Review: The Boys #68

In a world where costumed heroes soar through the sky and masked vigilantes prowl the night, someone’s got to make sure the “supes” don’t get out of line. And someone will.

With only four more issues left things are certainly racing along fast to its natural conclusion. Everything that was started with issue one is being revealed and the surprises keep coming as we learn about each layer of lies that the Butcher has told.


Wee Hughie has figured out what the Butcher’s doing and why now it’s up to him to gather the team around him and convince them what the right thing to do is now. One of the better dialogues I’ve seen in quite some time is Hughie’s tale about what has been going as he relates to Frenchie and the Female. Without having to resort to vulgarity he tells it with panache instead. This issue just goes to show what Ennis can do with the written word.

I wish more of his stuff were this good without being overly vulgar I mean strong language and sex aren’t shocking or new anymore. What is, is well being tasteful and doing your work with class and style. You can that while also telling stellar stories that will shock the hell out your readers. He’s done that to me lately with this series, shocked me that is. This issue is intelligent, thought provoking and glued to your seat by its revelations.

Wee Hughie manages to convince them all including the Female, who spoke!, that they have to stop the Butcher. So now they have to make a plan and put it in motion themselves. Can they do it before Butcher finds out and stops them or before he actually puts his own in action?

Answer already given this issue and it’s a resounding no. While Mother’s Milk is in the office looking for files Butcher shows up and admits he’s going through with his plan. He also makes it clear that Mother’s Milk is his best mate and he doesn’t deserve to have any of those so the two fight.

Does he survive; will any of them survive their encounters with Butcher? Can Hughie stop Butcher or is this all for naught? We’ve got four more issues after this to find out and this series is going to finish with as much hooplah as it started with.

The excitement is here folks. There is no denying that something special happened when the first issue hit the stands and it’s been a mainstay for the past five years now, revolutionizing comics. With it’s ending we have a bittersweet moment as this is just as good now as it was when it first started but it’s time Ennis took the book to its conclusion and not tried to keep it going just because he can.