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The Boys Deluxe #6
The Boys, Definitive Edition VI
It's been a long time coming. When the Homelander finally sets an army of superheroes against the forces of the United States military, Billy Butcher and The Boys must finish the job they were recruited for: to take every superhero out of the picture. While the battle rages on the White House lawn, Frenchie and the Female are unleashed, Mother's Milk uncovers a terrible secret at Vought-American, and Wee Hughie discovers the senses-shattering truth behind Butcher's ultimate plan of vengeance. Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson proudly present the final, bloodiest chapter of The Boys, collected in a gorgeous hardcover package, complete with a slipcover.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2013
102 people are currently reading
677 people want to read
About the author
Garth Ennis
2,622 books3,173 followersEnnis began his comic-writing career in 1989 with the series Troubled Souls. Appearing in the short-lived but critically-acclaimed British anthology Crisis and illustrated by McCrea, it told the story of a young, apolitical Protestant man caught up by fate in the violence of the Irish 'Troubles'. It spawned a sequel, For a Few Troubles More, a broad Belfast-based comedy featuring two supporting characters from Troubled Souls, Dougie and Ivor, who would later get their own American comics series, Dicks, from Caliber in 1997, and several follow-ups from Avatar.
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
February 14, 2022
The final omnibus (for now)' cover the last two original volumes starting with The Boys, Volume 11: Over the Hills with the Swords of a Thousand Men which essentially asks, what if all the superheroes got together and took on the United States Government? Maintaining the darkly comedic underbelly of this series, we still get a very well crafted intense ride in the build up to the clash we know that has to happen for Butcher and The boys.. The road to endings though, is paved with some superb gems and confrontations. A masterclass in savagery, plotting and characterisation - will be Becky be avenged? All us comic book readers really want is a sweet pay-off, in this series Ennis and co. truly deliver. Five Star Read - 10 out of 12.
The sweetness of this rather shocking, startling and so totally coldly darkly comical last volume of The Boys (The Boys, Volume 12: The Bloody Doors Off) was that in hindsight, it was all in plain sight, I/we just didn't want to see it? Overall a great series balancing gory violence, explicit uncompromising story lines and lo and behold even the title gets closure in this volume, as we get to see who really are 'The Boys'!
Events maybe, moved a bit too fast at times, but I feel that we're being made to experience this volume as Hughie does, so hence it's his P.O.V. I presume there's probably many readers who'd preferred the penultimate volume to be the last, but for me this works better, it was always about The Boys, and not about the powered beings. Thank you. 10 out of 12. Five Star Read (just about!)
2022 read
The sweetness of this rather shocking, startling and so totally coldly darkly comical last volume of The Boys (The Boys, Volume 12: The Bloody Doors Off) was that in hindsight, it was all in plain sight, I/we just didn't want to see it? Overall a great series balancing gory violence, explicit uncompromising story lines and lo and behold even the title gets closure in this volume, as we get to see who really are 'The Boys'!
Events maybe, moved a bit too fast at times, but I feel that we're being made to experience this volume as Hughie does, so hence it's his P.O.V. I presume there's probably many readers who'd preferred the penultimate volume to be the last, but for me this works better, it was always about The Boys, and not about the powered beings. Thank you. 10 out of 12. Five Star Read (just about!)
2022 read
January 13, 2020
What an ending...
The Boys was much more than just a series about Garth Ennis hating superheroes. It's a tale about the dangers of corporations run amok, of putting capitalism above morals. It's about how power corrupts, and how sometimes a tight leash is a very necessary thing. Somehow, throughout the gore and violence, the story ended up having a heart and getting a few tears from me where I least expected them. But that's Garth Ennis for you. Time and again he manages to make you care about his absurd characters more than you might think possible.
This series went in so many directions I never expected it to go, and always with hindsight being 20/20. Everything was perfectly set up and executed. Looking back on it all I'm uncertain how I thought it could end in any other way, so well was it all crafted. I'm in awe of this series and of Garth Ennis's brilliance in general. It's making me want to reread Preacher.
If you only know The Boys from the Amazon series - please give the books a try. I promise they're far better than the series ever was, and maybe ever will be.
The Boys was much more than just a series about Garth Ennis hating superheroes. It's a tale about the dangers of corporations run amok, of putting capitalism above morals. It's about how power corrupts, and how sometimes a tight leash is a very necessary thing. Somehow, throughout the gore and violence, the story ended up having a heart and getting a few tears from me where I least expected them. But that's Garth Ennis for you. Time and again he manages to make you care about his absurd characters more than you might think possible.
