Whether it is Movies or the TV landscape, the comic world is taking over everywhere and growing its fan base with new stories and arcs. The Boys, a comic adaptation series available on Amazon, is a huge success among binge-watchers. The comic-based show is unusual in various aspects.

the boys poster

It is somewhat a parody of Marvel and DC superheroes where everything takes a dark and violent turn. This is what makes this TV series so much special and entertaining for the audiences.

Moviegoers have expressed dissatisfaction with the superhero genre in recent years, claiming it has grown oversaturated.

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Although most comic book films are excellent, fans are growing tired of the same old cliches such as origin stories, villain speeches, and rescuing the world at the last minute. The genre was in serious need of a resurgence to remain relevant.

That’s why the release of Amazon’s adaptation of Garth Ennis’ comic series, The Boys, couldn’t have come at a better moment, at least in my estimation.

It takes place in a universe where the “Supes” (superheroes) have gotten so corrupt that a group of vigilantes known as The Boys band together to bring them to justice. Because of the over-the-top violence and black comedy in the series, it became instantly popular.

The initial structure and idea of the show remained the same, but with each subsequent episode, the show has become further disconnected from the original source.

By the end of season 1, Amazon’s The Boys had transformed into something completely different that even comic book enthusiasts were unsure of what to expect next.

The Tone

The comic book adaptation of The Boys is considerably darker and much more explicit than the Amazon series, which may come as a shock to some readers.

In truth, The Boys was initially published underneath the Wildstorm banner of DC Comics, but the publisher was so worried about the subject of the comic that they unexpectedly discontinued the series and let writers Garth Ennis and Darrick Robertson carry it elsewhere on their own initiative.

The comic is more graphic in its representations of sex and violence, and it has an iconic menstruation sight joke that hasn’t (as of yet) made the transition to the Amazon series. 

Additionally, several of the prominent characters are depicted in a darker light in the comic. The comic book version of Billy, for example, is a more terrifying and less sympathetic character, to the point that he finally becomes as bad as Homelander.

Frenchie is a meaner, less likable version of himself. Even Hughie is less of an amicable superhero geek and more of an aggressive conspiracy theory nut than the rest of the crew.

Stormfront

When it was originally reported that Aya Cash would be portraying the superhero Stormfront, it was clear that her persona would be distinct from the one seen in the comics. It was, however, much more than simply a gender switch.

Stormfront appeared in comic books as a former criminal raised in Hitler Youth and is now the commander of the superhero team Payback, which is essentially the Boys’ equivalent of the Avengers.

the boys amazon poster

Even though he only appears in a few issues of the comics, it is widely acknowledged that he’s the first superhero produced by Vought using Compound V. 

In the TV adaptation, Stormfront appears in the episode as a new member of the Seven, who later becomes Homelander’s lover. When she confesses to him about being the very first Compound V subject, she also tells him that she is about 100 years old and was a high-ranking member of the Nazi party at the time.

She also operated as the superhero liberty and reaped the benefits of her position and talents to incite bigotry, xenophobia, and the danger of white genocide in the United States of America.

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A-Train

A-Train, the lightning-quick superhero, zooms through Hughie’s date with Robin, tearing her to bits as she tries to avoid being hit. Because of this occurrence, Billy Butcher approaches Hughie and asks him to join his team to take down the Supes.

The Amazon series also depicts A-Train as having a rivalry with a speedster named Shockwave and a romantic involvement with Popclaw, a superheroine who is influenced by Wolverine in appearance.

On the other hand, Shockwave was wholly made up for the show. Popclaw was in the comic, but she played a minor role and never came into contact with A-Train. His addiction to the compound V and heart problems were also developed for the television version.

Before Starlight joined The Seven, A-Train was the newest & youngest member of the group, according to the comic. His teammates and Vought do not respect him for his lack of experience, which causes him to be prone to lash out when he is frustrated or angry.

In front of other Vought members, he continually berates Starlight, and during a mission, he makes an unsuccessful attempt to sexually assault her.

The Seven Headquarter

It is Vought Tower that serves as the Seven’s headquarter on the television series, which is an obvious allusion to Avengers Tower from both the Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It is in keeping with the show’s more realistic tone and serves as a poke at big business in America, as The Seven’s official headquarters are located on the 99th level of the gigantic tower in question.

The boys comic and series collage

When it comes to the comics, The Seven operate out of a flying base that is less analogous to the Helicarrier from 2012’s The Avengers and more akin to something like the Justice League Satellite from DC Comics, although one that is located within the atmosphere.

It’s likely that the CGI work required to convert it to a television program would have been prohibitively expensive, and the skyscraper just fits better with the show’s corporate-skewed themes than the original.

Also Read: In Which Order Should You Watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Translucent

Translucent is a member of The Seven who is vital to the opening few episodes of the first season of The Boys, as he plays a crucial part in bringing the vigilante squad together.

He is also a member of the vigilante team known as The Seven. Hughie’s deadly introduction to the wild world of both The Seven as well as the Boys is ultimately his responsibility. However, he does not appear in any of the comic book series.

