Does Amazon’s THE BOYS Do The Comic Justice?

The entertainment space is continually being flooded by new movies, reality shows, and TV series covering a number of different genres to cater to a global audience. While new movies and TV shows are released on a weekly basis, most of the production generally revolve around the same themes.

It is rare for a producer to come out with a completely unique theme. Any producer who decides to introduce something new to the market always faces the risk of failure as they have no idea how the market will react. The new Amazon series adaption The Boys is one such production that is getting mixed reviews.

History Behind THE BOYS

A lot of viewers who have tuned into Amazon’s ‘“The Boys”’ over the last few weeks are not very aware of the history behind the production. Two writers by the names of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson began working on an interesting comic book series called ‘“The Boys”’ and released their first issue back in 2006.

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 Kind of but not quite, but the show is actually kickass

The first issue came under Wildstorm, which was an imprint of DC Comics. This comic series only lasted six issues because it was completely different from the usual comics that the market was used to. The writers decided to not go with the usual superheroes theme but instead decided to depict superheroes as humans who have flaws just like everybody else.

“The Boys” were known for using a lot of foul language, being sex-crazed, and resorting to a lot of violence – characteristics that superheroes are not known for. The writers focused on changing and warping the idea behind superheroes, and they wanted to gauge the reactions of the readers. It is safe to say that the market as a whole did not buy into the comic series, and as a result, the publican was canned after just six issues.

Garth Ennis did not give up on his comic book series as he believed there was a demand for such a theme in the market. He had the rights for the series and managed to work out a deal with Dynamite Entertainment and went on to release another 66 issues. Over the years, “The Boys” built up a unique market following around the world.

Amazon Brings THE BOYS Back to Life

Amazon is always looking for new and interesting programming to add to its portfolio. The company decided to give “The Boys” new life by developing a new TV series based on the comic book characters. Fans of the comic book series were both excited and skeptical when news broke that Amazon was going to produce a TV series based on these superheroes or supes.

A lot of fans were concerned that Amazon might not do justice to ‘“The Boys”’ and mess things up. This trepidation is real because there are a number of classics that have been ‘killed’ when movie producers tried to develop a new and modified version of the same.

It is not just movie producers but also video game and slot developers who often butcher a classic because they struggle to find the right balance between retaining the old and taking news to the next level with the new. However, slot developers are not going to be keen on developing a new game revolving around “The Boys.” This is because it is harder to create a free spins slot machine around superheroes that exhibit the worst of human traits without a backlash.

Eric Kripke took on the responsibility of developing “The Boys” for Amazon, and just like the comic book, the story revolves around a group of vigilantes who fight the supes who are anti-heroes that bully people and are just outright mean.

The Amazon series went live on July 26th, 2019, and was received rather well by the majority of viewers. Just like any TV series, there were people who did not like Amazon’s version of “The Boys,” and they were not shy in expressing their views and opinions on social media. However, given the fact that Amazon has decided to renew the series for a second season, it is safe to say that “The Boys” have found a demographic who is interested in what it has to offer.

THE BOYS: Cast and Characters

The success of a movie or TV show depends heavily on its cast and how they perform. The cast for Amazon’s Boys featured Karl Urban, who served as the main character Billy Butcher who is the leader of “The Boys.” Hugh “Hughie” Campbel is played by Jack Quaid, and Antony Starr does a good job playing the role of Homelander, who is despised by Billy Butcher.

Some of the other characters include:

  • Erin Moriarty who plays the role of Starlight
  • Chace Crawford who plays the Deep
  • Dominique McElligott  who acts as Queen Maeve
  • Tomer Capon who plays Frenchie
  • Karen Fukuhara as Kimiko
  • Elisabeth Shue who acts as Madelyn Stillwell.

The plot for “The Boys” is very interesting, and viewers who are not familiar with the comic series will have to pay careful attention in order to follow the story. There are eight episodes in Season 1, and each episode runs for nearly an hour. “The Boys” can be watched on Amazon Prime and best suited for adults.

The Verdict

The general verdict is that Amazon has done a good job of bringing “The Boys” back to life. During the first ten days of its release, the show has been viewed over 8 million times, which makes it one of the most successful original products on Prime.

Rotten Tomatoes has 88 reviews on “The Boys” and an average rating of 7.5 out of 10 and an approval rating of nearly 83 percent. Some of the other review sites have also given “The Boys” positive ratings. “The Boys” Season 2 will most likely be released in the second half of 2020.   

Don Draper
Don Draper
Donald Francis "Don" Draper is a founding partner and the Creative Director at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce Advertising Agency in Manhattan, NY. Prior to that position, he was the Director of the Creative Department at the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency. He is regarded among his colleagues as the best to ever pitch copy.