This series went in so many directions I never expected it to go, and always with hindsight being 20/20. Everything was perfectly set up and executed. Looking back on it all I'm uncertain how I thought it could end in any other way, so well was it all crafted. I'm in awe of this series and of Garth Ennis's brilliance in general. It's making me want to reread Preacher.
If you only know The Boys from the Amazon series - please give the books a try. I promise they're far better than the series ever was, and maybe ever will be.
November 1, 2020
The Boys Omnibs Vol. 6 collects issues 60-72 by Garth Ennis and Russ Braun.
The series reaches the climax we have been waiting for: The Seven vs The Boys. Homelander has decided to enact his plan and has set forth to take over the world. At least I guess that was his plan? For a series that has been building to this moment for so long, it was never really clear what Homelander wanted.
There are also a few twists to the story. The first I didn't see coming but the the final arc was not a surprise to me. I won't spoil anything thing because of the television show.
I started reading The Boys because of the television show. I wanted to get some knowledge of the series before giving it a view. I have not read anything like this before and was really blown away by the shock value. But once that shock value wore off, the underlying story doesn't have a ton to say. It starts with a "who watches the Watchmen" vibe and doesn't go anywhere other than to say "power is bad." Ennis's opinion on superheroes is so completely flawed because he makes no effort to try to make any of them stand out. Every single superhero falls into two flavors: Sex-crazed sociopaths or complete satires that are so helpless no one would trust them with powers.
And with all the talk about superheroes, they are taken out quite easily - even with guns and grenades. I found it hard to believe why the world would need them, and why Vaught-American would be trying to use them as military weapons, if they die almost just as easily as normal people?
Most of the characters including the rest of The Boys have no development. The only characters who show any growth are Annie January (who is largely forgotten in the last third of the series after serving her plot point) and Hughie (who I lost all sense of caring after his horrible reaction of learning who Annie was). There are so many characters that are just there, but no reason as to why. I think the series could have been told in 50 issues or less. There were many arcs that just repeated themselves or offered nothing new. I have heard the TV show is taking a much more intelligent and grounded approach to the story and I do want to check that out. Hopefully it really improves upon the source material.
The series reaches the climax we have been waiting for: The Seven vs The Boys. Homelander has decided to enact his plan and has set forth to take over the world. At least I guess that was his plan? For a series that has been building to this moment for so long, it was never really clear what Homelander wanted.
There are also a few twists to the story. The first I didn't see coming but the the final arc was not a surprise to me. I won't spoil anything thing because of the television show.
I started reading The Boys because of the television show. I wanted to get some knowledge of the series before giving it a view. I have not read anything like this before and was really blown away by the shock value. But once that shock value wore off, the underlying story doesn't have a ton to say. It starts with a "who watches the Watchmen" vibe and doesn't go anywhere other than to say "power is bad." Ennis's opinion on superheroes is so completely flawed because he makes no effort to try to make any of them stand out. Every single superhero falls into two flavors: Sex-crazed sociopaths or complete satires that are so helpless no one would trust them with powers.
And with all the talk about superheroes, they are taken out quite easily - even with guns and grenades. I found it hard to believe why the world would need them, and why Vaught-American would be trying to use them as military weapons, if they die almost just as easily as normal people?
Most of the characters including the rest of The Boys have no development. The only characters who show any growth are Annie January (who is largely forgotten in the last third of the series after serving her plot point) and Hughie (who I lost all sense of caring after his horrible reaction of learning who Annie was). There are so many characters that are just there, but no reason as to why. I think the series could have been told in 50 issues or less. There were many arcs that just repeated themselves or offered nothing new. I have heard the TV show is taking a much more intelligent and grounded approach to the story and I do want to check that out. Hopefully it really improves upon the source material.
April 5, 2022
This review contains very light spoilers.
Wow.
Hold on. Let me catch my breath for a second.
OK, I think I'm ready to start my review now.
Sometimes, a comic book / graphic novel series will run itself into the ground, cranking out "new" stories well past its expiration date. Those ones make me sad, especially when they start off hot and then just meander off into insignificance, a weak counterfeit of its former greatness. A series with a carefully-thought-out ending that wraps itself up in a tighter timeframe always makes a more lasting positive impression on me. Y the Last Man was like that, as was Preacher, Garth Ennis's prior classic. And now add The Boys to that list.
