I've been meaning to talk about Garth Ennis' The Boys for quite sometime now. Ennis' Boys, is slowly encroaching upon my number two spot in great adult themed graphic novels(number one reserved for the Squadron Supreme series). If anyone is familiar with Ennis' prior Preacher work(which has recently been greenlighted for an ongoing HBO series) he has a definite sardonic albeit violent streak. Just as the public has been introduced to Heroes and the Squadron, now we have The Boys, who are essentially a CIA sanctioned covert group used to control the power hungry (and abusive) superhero community. The story is definitely set in the real world, except that super powered beings exist in a matter of fact tone with full public support and adoration. Behind the scenes, the heroes are masochistic narcissists who although they save lives, have also killed and treated innocents as incidental casualties. This is where the Boys come in. Think of Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs cast hired by the government to provide a check and balance dynamic to the out of control, morally ambivalent hero community. The reader will also notice a tongue and cheek homage to the British actor and writer Simon Pegg (of Shaun of the Dead fame) who resembles one of the main characters, Wee Hughie. If you ever get a free moment and wish to stray away from the usual superhero fare, check out this great comic from the DC/Wildstorm family.
Hanging with the Boys: Ten Questions for Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson
Wikipedia's take on The Boys
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