In today’s world there is no shortage of super hero related media. Marvel is singlehandedly running the box office right this moment, DC Comics has been releasing some of their greatest work in decades, comic book wise, and comic book television has been going strong. The latest in this comic adaptation world is Amazon Prime’s “The Boys”.
An interesting take on the superhero genre, “The Boys” is an adaptation of the legendary Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson comic of the same name. Centered around a group of vigilantes taking on “dirty super heroes”, “The Boys” ran for 72 issues between 2006 and 2012. In 2019, the Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen, and Erik Kripke have brought the book to life.
The team of Goldberg and Rogen are no strangers to comic book adaptations, both not only working on the Green Hornet together but also AMC’s adaptation of Preacher. Say what you will about either adaptation, but you can definitely see the duo’s love for the source material. The same can be said this time around.
“The Boys” is set in a world much like our own. Superheroes are everywhere: on television, the movies, and on every corner. The only difference being, in this world the superheroes are real. They aren’t exactly Earth’s hopeful heroes. If anything, they are the worst people to ever exist, using their powers to do whatever they feel. These characters get dark, and honestly being unfamiliar with the source material I’m sure it gets a hell of a lot darker. Of course, that’s where The Boys come in. An unlikely group of vigilantes who come together to hold heroes accountable for their actions. The story kicks off with Hughie, a man afraid to take charge of his own life. Still living at home with is father, Hughie is taking a walk with his girlfriend when she spontaneously combusts. It turns out, speedster A-train ran right through her. This event leads to some of the most interesting television I’ve watched in awhile
It’s nice to see a different take on the comicbook/superhero genre. As stated, I’m not very familiar with the source material but that is definitely going to change. I highly encourage everyone to at least check out the first episode on Amazon Prime now. If it doesn’t quite hook you, then it may just not be for you.
Obsessed with all things horror, video games, comics and vinyl, Dylan has been surrounded by all things geek culture since birth. Along with writing for Icon Versus Icon he’s also the co-host for the year long Christmas podcast, “Christmas 365”.
“No wimps. No False Metal.”