Volume 6 takes off like a shot out of a cannon, and it doesn't slow down. I won't get into any of the specific details, but I tip my hat to all the excitement, tension, and unpredictability of this last volume. I was turning the pages like a maniac to see how everything turned out.
Taken as a whole, I think The Boys told a very powerful story, one that was absolutely worth reading. The repeated theme is something that the average superhero comic doesn't spend any time considering, and it applies to the world in which we live. I'm talking about the lure of ultimate power and how human beings react to that temptation, as well as how those without power are threatened by those who have it. Feels relevant to me.
I definitely recommend the entire series, and I don't think it matters terribly whether or not you've seen the show. I'm only about halfway through Season 2, but it feels different enough already that I can confidently say you'll get enjoyment out of both mediums.
Oh, and a warning for Volume 6. It begins with an introductory letter from Garth Ennis. It's interesting, and I appreciated it, but it has a bit of a mild spoiler in it, so I'd recommend going back to read it *after* you read the actual book. It's not a disaster if you read it first, but my suggestion would be to skip it.
Thanks for a fun ride, Boys! I won't soon forget it.
Wow.
Hold on. Let me catch my breath for a second.
OK, I think I'm ready to start my review now.
Sometimes, a comic book / graphic novel series will run itself into the ground, cranking out "new" stories well past its expiration date. Those ones make me sad, especially when they start off hot and then just meander off into insignificance, a weak counterfeit of its former greatness. A series with a carefully-thought-out ending that wraps itself up in a tighter timeframe always makes a more lasting positive impression on me. Y the Last Man was like that, as was Preacher, Garth Ennis's prior classic. And now add The Boys to that list.
Volume 6 takes off like a shot out of a cannon, and it doesn't slow down. I won't get into any of the specific details, but I tip my hat to all the excitement, tension, and unpredictability of this last volume. I was turning the pages like a maniac to see how everything turned out.
Taken as a whole, I think The Boys told a very powerful story, one that was absolutely worth reading. The repeated theme is something that the average superhero comic doesn't spend any time considering, and it applies to the world in which we live. I'm talking about the lure of ultimate power and how human beings react to that temptation, as well as how those without power are threatened by those who have it. Feels relevant to me.
I definitely recommend the entire series, and I don't think it matters terribly whether or not you've seen the show. I'm only about halfway through Season 2, but it feels different enough already that I can confidently say you'll get enjoyment out of both mediums.
Oh, and a warning for Volume 6. It begins with an introductory letter from Garth Ennis. It's interesting, and I appreciated it, but it has a bit of a mild spoiler in it, so I'd recommend going back to read it *after* you read the actual book. It's not a disaster if you read it first, but my suggestion would be to skip it.
Thanks for a fun ride, Boys! I won't soon forget it.
November 14, 2022
Jings.
What a finish to the story. It went to places I was not expecting and really gave you all the reveals and dirty info that the series had been building to over the course of 6 volumes.
I was shocked, stunned and upset to be honest. I really wasn't expecting things to go down the way they did, this finale was one hell of a roller-coaster. I need a minute to just stare at a wall now.
There's not much more to say, I'm still in shock. Absolutely diabolical.
What a finish to the story. It went to places I was not expecting and really gave you all the reveals and dirty info that the series had been building to over the course of 6 volumes.
I was shocked, stunned and upset to be honest. I really wasn't expecting things to go down the way they did, this finale was one hell of a roller-coaster. I need a minute to just stare at a wall now.
There's not much more to say, I'm still in shock. Absolutely diabolical.
October 5, 2022
Wow. Just wow. That was a payoff and a half!
This final omnibus was action packed and kept me on my toes. It made me feel all the emotions, from happiness, sadness, absolute heartbreak, it made me laugh and feel on edge.
The storyline that we all were dying to know how it'll end, happened... And, oh boy, it was an epic payoff. Then after that, when we thought it was all over? Blam! More turns... Just wow.
I am heartbroken over the deaths of a few faves in this volume. I had to take a break from reading to collect my thoughts and process my feels. Oh my, did it make me feel.
I feel this was an amazing end to a whirlwind of a comic, I am happy I stuck it through till the end because, just wow.
Now to read the spin-off, Dear Becky.
This final omnibus was action packed and kept me on my toes. It made me feel all the emotions, from happiness, sadness, absolute heartbreak, it made me laugh and feel on edge.
