Amph The Boys and Gen V

Just out today on Amazon, and I’m only two episodes in. But so far I love it. A very dark, subversive take on the DC superheroes and the modern world.

Check it out, @heels1785

 

The trailer looked really cool. First time I saw it, I thought the Wonder Woman-esque character was being played by Kristin Wiig. That actress kind of looks like her.

 

I don't think I'll be watching as the comic itself was more than enough of the concept for me, but I do hope they stick the landing and adapt the ending faithfully. It might be my favorite of all of Garth Ennis' finales.

 

It's not as mercury-poisoned crazy as Rainbow Academy or as relentlessly humorless as Watchmen, no highly stylized look or tone that makes it stand out, but...come to think of it, the plot reminds me of the original Robocop but with Elizabeth Shue as Ronny Cox.

 

I think I had two or three TPB's of the comic, but I gave them away, so it wouldn't make sense to start watching this.

 

I started watching it but ... then I just felt like I'd seen so many things like this lately : violent , cynical take on superheroes , and - I just feel weary of it .

 

Without being particularly innovative, it's still engaging and effective storytelling, better than anything Marvel I've seen in several years. Maybe I'd rank it slightly behind the first season of Jessica Jones as a superhero series that generates plenty of curiosity for telling more of the story in season 2.

Karl Urban is legendary. I hope he had a great time doing this, because his character is so much fun. I like how Butcher's story gets revealed and then unraveled. I respect how hard the writers worked to make so many of the characters completely unlikable.

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Stillwell and Vogelbaum not getting their story straight seemed unconvincing to me. Vogelbaum tells such an elaborate tale that he would have to have had it prepared in advance in the event Homelander confronted him about it. And he would have worked it out with Stillwell. It was too much of a leap for me to believe Stillwell would have made that mistake. I wish they'd found a better way to handle this, but otherwise the Butcher/Homelander/Stillwell/Stillwell's baby scene is really excellent.

 

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Yes, it was odd their stories didn't match, considering the meticulousness up until then. I'm going to put the blame on Vogelbaum, though. I'll say he elaborated too much, and didn't stick to the company line.

My leap was Starlight getting shot twice, but then being fine the next day. Maybe they covered super-healing with her and I missed or forgot, but I did raise an eyebrow when she showed up perfectly fine (and forgiving of Hughie) so soon afterward.

Speaking of stories getting revealed and unraveled (which happened alot), what about The Deep™? The writers had him go from being an instantly horrible, predatory bastard, to trying to make us feel sorry for him as the fish guy, to being the comic relief with the dolphin, to again being someone to feel sorry for. It's a character arc I don't recall seeing before.

A couple of other hightlights;

Black Noir was so good, there are no words.

I appreciated Homelander always moving his cape out the way when he sat down. I don't wear capes regularly, but this seemed a simple and necessary action I've not seen before. (as an aside, I've watched Banshee in which Antony Starr (Homelander) stars. In that he was an antihero. It was great to see him as a genuine hero...who's an utter, utter bastard)

That last scene was amazing.

You should. It's essentially an 8 hour movie.

 

Oh and Randy Quaid’s nephew is excellent in this.

 

Only 9 posts? Billy Butcher would be wondering what the **** you ****s weren't ****ing doing.

The series changed massively over time and the TV version is using far more of the later material.

And the way it is going, it's heading for original content in later series.

 

Watched the first episode the other night, loved it. I've heard of the comic book but never read it. I'll continue the series tonight.

 

and Haley Joel Osment as Mesmer. That was a surprise. I didn't recognize him until right before Butcher

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crushed his skull

.

 

Halfway through the first episode. This is damned good.

 

I just laughed out loud..

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At a dolphin going through the windshield and getting run over by a truck

And oh boy, Homelander went GWB with a terrorist attack.

 

So, I had to. A-Train ran a quarter mile in a 3 quarters of a second( A typical track in that far) which would mean he can run 4500 mph, accelerating to it nigh instantly.

 

I binged this last weekend. Definitely one of the most graphic comic to tv adaptations since Watchmen. However, I did apppreciate that everything shown served a purpose and that they did not linger on any one thing too long.

Karl Urban was amazing. He did a fantatic job and I really can’t wait to see where the next season goes.

Loved that the head of Vought was

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Everyone’s favorite Fried Chicken owner Gus!

For anyone who finished did you think

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Madeline’s kid was going to be revealed to be Homelander’s?

Also, is that baby dead from the explosion?

 

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Based on his jealousy, I think Homelander would have let the baby die.

But Billy is also to blame as he didn’t care about killing the baby.

 

I got 2 episodes to go. Not...clicking....spoilers....

 

I don’t think these are spoilers...

In the comic, Hughie looks like Simon Pegg, as the writer drew inspiration from Oegg’s character in Spaced, so it’s nice he gets to play the dad.

Karl Urban’s accent drifts quite a lot during the show between his normal accent and his English accent (he is no @solojones ). I do wonder if they were aware of this while making it as there are two or three jokes about his accent. As I haven’t read the comics, I don’t know if the jokes were pre-existing.

 

Possibility: Erin Moriarty will play Susan Storm in the MCU.

 

felt a bit like this after the first episode. the whole anti super hero thing felt like a sledgehammer. the dude dropping his pants when the new recruit arrived case in point. is there any subtlety to the series at all? i'll give it a few more episodes.

 

I actually gave it another go and have now watched about 4 eps , it does improve as we get to know the characters . The guy playing Homelander is really brilliant , he's terrifying just with a curl of his lip.

 

As it goes on, it does get a bit more nuanced in terms of the supes. We learn more about each one and find something sympathic in most. However, while some make more of a turn around then others, some are still completely irredeemable while others remain a mystery. It’s pretty much showing that regardless of their abilities, they are still human and not the gods they and others think they are.

 

So, the cape thing. I think Reeves does it in the Superman movie.

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Well how dark can 2 people get when they let the kid die in the explosion which is what i assume happened.

I can see an arc where A-train gets redemption of some sort, but he is a few steps away. He knows what he did, but still does not care despite it being an accident and blames someone else, but he will obviously live and it feels like he is hitting a down slope to then rise.

I don't see how the Deep gets redemption. You can't have a scene where "Hey look, Starlight. I saw the light(pun) and I'm gonna be good from now on, sorry about that give me oral or you're fired thing I did" and we're all just supposed to go with it. Apparently the writer of the comic intended for her to be pure victim but found her arc compelling and she winds up as you see her early in the series taking a stand.

Antony Starr is the actor playing Homelander and he is amazing at this. I wonder if Starlight can hurt him as he was quite particular about her lowering her hands in the meeting room. Now that his handler is dead I don't expect him to just take orders from anyone. Can he just take over the world?

Not sure Homelander raped Becca. This could utterly crack Butcher and I expect him to spiral down further.