3 Ways The Boys Outshines All Other Comic Book Movies or Shows (Sorry, Marvel and DC Fans)

Comic book movies and series are constantly evolving. Marvel Studios is working on its mistakes, James Gunn is learning from his former colleagues in developing the new DC universe, and the number of superhero series is decreasing in favor of quality over quantity. Will it work? Only time will tell.

But with The Boys, Amazon Prime is moving the genre forward and presenting something we have not seen before in superhero adaptations.

1. Consequences of Superheroes' Actions

Amazon Prime's superhero shows put a lot of emphasis on how the world experiences the aftermath of each hero's battle. In The Boys, Hughie joins Butcher and tries to stay away from the "dark side" of their activities. But when he gets angry, Hughie gets his hands dirty in the blood of the supes and eventually crosses the line.

Hughie later wonders more than once if all this bloodshed was worth it when, after several years of fighting, they still haven't managed to radically change the situation and the supes are still in power thanks to Vought.

Here we can recall, for example, Iron Man accidentally creating Ultron. MCU does not allow us to fully assess the consequences for superheroes — Tony Stark did not even stand trial despite creating a dangerous AI.

2. Permissiveness of Superpower Holders

The main gimmick of the world of The Boys is the abuse of superpowers. Every superpower holder here is a superstar who revels in fame. It is to their advantage to look good in public and to hide their shortcomings with the help of Vought's PR department.

But it is one thing to be a bad person with a positive public image, and quite another to break the law and kill people who get in your way. Using the example of Homelander and other morally corrupt superheroes, the writers of The Boys show something rarely seen in Marvel and DC comics.

It's hard to surprise the viewers with evil Superman in the 2020s (we've seen Omni-Man in Invincible, Superman in Injustice, and Homelander in The Boys), but the recent spin-off Gen V features the superhero Godolkin University, where the writers explore how abilities change a supe's perception of the ordinary people around them, how they blur the concept of humanity.

If the world's best superheroes are like Homelander, then Godolkin is where the foundation for future sociopaths is laid. And only in the hands of select students is it possible to influence that.

3. Physiological Aspect of Superpowers

Gen V makes the physiological nature of superpowers one of its central topics. Marie Moreau, for example, accidentally killed her parents as a child because she could not control her powers. Even as an adult, she does not fully understand the limits of her abilities and is still afraid of harming others.

And there are many similar examples in The Boys universe. People who acquire superpowers in childhood are not always able to understand exactly how their gift works. A sense of responsibility and shame mix with a teenage worldview to create a blend of insecurity, isolation, and impulsiveness. Trying to prove to everyone around them, and especially to themselves, that they are worth something, these children become evil.

And then Vought comes along with an army of specialists ready to turn any teenager who has crossed the line into a superhero. And the fact that deep down they still have complexes and are not confident in their powers is not so important.

Marvel fans will object that Iron Man suffered from palladium poisoning, Spider-Man wore special glasses that limited his field of vision, and Hulk was seriously injured when he used the Infinity Gauntlet in Endgame.

While such episodes did occur, the focus of these heroes' stories shifted to other aspects, while the physiological nature of their superpowers was and remains secondary.