Category: wildstorm comics

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The Boys: The Name of the Game

This is a review of The Boys: The Name of the Game, a near-future satire of superhero comics by Garth Ennis (writer) and Darrick Robertson (artist). Before diving in, know that there is a lot of gratuitous sex and violence in this series, much of it scatological. I am not going to bother listing all the trigger warnings, but here’s an example: after a pitched battle, a hamster crawls out of a fallen superhuman’s butt, and Wee Hughie (more on him later!) takes it home as a pet because he feels sorry for the little guy.

Is this graphic novel any good? Yes, it is, and I am not alone in thinking that. The Boys is a breakout hit on Amazon Prime. Just know what you are getting into, as this series is designed to offend a certain type of reader. If you are that reader, stay away.

The Boys takes place in a world where superhumans run amok. Does that sound familiar? Well, it’s the same premise as Kingdom Come, reviewed here. That’s where the similarities to Kingdom Come end, however. The superhumans themselves are like rock stars with superpowered libidos high on cocaine and ultra-powered Viagra. Think drugs, orgies, and mass destruction. And those are the sanctioned ones.

Wee Hughie is our baseline normal. We meet the Wee One when he tells his girlfriend that the grey aliens are actually pink, and are trying to turn everyone gay. He and his gal clasp hands as they confess their everlasting love. Of course, anyone who’s ever read a comic book in their life knows what happens next. Spoiler alert: she dies horribly at the hands of a superhuman.

Wee Hughie is recruited into The Boys by The Butcher, a big man who despises superhumans. The Butcher’s stated reason for hating superhumans may or may not be true, because the Butcher is a manipulative son of a bitch. He draws Hughie into the fold, bit by bit. You might even call it a seduction. The rest of the group consists of a dude named Mother’s Milk and two psychopaths, The Frenchman and The Female, who are the same character in that they seem mild but turn into killing machines when provoked. They all have super powers.

The Boys are unofficially sanctioned by the CIA to – well, that depends on who you ask. The CIA would have you believe their mission is to keep the superhuman community in check. The Butcher’s views on the topic are more of the scorched earth variety. Their ultimate foes are sanctioned superhuman team The Seven. Think the Justice League, except they have corporate sponsorships and the male members are perverts who sexually harass their new female recruit.

This is the graphic novel that sets it all up, but there’s still plenty of action. Wee Hughie kills someone with his newfound superhuman powers – granted to him when The Butcher jabs an unwanted needle into his neck – and also buys a habitat for his brand-new hamster! Recommended for fans of Garth Ennis, lovers of mayhem, and purveyors of potty humor. If you like the TV series, I am sure you will enjoy the source material, also.

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Promethea 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Volume One

This is a review of Promethea 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Volume One by Alan Moore (writer) and J.H. Williams III (art). Content warning: there is a consensual sex scene between two adults in this volume that people may find upsetting because of the gap in their ages. The setting is gritty near-future New York City, but this is fantasy and not science fiction – unless you consider magic to be science.

Promethea is a living story who flies and wields a glowing blue caduceus composed of a pair of talking snakes. Her alter ego, a college student named Sophie Bangs, is writing a term paper about Promethea and unwittingly becomes her new host after meeting Barbara Shelley (the old host). They encounter a Smee, which Promethea destroys, but this is just a warning shot. Sophie needs to learn magic, fast, before Hell’s legions come calling. Throughout the ages, there have been other Promethea hosts. Sophie travels to the Immateria to meet them, but still needs a teacher in the material world.

There is a lot of exposition about magic here, so be prepared. An entire issue is spent on the topic.  Unfortunately, after reading this I still do not understand magic, but I will say it seems very complex. Promethea spends most of her time flying around blasting people with her magic caduceus, and I’m unsure what is so complex about that, but I’m no wizard.

Sophie approaches Jack Faust, who is a wizard. He agrees to teach her magic on one condition. He wants sex…with Promethea. Keep in mind that we’ve seen the tragic fate of people who dare to love Promethea, and it’s not pretty. Neither is Jack Faust, who is portrayed as old, unattractive, and creepy, complete with a gross apartment. They have sex, which takes up an entire issue (20+ pages for non-comic readers).

I will be honest here. If I knew about the sex scene, I wouldn’t have reviewed this graphic novel. I am not defending or condemning, except to say that this scene has an ick factor through the roof and will upset people. I am sure Mr. Moore knew this. Since Jack Faust is a magician, Moore could have portrayed him as young and handsome (Faust even mentions using a glamour), but he makes the choice not to. Unfortunately, the sex scene is what most people will recall after reading this and will thus dominate the discussion, making it difficult to talk about the graphic novel’s other virtues and flaws.

Yes, what about those virtues and flaws? As I stated, there’s too much exposition about magic. The storytelling is great, because plotting has always been a strength of Mr. Moore’s. The art is phantasmagoric; too bad I can’t post visuals. I read this graphic novel virtually, but if it seems like something you might enjoy, I suggest that you buy the actual physical book.  

And that’s my review.