The Boys Volume 1 Review: Introduction
Do you love the hit Amazon Prime series? You might think you know Billy Butcher and his crew. But the comic is a different beast entirely. In this The Boys Volume 1 review, we look at the book that started it all: The Name of the Game.
Legendary writer Garth Ennis wrote this graphic novel. Darick Robertson provided the art. This book isn’t just a superhero story. It is a violent deconstruction of the entire medium.
Plot: Watching the Watchmen
The premise is simple. Superheroes, or “Supes,” are real. But they aren’t the heroes we see in Marvel or DC comics. Instead, they are reckless celebrities. They are corporate-sponsored products who cause massive damage.
That is where The Boys come in.
The story follows Wee Hughie. He is a mild-mannered Scotsman. A superhero carelessly kills Hughie’s girlfriend. This tragedy shatters his life. Billy Butcher soon recruits him. Butcher leads a CIA-backed black ops squad. Their job? Monitor, intimidate, and punish superheroes who cross the line.
Volume 1 collects issues #1-6. You meet the full team: Butcher, Mother’s Milk, The Frenchman, The Female, and Hughie. It also introduces the bad guys: The Seven. They are a dark parody of the Justice League.
Themes: Satire with a Sledgehammer
Ennis hates traditional superheroes. It shows on every page. This book is heavy on satire. It targets the corporate machine behind comic books.
Vought-American corporation owns the “Supes.” They market them to the masses. Meanwhile, PR teams hide their depravity behind NDAs.
We discussed “real world” superpowers in our review of Jupiter’s Legacy. The Boys takes that concept further. It dials the violence up to eleven. It asks a simple question: Who watches the watchmen? The answer is a group of thugs in trench coats.
The Art of Violence
We must mention the art in this The Boys Volume 1 review. Darick Robertson grounds Ennis’s wild scripts perfectly. He draws character expressions masterfully. You feel Butcher’s menace and Hughie’s terror.
The violence is graphic. Warning: this comic is not for the faint of heart. Expect exploding heads and severed limbs. However, the gore never feels lazy. It shocks the reader, but it fits the gritty world perfectly.
The Verdict
The Boys: The Name of the Game is an essential read. The Amazon Prime show adapts the themes well. But the comic offers a rawer experience. It is funny, shocking, and deep.
Do you want to start the series? This first volume is the perfect jumping-on point. Just make sure you have a strong stomach.
Score: 4.5/5
