So I just got acquainted with "The Boys" Amazon's adaption of a very "unique" Superhero Comic Book.

[Samtemdo8]

After seeing at least a good amount of the first season, it past the test of earning my attention and investment.

I was familiar with the Comic its based on, but never fully dove into what it really was, only a passing mention of it by Linkara in his Superman At Earth's End review.

But anyone here who watched the show or even read the comics wanna talk about this series?

 

[Dalisclock]

After seeing at least a good amount of the first season, it past the test of earning my attention and investment.

I was familiar with the Comic its based on, but never fully dove into what it really was, only a passing mention of it by Linkara in his Superman At Earth's End review.

But anyone here who watched the show or even read the comics wanna talk about this series?

I enjoyed it(I've only watched season 1 so far). The idea of superheros being corporate shills and ingrained in politics for their own(and corporate) benefit isn't the most original idea but it's well executed here, as well as dealing with the consequences of all the people hurt and property damaged from their antics. And then you get silliness like using a baby as a heat ray as some pure dark comedy.

Also, fun fact, the lady who plays Female/Kimiko(Karen Fukuhara) has done a bit of notable children's TV in the last few years, notably the new She-Ra as well as Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts.

 

[Gordon_4]

I enjoyed it(I've only watched season 1 so far). The idea of superheros being corporate shills and ingrained in politics for their own(and corporate) isn't the most original idea but it's well executed here, as well as dealing with the consequences of all the people hurt and property damaged from their antics. And then you get silliness like using a baby a heat ray as some pure dark comedy.

Also, fun fact, the lady who plays Female/Kimiko(Karen Fukuhara has done a bit of notable children's TV in the last few years, notably the new She-Ra as well as Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts.

Wasn’t she also Katana in the utterly risible Suicide Squad?

 

[Dalisclock]

Wasn’t she also Katana in the utterly risible Suicide Squad?

Apparently so, which I haven't watched.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I like it. Season 1 was good, I'm enjoying season 2 and the weekly release schedule. I mentioned in another thread that even though the new season opposes the boys and the supes on a more direct plane (the boys' one strength against them, surprise and anonymity, is completely gone) the stakes feel as though somehow they've been lowered. Too many narrow escapes and lucky breaks you know? And suddenly treason and insubordination are tolerated on both teams like they're no big deal, which I don't buy (especially from Homelander). I liked it better when sudden death was the implied result of any direct confrontation with the supes, so the writers had to be creative and keep things close to a boiling point but not quite.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

I read all the comics in preparation for the watching the show, and just never got around to it. Enough terrible shit happening in real life for me.

 

[Trunkage]

Get ready for a lot of political stuff.

SJWS? Monetised
Apologise? Monetised
Dog Whistles? Monetised
Nationalism? Monetised
Over exaggerated Nationalism that going to destroy the fabric of society? Monetised
Homosexuals? Monetised

It a rather large indictment on Capitlaism.

 

[Dwarvenhobble]

From what I've heard the comics are quite a bit different.
As an example Stormfront is a dude in the comics and so some of the stuff happening at presently in the series doesn't happen in the comics.

Also was the "Josh edit" or "Joss edit" a joke about Justice League and a pro Snyder Cut joke slipped in there?

I kind of like the weird A Train and Starlight dynamic going on at present too like A train on about her saying the money doesn't matter shows she's never been used to living while short on it and him not realising she really wasn't well off. Her kit to fight crime before was an old radio tuned into police scanner frequencies and her old/ initial costume had a cape that was made out of a pair of old curtains.

 

[meiam]

I watched maybe 1/3 of the first season and stopped because I realized I just didn't care about the main character. I think I'd be a lot more interested in it if Starlight was the main character, but random McJosh who's practically devoid of personality just doesn't hold my interest but he take so much screen time it kinda killed it for me. Actually if the story was just the corporate super hero aspect I think I'd be a lot more into it. As much as I like Karl Urban acting, he just can't carry that aspect of the story by himself.

 

[gorfias]

From what I've heard the comics are quite a bit different.
As an example Stormfront is a dude in the comics and so some of the stuff happening at presently in the series doesn't happen in the comics.

Also was the "Josh edit" or "Joss edit" a joke about Justice League and a pro Snyder Cut joke slipped in there?

I kind of like the weird A Train and Starlight dynamic going on at present too like A train on about her saying the money doesn't matter shows she's never been used to living while short on it and him not realising she really wasn't well off. Her kit to fight crime before was an old radio tuned into police scanner frequencies and her old/ initial costume had a cape that was made out of a pair of old curtains.

One of the best things on TV at this time.

I think it better than the comic book. It has diverged in many material ways from that story line.

Spoiler

In the comics, all of the boys are on Compound V. They all have super powers. An aspect that makes the show so exciting is these are normal people fighting supers. That adds a heck of a lot to the suspense. There is some gender swapping between the comic and show. That Becka is alive is a huge departure. We should find that Black Noir is VERY different in the show as opposed to the comic. In the show, he is a sort of cross between Batman and Wolverine. In the comic he ... well. I'm only taking this spoiler so far...

 

[happyninja42]

A very "unique" comic?

What is superheroes, but corporate/evil?!

