The Collection - The Boys: The Name Of The Game
From Dynamite Comics
Many, many moons ago, I was browsing in Forbidden Planet in London. I was unsure what I was looking for and was hoping for some inspiration to jump out at me. At this point, a helpful staff member asked if I wanted any help. I mentioned wanting to get something new but didn’t know what. The staff member (cleverly) asked what I had recently read that I enjoyed. I replied that I had been reading some of Garth Ennis’s run on Punisher MAX. To which the fatal question was asked…
“Have you heard of The Boys?”
Meet Billy Butcher. He's not a nice man, and neither are his team: the Frenchman, Mother's Milk, and the Female. They hate "capes"...and so does Billy's newest recruit, Wee Hughie, whose girlfriend has just become collateral damage in a super-brawl. But does Hughie know what he's getting into?
by Garth Ennis (Author), Darick Robertson (Author)
That must have been in about 2008/2009, and things in the world of The Boys have steamrolled since then with many more volumes and a TV Show (with a spinoff)
As far as beginnings go, this is a book that certainly gives you that. For an introduction, in these first few pages, we get a good feel for both of the main characters and the upcoming story. There’s Butcher, who is on a mission. He knows what he wants and how to get it. His twisted relationship with the CIA director is a running theme throughout the story, and this gives us an idea of how twisted it is in graphic detail.
On the softer side is Hughie, who, after a personal supe-related tragedy, has his reasons for joining The Boys.
That doesn’t take away from the supporting cast, with M.M., Frenchie and the Female all getting their licks in and at least some look at what drives them and their personalities. These get fleshed out some more, but as we begin, it is enough.
Then there are the supes. These are not what you would have grown up with. Obsessive and having horrible human traits dialled up along with their powers. There are some fun throwbacks to other superheroes we may know, and part of the fun of reading this is who it may be referring to, with many analogies on show here.
In addition to the superhero and political element, the capitalist element is also on show here at this early stage. There are many hints towards this as the story progresses. The link between the comics (in series) and the actual events of the supes is well done and makes you think.
There are some brilliant scenes and artwork on show here, with the first volume also including some thoughts on the designs of the characters and potential issues with them moving forwards. Little touches and expressions in the artwork make me smile as we move through this introduction for Hughie (and us) into the world of The Boys.
Yes, there is sex, drugs, and violence in this story, and they are, for the most part, all part of the story. There are some brilliant fight scenes and chaos within. Fans of the show should certainly check this out, as I don’t think it would harm their viewing of the show.
