Series Review: “The Boys”

Fantastic deconstruction of the superhero genre

Not since the Rick and Morty ‘Vindicators’ episode have I seen as good a deconstruction of the superhero genre.

Deconstruction means to show something from a new and often shocking angle, usually in a negative light. We think superheroes are all about morals and heroism. But what if they are all about the clout? In the attention economy, who would attract more attention than a superhero? What if superheroes were products created by a company, the same way artists are created and managed by record labels? The so-called heroes end up as heartless and depraved as celebrities. Homelander is particularly psychopathic; he is a politician more than he is a celebrity.

The Boys is not really about superheroes. It’s about capitalism and America. America is about capitalism and heroism. What this show reveals is that American heroism is a myth, built by corporations, or at least exploited by corporations: in the show, it’s Vought, the company that owns the heroes; in the real world, it’s Hollywood and American media outlets like CNN.

But inside that America, there are real American heroes fighting for what’s right. They are called The Boys. Their mission: bring down Vought and it’s “supes”.

The show is entertaining. It has a noirish feel, like the Nolan Batman movies. And it is shocking I used to think Daredevil is the best superhero TV show. I was wrong. It’s The Boys.