The storyline that we all were dying to know how it'll end, happened... And, oh boy, it was an epic payoff. Then after that, when we thought it was all over? Blam! More turns... Just wow.
I am heartbroken over the deaths of a few faves in this volume. I had to take a break from reading to collect my thoughts and process my feels. Oh my, did it make me feel.
I feel this was an amazing end to a whirlwind of a comic, I am happy I stuck it through till the end because, just wow.
Now to read the spin-off, Dear Becky.
July 20, 2022
And as expected, the ending is not good. Silly plot twists and stuff without much sense. An overall overrated series.
July 7, 2022
This series started out as fun bit of a gross-fest and shock-value festival, but then it turned into an incredibly moving and poignant piece and ended up being a beautiful (maybe not the right word) story in the end. While I found some of the visuals a little hard to stomach at times, in the end, the story itself made it all worth it.
January 11, 2024
This series was way to long for its own good…
Some fan parts but overall it was a borefest.
2.5/5
Some fan parts but overall it was a borefest.
2.5/5
July 14, 2024
I binged the majority of the Boys Omnibus this weekend (I'd already read 1 and 3) but feel I don't have enough different to say for each volume so consider this a review for the whole Comic series...
The Boys is a rather strange read, its 100% nothing new to say that the comics are much 'worse' than the show for endless and gratuitous and sexual violence. The problem with the comics IMHO is it feels like once the shock value starts to wear off, there isn't really much direction for the story to go.
It feels like the solution given is an inordinate amount of backstory, we're given Butcher's backstory, Mallory's, the other 'Boys' Hughie's. For a premise that hinges on a combo of the shock value of a deathly violent and dysfunction superheroes and a kind of cynical semi-dystopian setting - its strange that the story leans towards 'the solution is as bad as the problem' type trope. As much as Hughie tries to humanize the supes, he's ironically undermined by the story itself which is setup to be as shocking as possible.
So overall while the comic Boys isn't too bad, its pretty specific in taste and honestly I'd recommend the show 100x over which is quite interesting from an adaptation point of view. Even though the show can be over the top with shock value stuff as well, the characterization and plotlines are such stronger in the show.
The Boys is a rather strange read, its 100% nothing new to say that the comics are much 'worse' than the show for endless and gratuitous and sexual violence. The problem with the comics IMHO is it feels like once the shock value starts to wear off, there isn't really much direction for the story to go.
It feels like the solution given is an inordinate amount of backstory, we're given Butcher's backstory, Mallory's, the other 'Boys' Hughie's. For a premise that hinges on a combo of the shock value of a deathly violent and dysfunction superheroes and a kind of cynical semi-dystopian setting - its strange that the story leans towards 'the solution is as bad as the problem' type trope. As much as Hughie tries to humanize the supes, he's ironically undermined by the story itself which is setup to be as shocking as possible.
So overall while the comic Boys isn't too bad, its pretty specific in taste and honestly I'd recommend the show 100x over which is quite interesting from an adaptation point of view. Even though the show can be over the top with shock value stuff as well, the characterization and plotlines are such stronger in the show.
June 10, 2022
The Boys Omnibus, Vol. 6 (My Kindle Review)
The conclusion to “The Boys” doesn’t hold back and it certainly has a few unforeseen surprises while the outcome was something I wasn’t completely expecting. It still brings a somber ending from all the bloodshed. A (100%/Outstanding)
The conclusion to “The Boys” doesn’t hold back and it certainly has a few unforeseen surprises while the outcome was something I wasn’t completely expecting. It still brings a somber ending from all the bloodshed. A (100%/Outstanding)
July 27, 2024
I really hope they recreate the shot of butcher walking up to the White House with the supes flying overhead. Wrapped up nicely in my opinion, shame they made butcher a bit too powerful against the rest of the boys and basically had him outplay them entirely.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2020
About as satisfying of a finale as a series as disjointed as this one could hope for. I had lost so much faith in the characters and world by this point that there wasn't much Ennis could do to win me over again. And, well, he didn't. But at least things actually happened this time around, and Russ Braun's art is fantastic, so there was a modicum of story for me to sink my teeth into (unearned though it all may've been).
