The Boys Omnibus Volume 1

Title: The Boys Omnibus Volume 1 

ISBN: 9781524108595

Price: $29.99

Publisher/Year: Dynamite, 2020

Artist: Darick Robertson & Peter Snejbjerg

Writer: Garth Ennis

Rating: 4.5/5

In a world where costumed heroes soar through the sky and masked vigilantes prowl the night, someone’s got to make sure the “supes” don’t get out of line. And someone will! Billy Butcher, Wee Hughie, Mother’s Milk, The Frenchman, and The Female are The Boys: A CIA-backed team of very dangerous people, each one dedicated to the struggle against the most dangerous force on Earth – superpower! Some superheroes have to be watched. Some have to be controlled. And some of them – sometimes – need to be taken out of the picture. That’s when you call in The Boys! After the opening story arc introducing Hughie to the team (issues 1-6), Dark avenger Tek-Knight and his ex-partner Swingwing are in trouble (issues 7-14). Big trouble. One has lost control of his terrifyingly overactive sex-drive, and the other might just be a murderer. It’s up to Hughie and Butcher to work out which is which, in Get Some. Then, in Glorious Five-Year Plan, The Boys travel to Russia – where their corporate opponents are working with the mob, in a super-conspiracy that threatens to spiral lethally out of control. Good thing our heroes have Love Sausage on their side. 

Like so many people out there, I am a fan of Amazon Prime’s The Boys though I have never once picked up the comic it was based on.  

The comic tells a different (though similar) story, following the CIA operatives known as The Boys. There is less tension between the crew, focusing on their work rather than their personal lives and any conflict that may arise from their differences (at least with this first omnibus). This sort of makes the characters seem flat and one-dimensional which can leave the reader who’s familiar with the show wanting more. I will hold off on judging the character development until later in the series as I get the feeling the larger picture has yet to be revealed. 

It was fun seeing certain scenes and details that were lifted for television series – that whole thing with Tek Knight? Holy fucking shit! I thought that was just Seth Rogen influencing the show he helps produce.  

The artwork skirts the series’ grittiness and graphic nature while not feeling toned-down by comparison. (In other words, much like the series, do not read this at work.) 

I’ve heard some complaints and suggestion to stay away from the comic books; however, it was still a fun read and do recommend it to fans of the Amazon Prime series.