Summary
Garth Ennis, co-creator ofThe Boys, has words for fans who have completely missed the point of his iconic series. The superhero deconstruction series and its satirical tone have been the subject of much debate online.Now Garth Ennis isstepping in to address his thoughts on those who can’t wrap their head around the series' commentary.
In an interview with Comic Book Herald,The Boys’writer Garth Ennisis asked about right-wing fans and their reaction to the series' satire. Ennis notes that this a world where “both ends of the political spectrum can claim they are the Jedi and the other guys are the Sith” and that “we’re through the looking glass”.
Ennis also points out that the contrast from certain fans comes fromthe fact that “people are choosing what to believe” in regards toThe Boysand that the only surprise is that these fans confronted the series' satire at all.
Garth Ennis Knows Certain Fans Are Missing the Point ofThe Boys
The Boysis an ultra-violent superhero series that is positively dripping with satire. It skewers everything from the military-industrial complex to weaponized patriotism and even the comic book industry.The Boyswas largely a response to a post-9/11 world and its over-the-top and brutal nature lampooned the reality of what was going on in the mid-to-late aughts.The Boys’satire got a second life when the comic was adapted to a live-action television show on Amazon Prime and began parodying elements of the Trump Administration, a development that’sled to intense discourse among right-wing fans ofThe Boys.
It’s not uncommon for satire to pass over the heads of those who mistake the criticism within a text for support. One could argue thatThe Boysisn’t exactly subtle in what it critiques. But for one reason or another, there are people who become genuinely flummoxed at the idea that the book is critical of authoritarian figures like Homelander and not endorsing their actions. Ennis points out that this feeds into a larger problem where readers can interpret text differently to fit whatever worldview they have. But he makes it clearthatThe Boysis indeed criticizing right-wing ideologies.
The BoysWriter Sets the Record Straight Regarding its Satire
The Boysdoesn’t hold back and criticizes a lot of different things, so it’s not shocking that some fans may focus on the satire they like and not so much on the parts they don’t. But just because one ignores parts of the text doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.The Boyshas a lot to say about hyper-capitalism, fascism, and the dangers of demagogues. Readers are allowed to draw whatever conclusion they want from a text, but Garth Ennis makes it blatantly clear thatThe Boysis critical of extreme right-wing views, not an endorsement of them.
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.
