Amazon Prime Video’s Series ‘The Boys’ Remixes The Superhero Genre

Superheroes are mighty but even they have weaknesses. In Amazon Prime Video’s new original series The Boys, that comes by way of real inflated egos. In a world where the men and women in tights have more hubris than humility, there’s a huge price to pay as a group of blue-collar vigilantes look to do whatever it takes to cut these superheroes’ super-sized sense of self down a few pegs. 

Based on Garth Ennis’ and Darick Robertson’s eponymous comic book, The Boys explores how different things would be if superheroes embraced the dark side of fame. The series centers around the Seven, a group of superheroes who believe their powers and popularity give them the right to do whatever they want. Sometimes, “whatever” includes not having to answer to anyone for the occasional collateral damage that comes with the job—including accidentally slaughtering innocent citizens. 

That’s where the Boys come in. Comprised of Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso), Frenchie (Tomer Capon), and Female (Karen Fukuhara), these powerless anti-heroes use trickery, brawn, and a willingness to fight dirty to thwart the Seven’s callous ways. The result is an epic, oft bloody, battle royale of a show that puts a much-needed unique spin on the superhero genre. 

The Boys is airing now exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.