"The Boys"
Volumes 1-6
By Garth Ennis
Art by Darick Robertson
DC Comics
Mature Readers
A couple of weeks after the shipment of the sixth issue that concluded the first story arc, DC Comics announced last week its series "The Boys" by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, published by the Wildstorm imprint, has been inexplicably canceled as of issue #6. This article will examine "The Boys" as a series as opposed to the individual issue.
"The Boys" is about a top secret branch of super-powered individuals in the U.S. government that monitors superheroes by gathering dirt on them and, if necessary, terminating them with extreme prejudice (according to Ennis, when one says extreme, they mean extreme).
Ennis is the writer of Marvel's "The Punisher" and DC's "Preacher" (soon to be an HBO TV series). Ennis made a name for himself in the comic book world through his use of great and bizarre characterization with enough violence to make Quentin Tarantino cringe.
Ennis uses this trademark violence in "The Boys." In the first issue a superhero's face is literally crushed, and Robertson's artwork conveys the gruesome spectacle in the most in-your-face fashion imaginable.
Have you even wondered what would happen if the Flash threw a super-villain into your girlfriend? Or does the idea of that confuse you entirely? Look no further than this series. It isn't pretty, and the squeamish should avoid this series at all costs.
However, despite "The Boys'" tendency to be absurd, there are many subtleties for the reader to pick up on once they get past the violence and absurd gross out humor.
The character of Starlight stands out as an example of a tragic heroine. She truly is a pure-hearted, good person who wears her heart on her sleeve but is subjected to cruelty and abuse by her fellow superheroes.
Ennis does this to explain that there are some people in this world that no matter how much they go through, they are, and always will be, good people (another example of this is Arseface from "Preacher"). Ennis is poking fun at the roles of women in the superhero genre as being around solely for the purpose of titillation rather than being well-rounded characters.
DC should be ashamed for canceling this series. However, both Ennis and Robertson retain the rights to the property so it is very possible that "The Boys" will be back in town with a new publisher.
Those who want to jump into this series should get to the comic book store now and pick up the first six.
