Summary
If there’s one thingThe BoyscreatorGarth Enniscannot stand, it’s superheroes. That much has been made clear throughout his career, as Ennis will take any chance he gets to paint superheroes in a negative light, or - at the very least - exclude them from his stories entirely (including those that take place in the Marvel/DC universes). And that’s whyThe Boys’ TV success is so significant to Garth Ennis on a personal level, as it saved him from having to write sincere superhero stories.
In an interview with Mark Millar inMillar Timeepisode 25, Garth Ennis is asked how the immense popularity of Prime Video’sThe Boyshas impacted his life. Ennis reveals thatThe Boys’ popularity completely changed his life, but that it did so by allowing his life to stay the same:
Garth Ennis: They’ve frankly changed my life, or at least allowed me not to have to change my life. They’re going to make big parts of my life much, much easier. You do ask that question at every stage in your life: if I hadn’t gotten this, where would I be? And I do sometimes wonder, would I have ended up having to write superhero comics? Like, regular mainstream ones? So, no, it’s worked out great.
This part of the conversation between Mark Millar and Garth Ennis begins at the timestamp: 1:38:40!
Because of how successfulThe Boyshas become, Garth Ennis doesn’t have to write mainstream superhero comics for a living. With any project he takes, there is a level of understanding between himself, the publisher, and the fans buying the comic that Ennis will be doing things his way, just like he did withThe Boys. And while the success ofThe Boyshas made it much easier for Ennis to sell his style without compromise, that’s pretty much always been the case for this particular comic book creator - no matter which comic continuity sandbox he finds himself in.
Garth Ennis has Always Maintained His Iconic Style, Even in the Worlds of Marvel & DC
Hitman,The Punisher, &Peacemaker,Just to Name a Few!
While, today, publishers and comic book readers are well aware of what’s in store for them when they open any given comic that Garth Ennis has written, that wasn’t always the case. BeforeThe Boystook off the way it has, Ennis was simply another working comic creator who took jobs with the likes of Marvel and DC while also efforting personal projects. However, even as a writer for those more ‘all-ages’ comic book publishers, Ennis never once compromised his unique style.
For instance,DC’sHitmanis about an assassin who only kills superhumansfor money (making the main character arguably something of a predecessor toThe Boys’ Billy Butcher). Then, there’s Ennis’ many runs onThe Punisher, including the iconicThe Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe. And Ennis even did a stint onPeacemaker, fleshing out the antihero’s grisly backstory in a way that only he could. These examples prove that, even in mainstream comic universes, Garth Ennis has still maintained his unique style - even beforeThe Boysbecame so popular.
The Boys Isn’t Garth Ennis’ Only Mature Comic That Deserves Recognition
Now thatThe Boyshas reached an insane level of popularity, fans should look back at some of Ennis’ other mature comic series that are worthy of recognition. WhilePreacheris an obvious standout (and even got its own level of recognition with AMC’s live-action adaptation), there are also comics likeCrossed,Just a Pilgrim, andWar Stories, just to name a few. And all of them have one thing in common: Garth Ennis’ uncompromising style - a style that, thanks toThe Boys’ popularity, is able to continue unencumbered.
The thought of Garth Ennis writing a mainstream comic book series centered around a costumed hero is undeniably odd, as even when he was a relatively unknown comic creator, he never wrote those kinds of stories. And now, due to how popularThe Boyshas become, he’ll never have to, as the success of the Prime Video series savedGarth Ennisfrom having to write sincere superhero comics.
The Boys
Cast
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
