Wednesday, October 8, 2008

The Boys


Does anyone read The Boys?
I've been reading the first couple of trades...
It's a good read, but far from perfect. It just tries too hard to shock, I think. I don't want to think of Dardevil having HIV or most of my superheroes all being 'poofs'. And it's kinda weird, because it comes across as homophobic, but they they do a really earnest gay storyline which just doesn't come across as well as I think they wanted it to.
They use the 'c' word waaaaaaay too much.
We're promised that Frenchie and Mother's Milk are really cool and have exciting origins, but there's barely any sign of it yet.
And sometimes the humour doesn't quite work - it's as if it's a teenage boy is writing it and wants his mates to laugh at the crude jokes. I did cringe a bit in places - but they just about pull it off, so to speak. I must say, I did laugh at the Tek-Guy hero who fantasised about his team-mate's arse hehe
The art is a bit amateurish in places - almost small press-y.
So all in all, it's no Preacher, but it's entertaining enough.

3 comments:

Rol said...

I didn't like it at all, for most of the reasons you mention. Ennis' work just seems really obvious and lowest common denominator these days, like he's not trying at all. Yes, there were the gross-out bits in Preacher, but there was also a good deal of depth, particularly in the relationship between the central characters. I just don't see that in his later work.

dave said...

I don't mind it, it's a bit hit and miss story wise, and the art's a bit messy, but it's not meant to be watchmen. Ennis is Ennis, if it's a war story it'll be excellent, if it's superheroes it'll be a piss take. I don't expect much depth in it and it's very much schlock rather than shock but there is a really nice relationship between Wee Hughie and the Butcher. I basically think it's like watching Will Farrell when your a fan of Woody Allen comedies, you miss the subtlety and the characterisation but laugh at it and enjoy it for ten minutes but you don't really hold it in much esteem or rememeber that much about it afterwards

Mart said...

some of the covers are weird choices...
I don't get the vodka bottle one. am i missing some sort of significance? or is it saying we're blokes and we drink'.