‘The Boys Omnibus – Volume 4 & Volume 5’ (Dynamite)

I’ve been in and out of the ‘Boys’ omnibus editions, over the last few months, and what I’ve found is that if I leave it too long, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to stay on top of the story. That’s partly on me (chemo-brain…) but I’m also going to out on a limb and say that sometimes, it’s feels like Ennis is having so much fun poking fun, at superheroes, that the actual plot gets shunted to the sidelines and left to wonder just what it did wrong.

Either way, the number of times I’ve found myself thinking, ‘this is cool, but why is it happening…’ I’ve had a little more time on my hands, this week, so thought I’d go for it and read Volumes 4 & 5, one after the other, and see if things made a little more sense. And… It did ;o)

Vol 4. (Page Count: 328 Pages)

So where are the real superheroes? The warriors for truth and justice, the defenders of the American way, the heroes who fight to make things right and ask for nothing in return? Hughie finds out when he meets the teenage adventurers known as SUPERDUPER... but unknown to the little Scotsman, Butcher has finally learned his secret. A dire scheme is set in motion, and at the vast superhero evangelist festival of BELIEVE, Hughie's relationship with Annie January - aka Starlight of the Seven - reaches its terrible conclusion.

A special story featuring everyone's favorite pint-sized Scotsman, Hughie.
Mind reeling from cataclysmic events in New York, Wee Hughie heads home to Auchterladle - the semi-idyllic Scottish seaside town where he grew up. All Hughie wants is some time to himself, to return to the bosom of family and friends, and get his head together after two years of unimaginable chaos. But our hero's luck has always been more cloud than silver lining, and the familiar surroundings he craves are not all they might be. Old pals have changed, strangers in town are up to no good, and a figure from Hughie's recent past has come back to resolve some unfinished business. You can go home again - but whether or not you should is another matter entirely.

Vol 5. (Page Count: 420 Pages)

All the pieces are falling into place, for the Boys as well as their most mortal enemies. The long-dreaded superhuman conflict is on its way. But first there are secrets still to be uncovered: like the story of the team's first encounter with supergroup The Seven, and the shockwaves from that disastrous meeting that still reverberate today. Hughie, meanwhile, discovers his comrades' hidden history, as their original leader Colonel Greg Mallory takes him through sixty years of the filthiest black operations imaginable. And finally, with good and bad guys teetering on the brink, a shadowy force sets events in motion that will push even Butcher over the edge.

He could have been a very different man. Billy Butcher, leader of The Boys, once had a chance at another life entirely - when the love of a good woman pulled him aside from his dreadful path of violence and despair. This is the story of Billy and Becky, told by the man himself: from the backstreets of London's East End to the carnage of the Falklands War, from the heights of love to the depths of tragedy. And when he's done, he'll be ready ... to finish things once and for all.

There was never any doubt of my finishing the series (just the one more book to go…) as it is such a glorious rebuttal to the world of superheroes (certain superheroes in particular, we all know who they are). It makes for a refreshing change of direction (and pace) though to see plot-lines, that up to now have only been hinted at, to suddenly come into very sharp focus. That dose of context, at just the right moment, changes everything. For me, Vol.5 in particular was crammed full of ‘Oh, that’s what was going on…’ moments. Everything makes sense now, especially when you see how Butcher’s whole life has shaped him into what he is, a weapon with no other purpose other than to kill all ‘supes’. There are some very powerful moments here and Ennis doesn’t shy away from a single one. I’ll be honest, after seeing what Homelander had done to Becky (and what Butcher has to deal with in the aftermath), all I could do was sit there quietly and just process it.

It’s a similar deal with Vol.4 as we deal with the fallout of Hughie and Starlight’s relationship being discovered and how this throws various plans into disarray without them even realising. I didn’t expect the whole omnibus edition to be taken up with this story but honestly, there was no other way to tell it. There is so much to unpack here, from both Hughie and Starlight, and again, Ennis is really respectful of what’s happening here, taking his time to make sure everyone has their say.

Things are hurtling inexorably to a finale now but Ennis still manages to find time for a little more ‘super hero commentary’, In a world where almost every superhero is looking to increase their market value (and use their powers to indulge themselves), it’s briefly heartening to realise that there are still some heroes out there who just want to do the right thing. At least until you realise that they’re all on the same team and that team is ‘Superduper’; the least effective team ever and at the same time, the one ripest for exploitation.As the guy picked last for team games at school, I felt for these ‘heroes’… And then Bobby Badoing would screw up rescuing a cat and I’d laugh/realise that I was just as bad as the ‘in universe characters’ laughing at the team. If ‘The Boys’ likes to poke fun at superhero comics, what Marvel/DC team does ‘Superduper’ correspond to? I’ll have to find out.

Anyway, reading this two omnibus editions, back to back, will take a chunk right out of your day but is the only way to do it, at least for me. Things make a lot more sense now and I’m ready to go with the final volume...