When I look back over the entirety of The Boys, the main thing I'm struck by is how inconsistent it was. Ennis wants his superheroes to seem like major threats to the world, part of an insidious corporate plot to take over the US military, and yet he gives them all completely idiotic powers and names like "Shitfoot." The public at large thinks all these people are heroes, and yet everything about them, down to their names and personalities, are completely moronic. It's an impossible buy. Are they threatening or not? He robs his series of any stakes by feeling like he has to make fun of superheroes at every turn. There's definitely a way to do this where the heroes are made fun of and yet still seem beloved by the public and sinister behind the scenes. The TV show based on the series is pulling it off masterfully. But this series needed a lot of notes.
The other thing is the character work. There is just never anyone to care about. Hughie is useless essentially the whole way through, and Ennis's very weak attempt in this volume to make him seem like he was always part of Butcher's plan really doesn't work. Butcher is mysterious and shady at first, brutal and despicable at the end, so who cares what happens to him. And then the other three members of The Boys are always treated like second fiddles that never get more than some jokey backstories to fill them in.
Also, there's a huge "twist" in this volume that just fully doesn't work. I mean, Ennis does a lot of backbending to make it make sense, and I guess it kind of does. It's more the execution of said twist. After 60+ issues building toward a conflict with The Seven, when it finally happens, it just kind of... peters out. There's a big twist that feels like a stretch, but then we don't even get to live in that twist for more than a couple of pages before everything is wrapped up with a bow. It's deeply unsatisfying.
I'm sad to think how much of this great premise was squandered by edgelord writing and a constant need to shock people with lame drawings of sex acts. This series isn't anywhere near as edgy as it thinks it is, because underneath all the violence and sex, there isn't a message of any sort. I mean, it felt like there was going to be. I really liked volumes 2 and 3, which felt like they were ditching the "offensive" nonsense and actually telling a sharp, satirical story. But, they ultimately weren't, and terrible character writing did nothing to save things.
The one shining light to emit from this series is The Boys TV show on Amazon. I started watching it recently, after having read most of the comic, and it's like the show's creators had all of the same thoughts I did about the ridiculous, unbelievable worldbuilding Ennis has done here. The show is far more grounded and has a lot more to say about the world, and the characters are actually complete people. I'm really loving the show so far, and I'd highly recommend it. Far more than the comic, actually, which is a rare occurrence for me. So put down your books I guess! It's TV time!
When I look back over the entirety of The Boys, the main thing I'm struck by is how inconsistent it was. Ennis wants his superheroes to seem like major threats to the world, part of an insidious corporate plot to take over the US military, and yet he gives them all completely idiotic powers and names like "Shitfoot." The public at large thinks all these people are heroes, and yet everything about them, down to their names and personalities, are completely moronic. It's an impossible buy. Are they threatening or not? He robs his series of any stakes by feeling like he has to make fun of superheroes at every turn. There's definitely a way to do this where the heroes are made fun of and yet still seem beloved by the public and sinister behind the scenes. The TV show based on the series is pulling it off masterfully. But this series needed a lot of notes.
The other thing is the character work. There is just never anyone to care about. Hughie is useless essentially the whole way through, and Ennis's very weak attempt in this volume to make him seem like he was always part of Butcher's plan really doesn't work. Butcher is mysterious and shady at first, brutal and despicable at the end, so who cares what happens to him. And then the other three members of The Boys are always treated like second fiddles that never get more than some jokey backstories to fill them in.
Also, there's a huge "twist" in this volume that just fully doesn't work. I mean, Ennis does a lot of backbending to make it make sense, and I guess it kind of does. It's more the execution of said twist. After 60+ issues building toward a conflict with The Seven, when it finally happens, it just kind of... peters out. There's a big twist that feels like a stretch, but then we don't even get to live in that twist for more than a couple of pages before everything is wrapped up with a bow. It's deeply unsatisfying.
I'm sad to think how much of this great premise was squandered by edgelord writing and a constant need to shock people with lame drawings of sex acts. This series isn't anywhere near as edgy as it thinks it is, because underneath all the violence and sex, there isn't a message of any sort. I mean, it felt like there was going to be. I really liked volumes 2 and 3, which felt like they were ditching the "offensive" nonsense and actually telling a sharp, satirical story. But, they ultimately weren't, and terrible character writing did nothing to save things.
The one shining light to emit from this series is The Boys TV show on Amazon. I started watching it recently, after having read most of the comic, and it's like the show's creators had all of the same thoughts I did about the ridiculous, unbelievable worldbuilding Ennis has done here. The show is far more grounded and has a lot more to say about the world, and the characters are actually complete people. I'm really loving the show so far, and I'd highly recommend it. Far more than the comic, actually, which is a rare occurrence for me. So put down your books I guess! It's TV time!
