Saturday, 9 June 2012

THE BOYS: BUTCHER, BAKER, CANDLE STICK MAKER review



Writer: Garth Ennis
Art: Darick Robertson
Published by Dynamite Entertainment
Review by Stewart Loud

War, brutality, Infant murder, a messed up childhood and more than a couple of supes getting horribly killed. The mysteries of Billy Butcher's past are finally revealed in the last of the Boys origin stories and as you'd probably expect, it's not for the faint hearted.



The stories that explained the beginnings of all the other Boys members were all great fun to read but this is the mini series that I, and I suspect almost everyone else who's been keeping up with Garth Ennis' shocking super hero universe parody, have been looking forward to the most. Especially with all of his character developments in the main comic as it draws to a close. Just what forged Butcher into such a single mindedly driven soldier in the conflict against Vought America's super powered reprobates?


I'm not gonna go into too much detail here. Not much to say about how good the comics are that I haven't said before either. This 6 part series covers Butcher's childhood with an abusive father, his involvement in the Falklands war as British Royal Marines Commando, The loss of the love of his life who had temporarily steered him away from the darker nature of his personality and finally how he came to join the CIA's premier anti super hero task force, The Boys.


Grabbed my attention immediately and held it right until the very end. Garth Ennis' never ceases to amaze me with his ability to create fantastic believable characters that, whether you love or hate, you can't read enough about. After Butcher started out in the comic as a hard as nails but honourable cockney rogue, the kind of guy we maybe all wish we had as a mate or older brother, his character has gradually been fleshed out to reveal a much less pleasant individual and this 6 parter goes a long way to explaining how a person would turn out like that.


There's a powerful passage written at the beginning of the graphic novel, dedicating it to the soldiers, sailors and airmen of the Falklands task force and the the sections set in the Falklands are authentically gritty and gripping. I'd have been happy to read an entire set of comics based on that alone. Read plenty of Viet Nam and WW2 comics but never anything written about this much more recent war. It's mentioned earlier on that “Nowadays no one talks about it much, The Falklands, 'cept for sorta curiosity value.” and he's right. Shames me a bit but I know very little about it even though it happened in my lifetime.


The death of Butcher's wife is as shocking as the little we've learned about it so far has led us to expect. Nightmarish stuff but, thinking about it, that's probably what would happen to Lois Lane if she ever tried to bare Super Man's child.


This should answer any questions you might have about Billy Butcher's past and just like the rest of the comics so far, it's an engrossing read. Can't wait to read the final graphic novel to find out how Garth wraps it all up. If you're not reading this already. Start.

SCORE 8/10

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