The Boys TV series - Karl Urban cast as Butcher

[JayzusB.Christ]

Ah, I get you now. Yeah, that was kind of unexpected; poor old Starlight is going to have a bit of thinking to do.

It's a while since I've read the comic, but I can't help thinking that while Homelander is a wanker, he's not half as bad as he is in the comic, and Starlight isn't as good.

Not that I have a problem with that; it's all chugging along nicely and not pulling punches.

[judgefloyd]

Some bloke with my name did a review of it

https://peoplesworld.org/article/the-boys-take-on-corporate-superheroes-for-hire-in-comic-tv-adaptation/

[Dandontdare]

Some bloke with my name did a review of it

https://peoplesworld.org/article/the-boys-take-on-corporate-superheroes-for-hire-in-comic-tv-adaptation/

The main target for The Boys is a very Avengers-like super team called “The Seven,” consisting of Homelander, a sort-of fascist version of Superman; Queen Maeve, a cynical Wonder Woman who drinks too much; The Deep, who can talk to fish like Aquaman

*cough* Justice League

Just watched the last episode and they're not being coy with the Trump parallels. That intro scene is going to get shared widely, powerful stuff.

I'm enjoying S2 a lot more than S1 - That was good, but I was constantly distracted by what was and wasn't the same as the comic, and speculating why they made each decision; but now that they're totally off-book and I have no idea where it's going, I'm loving it

[judgefloyd]

Good point! Justice League is a much better comparison, and they've got the talks-to-fish guy.  On the other hand, more of my audience would have heard of the Avengers.  The review is far from perfect - should have run it past this board.
  I didn't find the dissimilarities with the comic distracting in S1, and was pleased by how well they went - if  the comic was a frame-by-frame reproduction of S1, it'd still be a very good Ennis comic.  That said, I'm totally with you on S2 - Trump parallels are very obvious and all up I'm loving it too. 

[JayzusB.Christ]

Some bloke with my name did a review of it

https://peoplesworld.org/article/the-boys-take-on-corporate-superheroes-for-hire-in-comic-tv-adaptation/

Great stuff.  Kermodes are good reviewers.

And yeah, the swipes at Trump are very thinly disguised.  I'm all for it.  Homelander has the one thing Trump doesn't have - an actual, original Nazi at his side.  (Also, I suppose, a foreign 'romantic' partner who doesn't hate him).

[Mister Pops]

I've been catching up on this. After the second time seeing a skull get popped like a watermelon during a covered up sex scene I was left thinking about the weird American puritanical dichotomy of abhorring nudity and glorifying violence. Then that guy got strangled by a huge cock.

[Richard]

Even though the plot has become very different to what it was in the comic, I don't mind at all because the characters, themes and tone are spot on. I wish Preacher had been as good as this.

[wedgeski]

For us this has become one of those "watch new episode within minutes of release" series. The Liberty/Stormfront angle, the revelations she brought with her, the slow (and violent) bonding of the team, the all-too relevant themes, the comedy, the absurdity... It's a mash-up that shouldn't work but does.

[Proudhuff]

I've been catching up on this. After the second time seeing a skull get popped like a watermelon during a covered up sex scene I was left thinking about the weird American puritanical dichotomy of abhorring nudity and glorifying violence. Then that guy got strangled by a huge cock.

I was thinking something similar after watching Ratchet, a couple of murders are shown in all their gory and when the two murderers shag its made to look like a romantic scene... Unlike The Sopranos, you don't confronted with the shock of what evil cold hearted monsters they are, there-by condoning their actions?   

[JayzusB.Christ]

Even though the plot has become very different to what it was in the comic, I don't mind at all because the characters, themes and tone are spot on. I wish Preacher had been as good as this.

The way I see it, the Preacher comic wasn't half as good as The Boys comic either.  But that's just me. 

 I'm also not worrying too much about the deviation from the comic's storyline - I have a feeling that after Homelander's most recent act of bastardy, Becca might do something nasty to herself, so we'll get to see Butcher become the even more obsessive and vicious psycho we see in the comics.

I wonder if the Boys will end up taking the Compound V too?  It was all sorted from the start in the comics; but hasn't become a thing yet on the TV.  That could be some very interesting viewing. 

Marvin, Serge and Kimiko - that's new too.

[Jim_Campbell]

Well, just watched the final episode of S2. A lot of the stuff I found problematic in S1 was absent, replaced by some terrifyingly relevant themes. Alan Moore said that Watchmen was his greatest failure, in as much he intended it to be an “assassination attempt” on the superhero myth, not a revitalisation of it. S2 of The Boys feels like the coup de grâce Moore wanted to deliver.

[wedgeski]

Nicely put Jim.

I was so engrossed I spent the second half of Friday's episode gripping a forgotten, half-empty cup of cold tea. The addition of Stormfront has elevated everything about this show. Here's hoping we don't have to wait too long for S3.

[Jim_Campbell]

Although it's hard to get past his ludicrous accent, there was a moment in Ep7 where I thought Urban was genuinely brilliant. He's threatening to murder Vogelbaum's entire family and he looks like just about the most evil bastard on earth, then Vogelbaum's daughter comes in with the tea and he looks up and the evil just evaporates, he seems to relax barely a handful of muscles in his face and it's all gone.

[Proudhuff]

Spot on Jim.

[James Stacey]

There is a Billy Joel song (and album) actually called Storm Front. With lyrics that would kinda fitted .. and they didn't use it