November 28, 2020
Review coming soon
March 10, 2023
(Zero spoiler review for the final hardcover collection collecting this arc, with the score for this volume) 4.5/5
Volume one was outstanding, volume two was meh at best, losing so much of what made the opening few arc's great, whilst throwing some bloody average AF art in there to boot. This downturn brought about a somewhat lengthier delay in finishing the series, afraid I was going to get another once excellent series slow fade into oblivion and disappointment. So, by my score, you can see volume three got its act together and gave me more of what I wanted from this series. Yes it did, but it wasn't all smooth sailing. The opening arc was excessively wordy and really needed condensing. It didn't help that this was the worst drawn few issues of the book to boot. Three or so expository issues with little of interest had me seriously doubting whether this ship would ever be righted. But as soon as that was over, it was a continual ascent towards really good Boys stories again. culminating in a final few issues that really, and I mean really surprised me. I sure as shit didn't see any of that coming. It might have stumbled here and there setting it up, but it was a fitting and fairly fantastic farewell to one of the most memorable and impactful indie comic series in recent memory. Art wise, I would obviously have liked Robertson to do more, although the other artists, excepting the issues mentioned above, were easily the best pairing, Robertson aside, and really should have done every issue of this book Robertson didn't do himself. It really would have helped that flailing middle few arcs.
So yeah, I'm glad I read this. Any future re-read's will cut out a bit of the unnecessary and excessively aimless fluff in the middle, but it would be something I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone whose body composition isn't entirely compromised of tissues and snowflakes. It finished strong, it gave me some nice 'end of a long running series' feels and put a smile on my face when it was all said and done. Pretty good all round, I say. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
Volume one was outstanding, volume two was meh at best, losing so much of what made the opening few arc's great, whilst throwing some bloody average AF art in there to boot. This downturn brought about a somewhat lengthier delay in finishing the series, afraid I was going to get another once excellent series slow fade into oblivion and disappointment. So, by my score, you can see volume three got its act together and gave me more of what I wanted from this series. Yes it did, but it wasn't all smooth sailing. The opening arc was excessively wordy and really needed condensing. It didn't help that this was the worst drawn few issues of the book to boot. Three or so expository issues with little of interest had me seriously doubting whether this ship would ever be righted. But as soon as that was over, it was a continual ascent towards really good Boys stories again. culminating in a final few issues that really, and I mean really surprised me. I sure as shit didn't see any of that coming. It might have stumbled here and there setting it up, but it was a fitting and fairly fantastic farewell to one of the most memorable and impactful indie comic series in recent memory. Art wise, I would obviously have liked Robertson to do more, although the other artists, excepting the issues mentioned above, were easily the best pairing, Robertson aside, and really should have done every issue of this book Robertson didn't do himself. It really would have helped that flailing middle few arcs.
So yeah, I'm glad I read this. Any future re-read's will cut out a bit of the unnecessary and excessively aimless fluff in the middle, but it would be something I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone whose body composition isn't entirely compromised of tissues and snowflakes. It finished strong, it gave me some nice 'end of a long running series' feels and put a smile on my face when it was all said and done. Pretty good all round, I say. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
October 21, 2021
Poslední ze šesti omnibusů Boys je prostě neskutečnej nářez. Skoro jako by si Ennis šetřil většinu nábojů do posledního svazku. Pořádnou kanonádu spustil už minule, ale finále téhle série je prostě strhující, navíc se dvěma pořádnými zvraty. Škoda že bylo potřeba téměř přetrpět rozvleklou třetí a čtvrtou bichli, závěrečné dva omnibusy to naštěstí bohatě vynahrazují.
Ubylo "fujky fuj" momentů, pryč jsou flashbacky, teď už se příběh řítí vpřed jako odbrzděný vlak; dobře víte, že finální kolize bude sakra bolet, a přesto se nemůžete odtrhnout. Po očekávané srážce navíc přichází ještě jedna daleko méně předvídaná, ale o to ničivější pohroma; jako by to ten rozjetý rychlík napálil do nádražní budovy a ta se s ním vzápětí propadla do propasti. Nebo do pekla. Prostě někam, kde to není vůbec pěkné... Bez spoilerů nemůžu napsat víc, ale jsem nadšený, tohle je zkrátka na absolutní hodnocení.
