#63, the REAL (crappy) Recap and Review!

[statsman]

Trying not to fall into the trap of ascribing real motivations and logic to fictional characters created for serial fiction by writers that may be losing interest in their original vision, but...

I don't expect the Boys to survive the end game. If all supes are dangerous, loose cannons, and the government knows that and is willing to sanction exterminations, why would the Boys be allowed to survive after all the Vought supes are done with? Hughie has already shown he is heading down the path of megalomaniac abuse of power, and the others are psychos.

[Kamakazi]

Trying not to fall into the trap of ascribing real motivations and logic to fictional characters created for serial fiction by writers that may be losing interest in their original vision, but...

I don't expect the Boys to survive the end game. If all supes are dangerous, loose cannons, and the government knows that and is willing to sanction exterminations, why would the Boys be allowed to survive after all the Vought supes are done with? Hughie has already shown he is heading down the path of megalomaniac abuse of power, and the others are psychos.

Good point. I'm just hoping that Ennis doesn't go the route he went in "The Punisher kills the Marvel Universe", and have Butcher suddenly decide he has to kill himself to completely purge the world of Supes.

Hey, I just thought of something: remember the "unseen figure" that apparently killed Grandpa Mallory? What if it was Vought Guy, starting the clean-up process? I doubt this will turn out to be the case, since the style of speech didn't seem to match Vought Guy, but it would make sense.

[statsman]

Good point. I'm just hoping that Ennis doesn't go the route he went in "The Punisher kills the Marvel Universe", and have Butcher suddenly decide he has to kill himself to completely purge the world of Supes.

Hey, I just thought of something: remember the "unseen figure" that apparently killed Grandpa Mallory? What if it was Vought Guy, starting the clean-up process? I doubt this will turn out to be the case, since the style of speech didn't seem to match Vought Guy, but it would make sense.

I'm glad you mentioned that, because that's probably the key to the series' conclusion. It was somebody with super strength (the pistol was bent). We are expected to think it's Butcher, because Butcher figured out Mallory was talking to MM, and because Mallory had just tried to turn Hughie against Butcher. Yet, why wasn't he shown, then? And was Mallory really killed?

I'm thinking now it's deep cover mole (for the US or for Vought) Black Noir. Because all of the othe choices are less interesting.

[M. Drummond]

I wonder if there wasn't some disconnect between script and art in this issue at points; for example, Maeve's fanboy literally popped out of nowhere. We've seen this happen before...remember the "pick up Clanker' panel from the Innocents story, while Clanker was clearly standing there?

I think a big chunk of the last story will be Hughie learning about all the garbage Butcher has pulled since he joined the team...intentionally leaving the Starlight sex tape for Hughie to see, mass murdering all the supes in Russia, setting up Hughie to potentially get killed by Malchemical, killing Mallory after Hughie leaves San Francisco(I'm convinced Butcher did that), forcing MM's daughter to call MM and stop him being distracted over her, dismissing Black Noir as a twat(I'm also convinced that will bite Butcher in the ass soon, with other Boys or MM's relations getting killed as a result)...and then having a huge fight to punish Butcher for his crap, pretty much the same as the Jesse Custer/Cassidy fight.

This just better NOT end with a single page shot of somebody slumping over saying "God damn me...".

[Dustin]

I'm glad you mentioned that, because that's probably the key to the series' conclusion. It was somebody with super strength (the pistol was bent). We are expected to think it's Butcher, because Butcher figured out Mallory was talking to MM, and because Mallory had just tried to turn Hughie against Butcher. Yet, why wasn't he shown, then? And was Mallory really killed?

I'm thinking now it's deep cover mole (for the US or for Vought) Black Noir. Because all of the othe choices are less interesting.

If it wasn't Butcher, it would take more ass pulling to make it work. It would require Mallory knowing more about Black Noir than Butcher did so that he wouldn't be surprised that Black Noir was speaking to him. It would also require the twist that MM is in contact with BN, or at the very least BN is somehow spying on the boys, given the "I wondered why MM was giving in so easily" line.

