read_100_books's review against another edition
5.0
This comic is a brutal, dark, gritty, disturbing take on the superhero genre. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone who is tired of the traditional Marvel/DC type of superhero.
flapjacks's review against another edition
3.0
outdated and not very good lol but i enjoyed reading it because this is just the kind of trash i need right now!! omg it's also very horny... everyone in this comic is so horny
jcpdiesel21's review against another edition
2.0
Great concept, underwhelming execution. I didn't particularly like any of the stories here and it is frustrating how only two members of the core group are developed by the book's close. I also found the tactic that The Boys use to take on superheroes extremely lazy. If anything, reading this made me appreciate the TV adaptation so much more since it is often incredibly fun and takes the story in a much more creative direction.
georgialeanne's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars.
Another example of a graphic novel that’s executed way better as a TV series. The first half was going the right way to being a higher rating but then so many racial and homophobic slurs just kept getting thrown around constantly and it lost me. An entire 2-3 chapters were focused entirely around homophobia and it just all felt very unnecessary and uncomfortable. Not only that but there are absolutely no female characters at all unless they’re prostitutes or being sexually assaulted! Overall very disappointed.
Another example of a graphic novel that’s executed way better as a TV series. The first half was going the right way to being a higher rating but then so many racial and homophobic slurs just kept getting thrown around constantly and it lost me. An entire 2-3 chapters were focused entirely around homophobia and it just all felt very unnecessary and uncomfortable. Not only that but there are absolutely no female characters at all unless they’re prostitutes or being sexually assaulted! Overall very disappointed.
jammasterjamie's review against another edition
4.0
Second read-through - This book is utterly ridiculous, but in a very enjoyable way. I've seen Ennis accused of being a bit of an edge-lord, but it works for the material he's presenting.
flipfh's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jkpiowa's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Violent - brutal - funny
On it's surface The Boys is a gory, violent story of revenge against apathetic and toxic superheroes. But really it's a commentary on corporate greed and government corruption. Fantastic - I look forward to the next installment.
On it's surface The Boys is a gory, violent story of revenge against apathetic and toxic superheroes. But really it's a commentary on corporate greed and government corruption. Fantastic - I look forward to the next installment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Homophobia, and Gore
Moderate: Self harm
ariellesbooked's review against another edition
2.0
I've only seen one season of Amazon Prime's The Boys, but I really enjoyed the concept. It's a dark take on the whole superhero narrative. I was forewarned that the graphic novel series was more intense. However, I don't know that intense is the appropriate word for it. Gratuitous feels more fitting.
I'm not super pristine about the kind of books I read or shows I watch. However, there were so many moments that just felt unnecessarily over-the-top and were included for the sake of shock value. If it lends to the story, then that's fine. But I just found myself reading through this and wondering "why was this included?" so many times.
I still like the original concept. There were a number of really interesting characters that I would have liked to see more of. However, the plot was somewhat convoluted and took a serious backseat to all of the grossly unnecessary sex and violence.
Not my favorite thing I've ever read.
I'm not super pristine about the kind of books I read or shows I watch. However, there were so many moments that just felt unnecessarily over-the-top and were included for the sake of shock value. If it lends to the story, then that's fine. But I just found myself reading through this and wondering "why was this included?" so many times.
I still like the original concept. There were a number of really interesting characters that I would have liked to see more of. However, the plot was somewhat convoluted and took a serious backseat to all of the grossly unnecessary sex and violence.
Not my favorite thing I've ever read.
dropitlolo's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Stars. Enjoyable! Though this may actually be the first time I enjoy the show more than the books. Surprisingly, there is actually quite a lot of deviation between the two, with very few similarities in between. I appreciated this though...it allowed me to enjoy a reading experience that was totally unaltered by what I had seen in the show. That is to say, this novel (or series of novels) was pretty damn crass (But I'm pretty sure that's kind of the point. Avoid, however, if you can't tolerate sexism or homophobia...as there is quite a lot of that in this one.
julianam's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0