Tuesday, September 26, 2006

The Boys #3- Delayed for Naughty Content?


The Boys 3
Originally uploaded by Heidi Meeley.

According to comic book gossip guru Rich Johnston over at Lying In The Gutters, Wildstorm's irreverent new series The Boys may have been delayed for this very reason:

"The Boys" from Wildstorm has been a rather aggressive book so far. Extreme gore, use of the c-word (that's 'c**t' by the way), extreme superhero hate, Simon Pegg, all that's missing is the sex.

I'm told that at San Diego months ago, Wildstorm staffers were talking up the completed art for "The Boys" #3, which featured a Teen Titans-esque team in an orgy complete with a rather explicit oral image…

"The Boys" #3 has just been delayed. I wonder why?"

Finding out that this book has been delayed, even for naughty content, really bums me out. I have really been enjoying Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's irreverent and dead funny look at fellas and a lady that form a team of sorts to take out the super heroes in their world. Showcasing a sense of humor that can only be Ennis-style, this book is wicked genius.

If you are an adult type reader and you have been looking for an excuse to try this book, do so, if for no other reason then to enjoy the dark and amusing stylings of Ennis and Robertson. They are the new team supreme.

DISCLAIMER: If you don't like naughty, Vertigo-style humor, you will not enjoy this. Buy DC's fantastic series Manhunter instead.

6 comments:

Carl said...

Welp, I really tried to like "The Boys", as you recall, I am one of the biggest Ennis fans of all time. But the one constant unceasing note of super hero hate or loathing that's been all though his books just pushed me away this time. I mean, it's been in almost everything he's written, from Hitman to Preacher to The Punisher and so on. And it's funny, all my friends are slathering over it and I just say, sorry, I've read more Ennis then you and frankly, I'm bored with it. I even read him before anyone knew him (myself included, I just found myself enjoying issues that turned out to be his) and own original specials of 2000AD, the original run of DICKS, Goddess and so on. It was just another bridge too far I guess...

Heidi Meeley said...

Carl, that is a bummer. Ennis has finally bored your? I didn't think that was humanly possible!

I am really enjoying the irreverence Ennis is using in this book. I like that it is completely out of any continuity so that it can be a place where the super heroes aren't always the good guys.

I read Ennis when I want to palate cleanse my hero worship for a spell. It works every time.

I am sorry to hear you aren't enjoying it!

For the record, I have read quite a bit of Ennis, including several of his War Stories, and those were not my cup of tea. I prefer the Ennis that is working on this type of story.

Take care! Thank you for your always wise insight!

Carl said...

Welp it was just one trip to the same well one time too many. It's like an uncle that you see one a month that is always ranting and raving about the same thing, again and again. You get to the point where instead of looking forward to seeing Uncle John and Aunt Doe, you start to flinch and dread the visit. When I saw the book I was like: ANOTHER ENNIS BOOK! And then:
Summab*tch, this AGAIN?!!!
And I've read everything I could find by him, I even got the very sad and depressing special he did about racism in Ireland, whose title escapes me. Maybe I'll try again when it's collected...

Heidi Meeley said...

The special on Kit and Ireland is called Heartland. I bought it too, based on the fact that Kit from Hellblazer was in it. It is pretty sad, but is actually some of Ennis' great dialogue work.

Ennis has a definite style, and sometimes it can get a bit stale, but I will still take him over some of the other creative types who can't get their work turned in. I will always be grateful to Ennis for his brilliance on Preacher. He and Steve Dillon set the bar pretty high for subsequent Vertigo series.

Thank you again Carl!

John Holland said...

Ok, after this post I decided to give The Boys a shot. I just got the first three issues, so I'm now posting to this older post...

Ennis has always been hit and miss with me. Some of his stuff, like Preacher I love and think is one of the best series ever, other stuff not so much.

But I have to tell you I loved The Boys. Just enough humor, character development, sex and violence...it was really good.

For me sometimes Ennis' characters never become real. In this even though it seems over the top the characters are taking on a life of their own.

Thanks for letting me know about it. I will definitely be buying it.

One question is it a mini series or an ongoing series?

Heidi Meeley said...

John, it is an ongoing series, which is great news. I am glad you enjoyed the book- I am absolutely loving it.

I agree that Ennis can be hit and miss, as both you and Carl have pointed out. As with the dogcatcher in Hitman, when Ennis strikes gold though, he really hits it. This is one of those times.

I also really appreciate artist Darick Robertson's work on this. I was lucky enough to meet him at the bar the last night of the Emerald City Comicon, and he is as nice as he is talented.

Once again, I am very happy you liked this book. It is in my top ten right now.