The Boys Vol. 1: The Name of the Game (Garth Ennis' The Boys)

I loved the TV show so wanted to check out the comics (graphic novels) as well, and they are so much better than the TV show.Very violent with lots of swearing including repeated use of the C Word (apparently its a British privilege to use) so be warned, but it is also hilarious, poignant, heart breakingly sad and heart warming. Contoversial and on the pulse of pop culture, it covers gays, lesbians, rape, rascism, hatred, corruption, drug and alcohol abuse and every human emotion we show or hide.No other artist I have ever seen can capture every human emotion on paper so perfectly as Darrick, it is simply amazing how a slightly blurry background character with an indistinct face can yet express surprise, shoch, humour or terror with such clarity let alone what he achieves with the main characters.This series of comics makes me laugh like few other things, (Butchers first sight of Hughie after his 1st night with Annie), the violence is genuinely disturbing, (Butchers revenge on Jack) and brings a tear to my eye, (Hughies reaction to 'that video') It also makes me feel quite uncomfortable, (why M.M is caled M.M)The show has dropped a colossal clanger by not following certain parts of this comic onscreen in my opinion, (the shattering relationship between Homelander and Black Noir) and have lost such an important part in not having The Boys also taking compound V, the difference in dynamic between how The Boys react to The Supes on paper and on TV are poles apart and I will never understand why the TV executives made some of their decisions or even to a certain extent why Garth Enniss went along with the TV show when his story has been castrated, massacred and had its face torn off and put in a pizza box!The full set of comics in any format, either individually or in omnibus form is not cheap but worth every penny to me.Its a story you can read a thousand times and the art is always uplifting.On a personal note, my single favourite individual frame in the entire series is that of Frenchie's 'Bonjour' at the window of the Russians car.Perfection!Everyone on Earth has heard of The Boys but if you have only seen it on TV you are missing out on so much.Buy the comics.

Gory,graphic and smartWatched the series, now read the bookGarth Ennis doesn't fail to entertain.Will read the next volume

The postmodern genre of superhero bashing is now firmly established but this was one of the titles that helped create it. The premise is that people who acquire superpowers, like people who win the lottery or are elected to positions of power, tend to go off the rails. When society can't tell you what to do any more you lean towards base human weakness. When you have superpowers you are opened up to a whole new realm of excess and depravity - and with Garth Ennis at the helm this gets very depraved indeed. To combat these untouchables a special team is needed and these are the "Boys" of the title.It has a slow, but shocking, start as we are introduced to the team and what they are up against through the induction of its newest member. There are lots of references to things that have gone before and people who are no longer with us. This builds up our interest as we are drip-fed enough information to keep us guessing. The characters are intriguing and the superheroes are less than heroic, making them easy to deplore. As the storyline progresses the methods the Boys must use get less wholesome and it does make you wonder if the watchers will become as bad as the watched.The art is superb with great facial expressions as there is a lot of shock and disgust to portray. The depravity mentioned is frequent but not pornographic. It manages to horrify and titillate in equal measure as there are enough visual clues to make your dirty mind run riot.This is a good start to what promises to be a grand spectacle of a story that is both shockingly entertaining and subtly thought provoking. Thumbs Up!

I must admit, I have fallen out of love with comic books recently thanks to the rampant sexism and generally offensive nature that is rife among them.... and one of the things that drew me to this series is that the characters it involves have rather fallen out of love with comic books too.That's not to say that this comic isn't offensive. I think most things are, to someone, but at least in 'The Boys' the problems that are flagged up in a lot of comics- be they the day-to-day impracticalities of certain super-powers or the impossible egos of the characters themselves- are effectively lampooned and mocked mercilessly. There is a real dark humour to these comics, brought to life through some very dark characters, dealing with some very difficult circumstances. It is also well drawn and distinctive, and provides an interesting new look at the concept of a super-group, as well as pointing out the obvious flaws in the things that we have all held dear in the genre for a very long time.Overall, these comics and characters will not appeal to everyone. They are not intended for children (or even adults with the general maturity of children), but they are interesting, thought provoking, and genuinely entertaining to boot.

Pick this up. Read it. Be disgusted.If you think reading graphic novels is for kids, I challenge you to pick this up and not be horrified. The Boys enters a whole new level of disturbing. Whether it's a dog watching 2 people go doggy style or the innards of a persons head displayed on floor, it's definitely going to shock you.The story starts with quite a revelation: Superheroes are b******s. It's an unusual take on a popular comic book topic. The Boys are basically out to rid the world of Superheroes - the collateral damage they don't take responsibility for is too damaging to just forgive. If you're looking for something a little bit unusual, a little bit different and generally disturbing, give this a try.FYI: I was looking for things like The Preacher, Judge Dredd and Hellblazer which are all a bit dark and different. This is definitely gruesome.