Ubylo "fujky fuj" momentů, pryč jsou flashbacky, teď už se příběh řítí vpřed jako odbrzděný vlak; dobře víte, že finální kolize bude sakra bolet, a přesto se nemůžete odtrhnout. Po očekávané srážce navíc přichází ještě jedna daleko méně předvídaná, ale o to ničivější pohroma; jako by to ten rozjetý rychlík napálil do nádražní budovy a ta se s ním vzápětí propadla do propasti. Nebo do pekla. Prostě někam, kde to není vůbec pěkné... Bez spoilerů nemůžu napsat víc, ale jsem nadšený, tohle je zkrátka na absolutní hodnocení.
December 24, 2023
Este ejemplar recompila las historias de "Over the HIll with the Swords of a Thousand Men" y "The Bloody Doors Off", los volúmenes 11 y 12 de The Boys, que a la vez corresponden a los números del 60-72 de la saga en general y marca el final de la misma.
Nos encontramos con revelación tras revelación a la vez que vamos atando cabos que los números anteriores iban dejándonos con la duda. El final se me hizo un poco agridulce, fue un final y ya, no me genero absolutamente nada y fue, para mi parecer, un final mediocre. La muerte de tantos personajes, uno detrás del otro y que los sobrevivientes fueran los personajes más planos de la historia, no me agrado del todo.
Nos encontramos con revelación tras revelación a la vez que vamos atando cabos que los números anteriores iban dejándonos con la duda. El final se me hizo un poco agridulce, fue un final y ya, no me genero absolutamente nada y fue, para mi parecer, un final mediocre. La muerte de tantos personajes, uno detrás del otro y que los sobrevivientes fueran los personajes más planos de la historia, no me agrado del todo.
September 26, 2020
I think I will always be sad over how this series ended. It worked. It was absolutely the definition of a tragedy. But I hate tragedies.
I had grown so attached to all the members of The Boys (except Hughie, honestly, he brought out his morals when it suited him but lost them whenever he was in danger) and you killed them all!! Butcher's death was so tragic, but his life was even more tragic.
Good read. This series deserves a re-read, but I think I need to give myself some time before I do that.
I had grown so attached to all the members of The Boys (except Hughie, honestly, he brought out his morals when it suited him but lost them whenever he was in danger) and you killed them all!! Butcher's death was so tragic, but his life was even more tragic.
Good read. This series deserves a re-read, but I think I need to give myself some time before I do that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2024
Ok, fuck this book and fuck this whole series.
Let’s assume, for some reason you want to read this, and you can get past / excuse ALL of the racism, sexism, homophobia, misogyny, and all the other -isms you’re left with a bland ass boring story that ultimately gets bogged down completely in bureaucracy and never gets much more complicated then strong people punching each other. And even if for some reason you can handle all that shit there still the show that does all of this 10000x better.
Just watch the show, don’t give this book the attention it’s so desperate for.
Let’s assume, for some reason you want to read this, and you can get past / excuse ALL of the racism, sexism, homophobia, misogyny, and all the other -isms you’re left with a bland ass boring story that ultimately gets bogged down completely in bureaucracy and never gets much more complicated then strong people punching each other. And even if for some reason you can handle all that shit there still the show that does all of this 10000x better.
Just watch the show, don’t give this book the attention it’s so desperate for.
January 24, 2022
This book takes a few pages to get going but once it does it's full on insanity. Things just keep ramping up and the tension doesn't drop until the very end. While I'm not the biggest fan of the ending and it wasn't what I expected at all, I can appreciate the direction it was taken and the underlying message being told. I think watching the show made me feel differently about the ending than I would have without watching the series. Overall it was a great series which wrapped up nicely and kept me hooked all the way through.
September 12, 2020
Collected issuses 60-72
A very quick resolution of one thing, then another ark. Satisfied at the end of it, but wanted more in the beginning - not enough to pay off the build up of the previous 5 volumes.
A very quick resolution of one thing, then another ark. Satisfied at the end of it, but wanted more in the beginning - not enough to pay off the build up of the previous 5 volumes.
December 3, 2020
Wow. What a ride. Sad its over 😔
January 17, 2022
Bloody, diabolical finale.
October 3, 2022
What a ride!
June 29, 2023
Amazing series. Picked it up couldn't put it down. It was much better than preacher. I could barely get through preacher
November 18, 2023
Kokonaisuutena sai tarinan maaliin ja laitoin kirjan alas hyvillä mielin.
