Comics Movie Reviews
The Boys Season One (2019)
By Hervé St-Louis
July 11, 2022 - 21:36

Studios: Amazon Studios, Kickstart Entertainment, Kripke Enterprises, NightSky Productions, Original Film, Point Grey Pictures, Sony Pictures Television
Writer(s): Garth Ennis, Eric Kripke, Eric Kripke, Ellie Monahan, Craig Rosenberg, Rebecca Sonnenshine, Anne Cofell Saunders, George Mastras
Starring: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara
Directed by: Philip Sgriccia, Stefan Schwartz, Frederick E.O. Toye, Daniel Attias, Eric Kripke, Jennifer Phang, Matt Shakman, Dan Trachtenberg
Produced by: Hartley Gorenstein, Anslem Richardson, Stefan Steen, Karl Urban, Jessica Chou
Release Date: July 19, 2019
Distributors: Amazon Studios



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Hughie Campbell had plans to move in with his girlfriend, until A-Train a superfast superhero smashed into her and destroyed her immediately. Seeking justice, he quickly is recruited by Billy Butcher whose knack is going after super-powered being and getting innocent humans avenged. But the Vought Corporation behind and its flagship team, the Seven are powerful entities to take on, with the strongest of them all Homelander, a man who is super strong, can fly, is impervious to harm, and can shoot lasers from his eyes. Taking them on will probably be more complicated as Campbell is falling for the latest recruit of the Seven, the bright and promising Starbright.

I read a few comic issues of The Boys over the years but never could make sense of them. Having started midway. But this is Garth Ennis here and of course, he’ll go in the same Brat Pack and Millar territory with coarse language and outrageous action scenes and gore. The story hooked me from the start as it used tropes from DC Comics to explore questions of morality about super-powered beings. Of course, This is a story that has been written so many times, starting with Squadron Supreme, Miracle Man, and then The Watchmen. Ennis does it his way, by adding a good load of religion and fanaticism to the scene, and tough as nail protagonists without any powers going against the most powerful people on Earth.

Quickly, the series felt like an ensemble cast and that was a bit boring as it reminded me of boring CW series like The Flash or Legends of Tomorrow. The thing is that the comics had that from the start, though. I like the everyday guy Hughie Campbell learning about being a counter-superhero from scratch. I also liked the romantic Frenchie and his banter against Mother’s Milk.

The effects were somewhat good and there was a mix of greenish and sepia tones in many sequences. The baby with eyes shooting blue lasers used as a prop was cheesy and silly. I can’t wait to watch season two!

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