There are three super-powered individuals in The Boys, and their presence demonstrates that while the production crew is undoubtedly staying true to the primary themes given in the comic book they aren’t hesitant to put their own twist on things.

It would be illogical to adapt the storylines directly from the comic books because such tales already exist. Shaking things up around keeps the story interesting for both long-time fans of the original material and those unfamiliar with the comics in general.

The ‘Legend’ is nowhere in the story.

The Legend is absent from The Boys adaptation (at least for the time being), although he is an important character in the original narrative. 

When the Legend finds out that his son had died in the Vietnam War as a result of a defective weapon, he gets sad. In the aftermath of learning that his son’s firearm was manufactured by Vought, he commits to eliminating the corrupt organization and acts as an informant for Butcher.

Hughie joined the team after Butcher scheduled meetings with Legend to educate him on the origins of Compound V, the internal workings, and the history of The Seven.

Although Legend had a second son with Queen Maeve named Blarney C*ck, Hughie had a hostile relationship with him.

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Black Noir 

Black Noir is mostly utilized as comedy relief in the TV version because he is the least prominent figure of the Seven, possessing no lines and only truly appearing to have hilarious moments.

The character appears more frequently in Season 2, but the public believes there is something evil about this quiet Supe.

As shown in the comics, Black Noir is a clone of Homelander, but he’s the most wicked of all the Supes. He has slaughtered countless people, eaten newborns, and is the actual rapist of Becca Butcher, among many other things.

the boys comic book poster

At least the program seemed to clarify that he was not a carbon copy of Homelander, which was a relief. Despite surviving explosions, he is depicted weeping (rather than laughing, which some theorists claim is evidence that he is wicked).

He also has burn marks on his body from the experience. Perhaps the most persuasive bit of evidence is when Maeve places an Almond Joy in his mouth, demonstrating that he suffers from a nut allergy to tree nuts.

This incident not only cleared that he is not a Homelander copy but also that Black Noir is African American when his mask is removed off his face.

Butcher’s revenge agenda

Butcher was featured in the comics as coming for Homelander and his associates since ‘Superman wanted to be’ had raped and impregnated his wife. Because of the super-powered baby, she died at birth, and the baby had to be dealt with as well.

There was a twist, though: Ennis discovered that Black Noir, a Homelander clone, was responsible for the crime. After the dust had fallen, the “Boys” engaged in combat, with Butcher finishing the job.

He then surprised readers by eliminating all of his pals, except Hughie, transforming himself into a real villain at the end of the novel.

Butcher’s heel turn is supposed to occur later in the series, but he is portrayed in a more moral light for the time being.

When the shocking revelation that Butcher’s wife, Becca, had an affair with Homelander is revealed in the Season 1 climax, Butcher is transformed into a more sympathetic character.

Stillwell kept her hidden from both men so that the kid may grow up in a safe and healthy environment without either of them knowing.

This has a significant impact on the competition between Butcher and Homelander and the Boys’ overall objective since Butcher would have to deal with his wife’s adultery as a result.

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The Plane Crash was a devastating event.

While attempting to rescue Transoceanic Flight 37 by fighting the terrorist hijackers in the first season of The Boys, Homelander and Queen Maeve experience one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the show’s history.

The jet and its passengers doom because of Homelander’s irresponsible use of thermal vision, even after they swiftly dispatch the terrorists.

A situation identical to this one is shown in the comic, with one significant difference. On September 11, 2001, an unsuccessful rescue effort took place onboard one of the hijacked planes.

The Brooklyn Bridge is hit by the jet instead of the World Trade Center towers, as originally planned.

Consequently, Maeve becomes disillusioned and an alcoholic, but she had already fallen into that trap before the plane accident in the series.

Kimiko

Kimiko is a Supe who is deaf and mute, and she is The Boys’ muscle. As youngsters, she and her brother were taken to the United States, where they were forcefully injected with the chemical compound Compound V.

When Butcher discovered that Vought wanted to transform her into a supervillain as part of a plot to militarize The Seven, he agreed to let her join The Boys to prevent this from happening.

She is referred to as The Female of the Species in the comic because she does not have any siblings in the comic.

Her father was beaten by a female sumo wrestler (I’m not sure why this wasn’t included in the program), and her mother worked for a Vought-like corporation in Tokyo before becoming a mother herself.

The Female was taken to work regularly when she was a baby by her mother, who was too cheap to pay for a babysitter at the time.

One day, the youngster ventured into some other room and fell into Compound V, which provided her with superhuman power for the first time.

The comic book counterpart of The Female is significantly less stable and, therefore, will shred anybody who comes into contact with her, friend or foe (except for Frenchie).

In response to Hughie’s attempts to soothe her after her injury, she instantly broke his arm in half. She also works as a mob enforcer to keep her deadly inclinations under control.

Conclusion

Well, these are just some of the major changes that the writers made in the story.

Now, the trailer of the third season is out, where we can clearly see that Butcher has taken Compound V to level the playing field.

The next trailer drops on June 3, and maybe we will see more things similar to the comics in the new season.

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