Sarjassa yleisesti paljon mieltä raastavia takaumia jotka tarvittiin lopulta juuri tähän lopetukseen mitä sarja sai.
Sarjassa yleisesti paljon mieltä raastavia takaumia jotka tarvittiin lopulta juuri tähän lopetukseen mitä sarja sai.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2020
The Seven and other supes find themselves working toward an unescapable battle with The Boys as everything starts to come to a head. The Homelander has set his eyes on the White House, and the implanted vice president is certainly the way to real power. Homelander triggers the start of things with the planned assassination of the president, which leads to the major conflict readers have been waiting for since the comic series started. No one will be left unscarred by the fight as everyone must face up to justice for the actions they have taken over the course of the series.
This is a pretty satisfynig conclusion to the series.
This is a pretty satisfynig conclusion to the series.
October 18, 2021
Quite a shocker of an ending for sure. This was one of the more compelling volumes in the series and made it feel worthwhile sticking around for some of the aimless meanderings of the series.
Garth Ennis has shown once again he can write dialects amazingly well. Love bouncing from the Londoners, to Scottish, French, and Bronx all in one convo.
I wouldn't recommend this one unless you have serious maturity issues and are able to take a joke.
I'd rate the overall run a solid 3.5-4🌟
Garth Ennis has shown once again he can write dialects amazingly well. Love bouncing from the Londoners, to Scottish, French, and Bronx all in one convo.
I wouldn't recommend this one unless you have serious maturity issues and are able to take a joke.
I'd rate the overall run a solid 3.5-4🌟
August 31, 2020
Ufff, kde začít. Tohle byla rozhodně jízda. Takový ten pověstný rollercoaster. Přiznávám, že tam byly chvíle, kdy jsem to už málem odložil a nevrátil se k tomu, ale nakonec nelituju toho, že jsem to neudělal.
The Boys se rozjedou jako zábavná, akční, drsná a krvavá záležitost o tom, že superhrdinové jsou kundy a když na ně nedohlédnete, tak se urvou ze řetězu. Po nějaké době vám ale začne docházet, že je to vlastně hlavně politický thriller, kde se hodně, ale fakt hodně mluví a kde se jedou spiknutí a plánování a boje o politickou moc a nebyl by to Ennis, kdyby se tam nedostala i válka a výjevy z ní. Někde ke konci - po tom největším masakru - jsem si říkal super, tady to mělo skončit, byl to spíš průměr, ale konec by tu byl, tak proč to pořád jede a natahuje se to. A pak přijde to opravdové finále a je to bomba.
U čeho jsem skřípal zuby celou dobu byla kresba, která prostě není pěkná. Naštěstí se mi nestávalo až tak pravidelně, že bych se začal někomu vyloženě smát kvůli tomu, jak byl nakreslený a když už ano, tak příběh mě naštěstí zase vtáhl zpátky.
Celkově je to záležitost u které chápu, proč tu nikdy nevyšla komplet, ale která stojí za přečtení, pokud vás baví Ennisovy věci nebo vám dříve vyjmenované přísady tohohle mixu zněly dobře.
The Boys se rozjedou jako zábavná, akční, drsná a krvavá záležitost o tom, že superhrdinové jsou kundy a když na ně nedohlédnete, tak se urvou ze řetězu. Po nějaké době vám ale začne docházet, že je to vlastně hlavně politický thriller, kde se hodně, ale fakt hodně mluví a kde se jedou spiknutí a plánování a boje o politickou moc a nebyl by to Ennis, kdyby se tam nedostala i válka a výjevy z ní. Někde ke konci - po tom největším masakru - jsem si říkal super, tady to mělo skončit, byl to spíš průměr, ale konec by tu byl, tak proč to pořád jede a natahuje se to. A pak přijde to opravdové finále a je to bomba.
U čeho jsem skřípal zuby celou dobu byla kresba, která prostě není pěkná. Naštěstí se mi nestávalo až tak pravidelně, že bych se začal někomu vyloženě smát kvůli tomu, jak byl nakreslený a když už ano, tak příběh mě naštěstí zase vtáhl zpátky.
Celkově je to záležitost u které chápu, proč tu nikdy nevyšla komplet, ale která stojí za přečtení, pokud vás baví Ennisovy věci nebo vám dříve vyjmenované přísady tohohle mixu zněly dobře.
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