That's a VERY common cliche in comics.


OT: Why is it that I've seen multiple people critiquing the show, about that episode where Homelander is at the rally, say
If he had killed those people that would've been the end of the show.
I don't understand this. Everyone is all "Yep, end of the show if they had done that. No more seasons, etc. "

 

[Mister Mumbler]

While I haven't actually watched the show outside of clips on Youtube, I have a question about Homelander: is he characterized as being evil because he can? Because I find that I like the idea of Homelander being so lazy and arrogant that he just comes across as evil instead of "I'm the strongest therefore I'm bad" that I feel the show gives off most of the time.

 

[Breakdown]

From what I've heard the comics are quite a bit different.
As an example Stormfront is a dude in the comics and so some of the stuff happening at presently in the series doesn't happen in the comics.

Also was the "Josh edit" or "Joss edit" a joke about Justice League and a pro Snyder Cut joke slipped in there?

I kind of like the weird A Train and Starlight dynamic going on at present too like A train on about her saying the money doesn't matter shows she's never been used to living while short on it and him not realising she really wasn't well off. Her kit to fight crime before was an old radio tuned into police scanner frequencies and her old/ initial costume had a cape that was made out of a pair of old curtains.

Most of the characters are pretty different to their comic book counterparts. I get the impression that the showrunner and writers didn't actually like the comic.

 

[Shadyside]

It's been over a decade that I can somewhat watch a tv show. I already have prime, so it was nice to have something as background noise.

A very "unique" comic?

What is superheroes, but corporate/evil?!

That's a VERY common cliche in comics.


OT: Why is it that I've seen multiple people critiquing the show, about that episode where Homelander is at the rally, say
If he had killed those people that would've been the end of the show.
I don't understand this. Everyone is all "Yep, end of the show if they had done that. No more seasons, etc. "

It's the perfect timing that makes a difference. Everyone is sick of superheroes and corporations fabricating reality and monetizing social issues.

While I haven't actually watched the show outside of clips on Youtube, I have a question about Homelander: is he characterized as being evil because he can? Because I find that I like the idea of Homelander being so lazy and arrogant that he just comes across as evil instead of "I'm the strongest therefore I'm bad" that I feel the show gives off most of the time.

He's a psychopath , because he was raised by a lab and corporation who only taught him that profit and fame is all that matters. He has mommy issues and only cares if the public gives him attention.

 

[happyninja42]

It's the perfect timing that makes a difference. Everyone is sick of superheroes and corporations fabricating reality and monetizing social issues.

I'm not talking about the appeal of the show, I was commenting about the statement that the comic was "unique". I'm just saying that there are tons of examples of this, so it's not unique. I mean when I see Homelander, all I can think of is Flagg, from J. Michael Stracynski's Rising Stars comic, published a decade before The Boys. And I'm certain that's not the first of it either.

I'm not criticizing the show, just saying it's not unique. Also not everyone is sick of superheroes or the genre, as evidenced by the truckloads of cash the various medias about said genre make on a regular basis.

 

[Shadyside]

Get ready for a lot of political stuff.

SJWS? Monetised
Apologise? Monetised
Dog Whistles? Monetised
Nationalism? Monetised
Over exaggerated Nationalism that going to destroy the fabric of society? Monetised
Homosexuals? Monetised

It a rather large indictment on Capitlaism.

Which goes to show you how incredibly versatile capitalism is. I really don't think we will ever get rid of it. The best thing to do would just be to implement a good UBI from all the profits that monopolies and automation will make due to lower human input. Was it not the original idea of capitalism that people would work less for more money in our pockets and to pursue other goals than just material substance?

 

[Gordon_4]

It's been over a decade that I can somewhat watch a tv show. I already have prime, so it was nice to have something as background noise.


It's the perfect timing that makes a difference. Everyone is sick of superheroes and corporations fabricating reality and monetizing social issues.



He's a psychopath , because he was raised by a lab and corporation who only taught him that profit and fame is all that matters. He has mommy issues and only cares if the public gives him attention.

I’m not sick of superheroes, I’m just sick of every chancer doing Superman-but-evil and then think they’re sticking it to the man and going against the grain. Yeah, The Silver Age called and it wants its cut.

 

[Shadyside]

Have they said how long this thing is going to be? They should do no more than 5 seasons.

 

[Dalisclock]

He's a psychopath , because he was raised by a lab and corporation who only taught him that profit and fame is all that matters. He has mommy issues and only cares if the public gives him attention.

The fact the corporation covers them from having to take any responsibility for their actions, being completely insulated from any real people, everything is based around good PR and monetization.

Basically celebrities with actual superpowers and no accountability at all. Can't imagine how that could create sociopaths and assholes.

 

[Trunkage]

Which goes to show you how incredibly versatile capitalism is. I really don't think we will ever get rid of it. The best thing to do would just be to implement a good UBI from all the profits that monopolies and automation will make due to lower human input. Was it not the original idea of capitalism that people would work less for more money in our pockets and to pursue other goals than just material substance?

Well, that was Keynes' idea. But he's not well liked by Classical Liberals or Libertarians. Here's a thesis on what happened, as we work more hours now per worker than in the 30s (8min mark)