I think Butcher was kept off screen and what happened after that left vague was so that it would be left to the reader's imagination, because it was a little too early for Butcher to be fully unveiled as a heel. I think Mr. Drummond was right about the last arc dealing with Butcher and Hughie.

And remember, if one has any doubts about Butcher being possibly evil despite his more affable moments, remember that he gleefully killed an eighty+ year old with his teeth because of what he invented despite not involved with the application of said invention.

[Dustin]

Hey, I just thought of something: remember the "unseen figure" that apparently killed Grandpa Mallory? What if it was Vought Guy, starting the clean-up process? I doubt this will turn out to be the case, since the style of speech didn't seem to match Vought Guy, but it would make sense.

I don't think it would. The killer had super strength, and I will blow a gasket if Stilwell has powers, which I think is the whole point of his character that he doesn't. Mallory was out of the game, and the only thing he could do (tell Hughie everything) he had already done.

[M. Drummond]

I think Ennis made Mallory's killer an "unseen figure" for the same reason Mallory's face was intentionally concealed in those Origins of the Boys flashbacks.

Namely, because Ennis thought it looked cool, or because he just felt like it.

[statsman]

There was a part of this book that just didn't get enough love- the awesome confrontation between Maeve and HL. This is one of the greatest superhero fights ever (really, I'd like to hear what tops it), and yet it was lost amongst all the other mayhem.

To recap, Maeve decides to join Annie (let's call her that, as she's in her civvies) in just checking out on the whole thing. They proceed to the flight deck with their (and this is the ridiculous part, for females) overnight bags (Maeve trailed by one of her fanboys). They are confronted by HL, who found out a couple of issues ago that Maeve planted the bugs the Boys use (and that she has huge implants). This is his turn for payback.

Maeve grabs Annie, and hurls her out of the carrier, an act that truly was heroic. Annie would be out of her league in this fight. But Maeve isn't just about saving bystanders, because in the next (totally awesome) move, she grabs the fanboy and hurls him directly at HL. Let's buy in, and take the Looney Tunes effect at face value. The sycophant is hurled with such speed that he splatters on HL, compressed as if shot out of a cannon. HL is unaffected (conservation of momentum does not apply here, same as any comic book), except for the splatter (the effect is the same as when aircraft canopies are tested for bird strikes). Note- Ennis doesn't do "allegory", but is there any doubt that this hapless fool is a stand-in for us?

Maeve then draws her sword, undismayed, and summoning all the anger of two decades of abuse and degrading behavior that she has been holding inside (there is no Gloria Allred in the Boys universe), charges. She strikes HL head on, breaking the sword. The great part is that, despite her motives being completely selfish, she is trying to kill the hell out of HL! Step back, and appreciate what Ennis gave us- a fight to the death between Superman and Wonder Woman, with neither under the influence of demon possession, or mauve kryptonite, or what not. In eight decades, writers have never been able to get away from the obvious point that these two archetype characters belong together eventually (Steve Trevor and Lois Lane deserve each other more than they do our two Olympians here). Eight decades of idle, stiff chit-chat betweent the two, as is the case when people are trying too hard to not hit on each other. In the Boys universe, not only have they taken the next step, it is ending in a fight to the death!

HL makes a comment that the sword was merely a steel prop. Given that it's steel, it remains a dangerous weapon for almost everybody else. In the next scene, we see Maeve's detached head hurled past Annie, who wisely follows it. We didn't see how it was removed. Was it struck with a fist? A super-noogie gone bad, HL-style? We'll never know.

We never admired Mave as much as we did in her greatest defeat, a goal of every writer that ever killedoff a superhero. Kudos, Ennis.

[MisterS]

Actually Statsman, Maeve threw Boytoy BEFORE she tossed Anne out of the station. Otherwise, you are dead on. It WAS an awesome confrontation!

[superhamster]

I liked that Maeve threw her martini slave before Annie, because when she first grabbed Annie I thought for a moment that Maeve might toss Annie into Homelander, too. It was great that she then tossed Annie away from the fight and out of danger. A selfless move, and a great way for her character to go out.