Classic Comic of the Week: The Boys, Vol. 1
By d. emerson eddy — For the previous Garth Ennis recommendations, I've been spotlighting some lesser known works. This isn't one of those. This series has its third season of the television adaptation launch at the end of this week on June 3 on Amazon Prime. That series has also had its own spin-off and outside of maybe Preacher is probably the most high profile property that Ennis has created. I'm talking about The Boys and the first volume, The Name of the Game, from Ennis, Darick Robertson, Tony Aviña, Greg Thompson, and Simon Bowland.
Like Bloody Mary, The Boys is a series that got a second chance. It was originally published by DC Comics through the Wildstorm imprint, or at least the first six issues were, before it was cancelled. Not for sales, but I think higher editorial folks balked at some of the content. Dynamite picked them up and the series lasted another 66 issues, in addition to four spin-off mini-series yielding another 26 issues. You could say that the concept, characters, and story being told had legs.
The first volume contains two story arcs, “The Name of the Game” and “Cherry”. The first arc is basically a gathering of the team, setting up the premise of The Boys being a government-sanctioned group to watch the superheroes. The second is kind of a proof of concept, exploring the depravity of the superhero groups and the lengths that the Boys will go to in order to keep the superpowered in check. You could probably argue that the series takes a look at how superpowered folks would act in real life, but it's in the same sort of view as something like Rick Veitch's Brat Pack, where the heroes are tempted through their power to sex, drugs, and ordinary human vices.
And, man, are those vices on display. The opening stories may be considered tame to what is to come in the series, but we get over-the-top violence and sex situations, emphasizing the flawed nature of both the superheroes and the group set to keep them in line. It's portrayed in a darkly humorous manner, so it diffuses easily through reading, but there are some serious and fascinating explorations here of the theme of power corrupting. You're going to be hit in the face pretty early on with the gratuitous violence of what happens to our poor Wee Hughie's girlfriend and when Greg Thompson gets the opportunity to beef up Ennis' almost trademark at this point coarse dialogue for pillow talk with his lettering.
All of it gloriously brought to life by the artwork of Darick Robertson and Tony Aviña. The detail and grit in Robertson's artwork gives everything just the right amount of realism to make many of the situations disturbing, but also an easy exaggeration for more cartoon-like situations when we see two male dogs engaging in sex or the absurdity inherent in some of the brightly-colored superhero costumes juxtaposed against sexual kink. You can, and probably should, find some of it offensive and shocking, which is part of the point, but it's also deeply hilarious. This is enhanced through Aviña's colors, choosing a fairly naturalistic color palette for ordinary humans while we get the bright, beautiful colors for the heroes.
Now, The Boys – Volume One: The Name of the Game by Ennis, Robertson, Aviña, Thompson, and Bowland isn't for everyone, but I do kind of want to suggest people give it a try. It can be dark and disturbing exploring the themes of superheroes given in to baser desires, but it's also absolutely hilarious in lampooning them and has truly glorious art.
Classic Comic of the Week: The Boys, Vol. 1
The Boys, Vol. 1 - The Name of the Game
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Darick Robertson
Colorist: Tony Aviña
Letterers: Greg Thompson & Simon Bowland
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
This is going to hurt! In a world where costumed heroes soar through the sky and masked vigilantes prowl the night, someone's got to make sure the "supes" don't get out of line. And someone will! Billy Butcher, Wee Hughie, Mother's Milk, The Frenchman, and The Female are The Boys: A CIA-backed team of very dangerous people, each one dedicated to the struggle against the most dangerous force on Earth - superpower! Some superheroes have to be watched. Some have to be controlled. And some of them - sometimes - need to be taken out of the picture. That's when you call in The Boys! The Boys Vol. 1: The Name of the Game collects the first six issues of the hit series The Boys by Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Punisher) and drawn by Darick Robertson (Transmetropolitan, Wolverine)!
Buy It: Physical / Digital / Omnibus
Read About Other Classic Garth Ennis Comics:
Check out the Classic Comic of the Week archive!
d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.