and several inanimate objects. Hughie and Butcher's murder investigation delves deep into the Tek-Knight's background, as well as that of his former sidekick Swingwing. Hughie is the one who cracks the case, as well as being manipulated by Butcher into getting over his fear of killing another person in battle when he's forced to take down Swingwing. While the crime is solved and Swingwing dies in a jetpack accident (Butcher removed a screw from it and thus may have caused it, even though he was blackmailing the super into working for him at the time), Hughie is depressed that there is no real justice for the dead man. He is, however, able to bring a gay couple back together.
[edit] "Glorious Five Year Plan" (#11-14)
The Boys travel to Moscow, where the local supes are mysteriously exploding. Working with Vas and being targeted by Russian organised crime head Little Nina, they discover that Vought-American is working with Little Nina to engineer a coup - an army of 150 East European/Russian supers, organised by Nina, will ravage the country before she remotely detonates them all via their altered metabolisms and rises to power based on "saving" Russia.(Vought are just using her as a pawn and have another figure they want in charge). The Boys stop this plot and Butcher detonates the supers, while Hughie bonds with Vas and is disgusted by the group's willingness to torture. However, when Butcher gives the information to the CIA, he finds Director Rayner isn't going to do anything about it - she's worried Vought-American will sic their superheroes on the CIA, and possibly even the US itself.
[edit] "Good For The Soul" (#15-18)
Hughie visits The Legend, determined to find out more about the Boys - their history, their personalities, and their mysterious hidden agenda. Annie January (alias Starlight) has her own doubts about membership of the Seven. Hughie must also deal with the return of Blarney Cock as a brain damaged zombie and his new romance with Annie January, as the Boys get closer to finding out about their relationship.
[edit] "I Tell You No Lie G.I." (#19-22)
Hughie learns the true origins of the Supers while the rest of the Boys meet with members of the Seven for a discussion. The Legend goes on to reveal the history of Vought-American, concerning their contributions to both WW2 and Vietnam. He then tells Hughie about their first major success regarding the Supes, the creation of the Homelander, the Seven, and his own past experiences working for Victory Comics, Vought-American's publishing company, specialising in fabricating VA's superheroes deeds. The Legend then reveals the Seven's part in the destruction of the Brooklyn Bridge on 9/11 and how it led to the creation of the Boys. Afterwards, The Legend elaborates on the death of Mallory's grandchildren and Lamplighter's death/resurrection as a brain-damaged zombie. Meanwhile, as the rest of the Boys meet with the Seven, A-Train attempts to rape Starlight, only to end up being blinded in one eye.
[edit] "We Gotta Go Now" (#23-30)
Following the very public suicide of original team member, Silver Kincaid, The Boys are sent in to investigate the G-Men, Vought-American's most bankable team of outcasts. After a brief history of the team is given, the Boys send in Hughie undercover to G-Wiz, one of the junior teams in the franchise, with The Female and The Frenchman as back up in case anything goes wrong. Mother's Milk discovers that Silver Kincaid was abducted as a child from outside a store where her Uncle had taken her for ice cream. It is later revealed that most, if not all of the G-Men were abducted as children, and not, as the G-Men claim, "orphans and outcasts". Meanwhile, the members of G-Wiz are instructed to kill Hughie, after Hughie is revealed to be a spy. Hughie's life is saved when the Frenchman and The Female intercede and murder most of the group. Through interrogation of a surviving member of G-Wiz it is revealed that the founder of the G-Men, Godolkin, abducts young children and injects them with Compound V in order to manifest powers within them. It is also revealed that Godolkin and other members of the G-Men sexually abuse the young recruits. This revelation spurs Hughie and the rest of the team to attempt to attack the entire G-Men forces at once. However, before they can launch this potentially suicidal attack, Vought-American forces arrive and slaughter all of the G-Men before confronting Butcher, telling him that they are capable of clearing up their own mess. The team deals with this in many ways, while Vought-American gears up to try and destroy The Boys.
[edit] "The Self-Preservation Society" (#31-34)
The Boys are pitted against the world's second most powerful superteam, Payback, in an all out brawl.
[edit] "Nothing Like It in the World" (#35-36)
Mother's Milk tells Hughie his life story.
[edit] "La Plume De Ma Tante Est Sur La Table" (#37)
Frenchie tells his life story to Hughie. He finishes the story and jump out of the window and Hughie watches him run off into a park. Hughie questions the validity of the story. The arch end in this issue, making this the first one issue story arch in the series.
[edit] Collected editions
Dynamite are releasing trade paperback collections on an ongoing basis (including those comics previously published by Wildstorm) and these include:
| # | Title | ISBN | Release date | Number of pages | Collected material |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Name of the Game | ISBN 9133305463 | June, 2007 | 152 | The Boys #1-6 |
| 2 | Get Some | ISBN 1933305681 | March, 2008 | 192 | The Boys #7–14 |
| 3 | Good for the Soul | ISBN 1933305924 | October, 2008 | 192 | The Boys #15-22 |
| 4 | We Gotta Go Now | ISBN 1848562985 | July, 2009 | 192 | The Boys #23-30 |
| 5 | Herogasm | ISBN 160690082X | November, 2009 | 144 | Herogasm #1–6 |
| 1-2 | The Boys: Definitive Edition Volume 1 | ISBN 1933305800 | December, 2008 | The Boys #1-14 | |
| 3-4 | The Boys: Definitive Edition II | ISBN 1606900730 | TBA | The Boys #15-30 |
[edit] Awards
- 2008: Nominated for "Best Continuing Series" Eisner Award.[10]
[edit] Film
Variety report that Columbia Pictures have optioned the comic for a film adaptation, to be produced by Neal H. Moritz.[11] According to The Hollywood Reporter Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay will be writing the screenplay and their previous credits include Aeon Flux, The Tuxedo and Crazy/Beautiful.[12]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Hanging with the Boys: Ten Questions for Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, interview from August 23, 2006
- ^ Garth Ennis talks The Boys and more, Publishers Weekly, interview from February 9, 2007
- ^ The Boys Ends At Wildstorm, Newsarama, January 24, 2007
- ^ So long, Boys — Ennis’s Statement, Publishers Weekly, January 24, 2007
- ^ The Boys Lands @ Dynamite Entertainment, Newsarama, February 7, 2007
- ^ Ennis & McCrea Bring You to Herogasm (press release), Comic Book Resources, February 27, 2009
- ^ A Quick Herogasm Check-In with John McCrea, Newsarama, March 18, 2009
- ^ John McCrea Talks Herogasm, Comic Book Resources, March 25, 2009
- ^ a b Ennis & McCrea's Epic "Herogasm", Comic Book Resources, March 11, 2009
- ^ 2008 Eisner Award Nominees Named (press release), Newsarama, April 14, 2008
- ^ Columbia, Moritz call on 'The Boys', Variety, February 20, 2008
- ^ Two men will adapt 'Boys', 'The Hollywood Reporter, August 26, 2008
[edit] References
- The Boys Continues in June at Dynamite, Newsarama, March 9, 2007
[edit] External links
- The message board for "The Boys" from Dynamite Entertainment
- Darick Robertson's column Back to the Drawing Board
- Sex and Superheroes in The Boys from Playtime Magazine
[edit] Interviews
- Interview with Robertson about the series, March, 2006
- Darick Robertson: Just One of The Boys, November 21, 2006 interview
- "The Boys" Are Back in Town: Ennis & Robertson Speak, Comic Book Resources, April 19, 2007 interview on the changeover in publishers and the future of the title
