As ‘The Boys’ draws to a close, some fans have begun to question whether the franchise should eventually attempt to do things more “comic-accurately“.
In theory, it’s a cool idea. In practice, however, it would seem like a giant step backward.
Prime Video’s ‘The Boys’ Improved Nearly Every Major Character From The Comics
Despite the polarizing ending of the series, there’s no denying that Amazon’s ‘The Boys’ has grown beyond its original comic source material. The series didn’t simply borrow the source material; it changed it, enhanced it, and in some cases, bettered it.
Related: The Real Reason The Deep Turns On Black Noir In ‘The Boys’ Season 5
The one thing that was missing from the original ‘The Boys’ comics was that many characters were more of a shock value than well-rounded characters. The television series changed that. Take Kimiko, for example. She didn’t even have a name outside of the comics besides “The Female.”
The show made her one of the most moving and heartbreaking characters in the franchise with a touching story and important relationships. It’s the same with A-Train. He’s one of the best aspects of the later seasons of the show. However, there was no redemption arc in the comics.
Even The Deep, who is terrible, insecure, and desperate, is still interesting to watch. And then there’s Homelander. One of the most shocking moments in the comic comes when Homelander is revealed to have been framed for some of his worst acts by a clone of Black Noir.
That’s shocking, but it also diminishes the emotional punch of Homelander as the heart of the story’s monster. The show had a good idea to abandon that, and Homelander stayed horrid without ever exploring the trauma and loneliness that shaped him. That balance is a big part of the success of the TV version.
A Comic-Accurate Ending Would Probably Feel Underwhelming Now
At this point, Prime Video’s ‘The Boys’ has become the definitive version of the story for most audiences. That’s a huge issue for any future adaptation that’s going to be comic faithful.
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The cynical and chaotic conclusion to the comics would probably not be as satisfying to those who have been entertained by the more complex character development and darker themes that have been present for years.
The idea of Billy Butcher turning completely against his team or the Black Noir clone just wouldn’t have the punch it had before all the show’s enhancements. Perhaps the most telling evidence of ‘The Boys’ being a successful adaptation is that not many people now really want the original version.
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