Supes Ain't Always Heroes

by Lynn S. Zubernis (Editor), Matthew Snyder

Go deeper inside the hit TV show The Boys and its characters with psychologists, media experts, filmmakers, and more—including the original comic series' co-creator and the actors behind Soldier Boy and Stormfront.

Supes Ain’t Always Heroes offers a fresh look at The Boys, delving into the show’s unflinching depiction of celebrity, politics, social media, corporate greed, racism, sexism, and more:

• The true difference between Homelander and Billy Butcher—and who the show’s biggest villain really is
• What Soldier Boy’s characterization says about how we define masculinity
• How today’s media landscape has contributed to The Boys’ success
• What the evolutions of Hughie, Starlight, A-Train, Mother’s Milk, and other show standouts reflect about addiction, family, identity, and self-acceptance

PLUS: Exclusive interviews with The Boys comics co-creator Darick Robertson and actors Jensen Ackles (Soldier Boy), Jim Beaver (Robert Singer a.k.a. Dakota Bob), Aya Cash (Stormfront), and Nathan Mitchell (Black Noir) provide a unique glimpse behind the scenes. Comments from editor interviews with more of the show’s stars give further insight into their experiences in bringing these complex characters to life.

Genres: Essays, Superheroes, Audiobook, Nonfiction

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2023

About the author

Clinical psychologist, Professor at West Chester University - and passionate fangirl! Fan psychology and the benefits of fandom are my research interest, Supernatural is my forever favorite show and The Boys (and Gen V) are my current favorites. When I'm passionate about something, I love writing/editing books about it, which explains the six books on Supernatural (the most recent two including the show's actors' unique perspectives) and the new book on The Boys (with chapters from psychologists, sociologists, media experts and journalists that take a deep dive into the show's fascinating characters, plus exclusive interviews with the talented actors who bring them to life).

If you're passionate about being a fan or some of the best shows out there, dig in!

Reviews

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

*An ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

I sped through this one like A-Train through Robin (too soon?).

This is a collection of essays and reflections from professors to pop culture commentators on the absolutely mindf*ckery that is the Amazon Prime TV series The Boys.

Some essays were more engaging than others, but overall, I really enjoyed it. I've been obsessed with The Boys since it came out in 2019 and so many of the essays left me contemplating how in the world I had missed that or snapping in agreement (the essays on masculinity and race in particular were excellent).

The only thing that stopped this from being a five-star read is how disjointed some essays felt. I don't mean that the essay was poorly written or could've seen another round of editing; instead, I mean that some of the essays felt separate from the rest of the collection. There were a few essays that felt more like fandom studies (it's a real academic discipline, people!) while the majority were cerebral commentaries on capitalism, Amazon as a monopolizing corporate entertainer making a show about a company that is a monopolizing corporate entertainer, race, gender, politics, and even sociology. I'm not saying fandom studies isn't a serious academic topic, it is- but it felt like a sidebar sandwiched between an essay on Solider Boy, Homelander, and toxic masculinity and the role of race in The Seven. A few essays looked at Kripke's other major success- raise you hand if you also went through a life-or-death stage of Supernatural fangirling- but most tied back to these very real, very serious themes and ideologies explored in the TV show.

Overall- I highly recommend this if you're a fan of The Boys and looking for a profound look into the nuances of the storytelling and the cerebral themes within it.

[Debs · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unbalanced collection with some really solid essays, but a LOT of repetition ( I hope you like soldier boy—I do not). I particularly appreciated the discussion in the final essay of how the show holds a mirror to its own corporate parent who itself is arguably just as evil as Vought Enterprises.

[Anna Gomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eu amo essa série de livros!

[Bradley Franks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Supes Ain't Always Heroes
Written by Various
Read by Joe Hempel
Book 279/200
Genre: Nonfiction, Superhero, TV
Format: Audio/Digital, ARC
Pages/Time: 240/9hr 9min
Published: 2023
Rating: 8.5/10
Narration: 8/10

The Boys is the best show on Prime Video right now. This is especially ironic considering it lampoons the idea of a mega-corporation, similar to Amazon, owning and selling superpowers. Supes Ain't Always Heroes details the complex psychology of the characters of the series, regular human and supe alike.

This was a fun read. The analysis of Butcher, Homelander, Hughie, and more by real psychologists allowed me to really gain a greater understanding of and appreciation for these characters. And interviews with the cast really shows what the actors put into their performance. This is a super interesting read for any fan of the impeccable show!

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a companion book, I'd say this one is a really nice read alongside watching The Boys. This book played to its strength of knowing its audience of superfans to present prose that is relatable and puts the reader in the author's shoes about their journey watching this show. I think a problem with this book for me though was the stylistic choice to include collections of essays from different writers. It's an idea that I was originally excited about, but this book got repetitive at parts as it has multiple people talking about the exact same subjects chapter after chapter.

That said, there were some very interesting topics covered in this book, particularly when it discusses toxic masculinity as a theme related to the show and characters. I found those parts to be the most engaging for me.

Overall I'd rate this book a 4/5. It's a good book, and if you're a fan of The Boys you'll enjoy it.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came to me just at the right time. I was late to the game of discovering The Boys and just finished season 3. The Boys is not your run-of-the-mill superhero show. It’s dark and sometimes painful to watch but it’s also fascinating and thought-provoking. Supes Ain’t Always Heroes gives a glimpse of why the characters make the choices they do and gives some understanding of how their respective pasts have led them to where they are now. The book includes short interviews that provide even more insight into the show and its characters. I would have liked a bit more depth and insight into the women of The Boys. However, I found the deeper dive into toxic masculinity fascinating. A great book to use as a catalyst for discussion!

Thanks to NetGalley and Smart Pop for providing me with an ARC of this book.

[Michelle Treas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was excellent. Lynn, Matthew and the contributors did an amazing job delving into the world of The Boys. I had high hopes for this book from the moment I saw it announced. I have read Lynn's previous work and always greatly enjoy it. This book blew away my high exceptions. The insights into the world of The Boys and great interviews made my unable to sit down this book down until I finished. My favorite sections of this book were about Solider Boy, the interview with Jensen Ackles and interview with Jim Beaver. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Ben A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Supes Ain't Always Heroes is an incredibly interesting look at The Boys told through a series of essays intermixed with interviews of the cast and crew. Filled with fascinating ideas and thoughts about the show, this one really made me think about what I've been watching and enjoying these three seasons.

Special Thanks to BenBella Books, Smart Pop and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

[Nettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a massive fan of The Boys (both comic and tv show) this was a very interesting look at the mentality of each character. I really enjoyed this book and it has made me want to go back over everything with a different outlook.

[aj! · Rating 4 out of 5]

funny that my least favorite stuff in this comes from the actual editor. lol. overall, some really interesting stuff! i loved the analyses of a-train and starlight, probably my favorite essays. i also really enjoyed aya cash's interview and the idea that she was playing stormfront from a lens of self-hatred.

[Bridgette · Rating 5 out of 5]

*a must-have for all fans of "The Boys"
*well-written, with lots of behind the scene information
*highly recommend

[sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

had some pretty good essays but the constant supernatural mentions irked me a but i also do wish there was more discussion of the actual production aspect