After some relatively weaker issues, The Boys finally shows what happens when the anti-super-hero terrorist Hughie finds out he’s dating a corporate super-hero lackey.
This issue marks a turn for the series, as Hughie’s last bit of naiveté is swept away, and he learns the truth of how horrible the corporate heroes are behind closed doors.
The stakes get higher now, and the revelation breathes new life into the book as we start rolling into the final act. And there’s still plenty of satire and crossreferencing, like this tribute cover…
In the comic nerd world it’s a longstanding debate: Could Batman really ever beat Superman. The answer is often: “Yes, with proper planning and preparation.” It’s how DC itself has answered the question in everything from Mark Waid’s JLA run through Frank Miller’s Dark Knight graphic novel, satirized above.
This appears to be Garth Ennis’ take on the question, which is that even a moderately powered hero could beat the snot out of Batman because Bats isn’t the only dude who can plan and prepare. And if there’s one character in Ennis’ ouvre who is all about the planning and prep, it’s Butcher.
That cover alone is better than a lot of entire comic book issues.
I also liked this slap on Green Lantern.
