I really wish I could remember the name of the Wonder Woman analog because Ennis does some great stuff with her this issue. He also does something interesting with the Homelander–setting him up to attempt being a superhero. But those developments are on the Seven side of things….

On the Boys side of things, Butcher goes against the rest of the lame heroes, rather viciously. These guys aren’t particularly reprehensible so at times it seems excessive, until one remembers what they’ve done (Ennis never directly references it, just makes the scenes long enough the reader does it on his or her own).

Hughie and Mother’s Milk regroup and plan out their next steps too. The next issue needs to be a doozy.

John McCrea and Keith Burns take over on art, which gave me slight pause. But they go ahead and keep up the violent intensity without any humor.

CREDITS

The Self-Preservation Society, Part Three; writer, Garth Ennis; pencillers, John McCrea and Keith Burns; inkers, Burns and McCrea; colorist, Tony Aviña; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

Ennis sure doesn’t resolve a lot this issue. In fact, he might not resolve anything. I thought for a minute that hooker from last issue was going to be important, but no. He doesn’t resolve Hughie’s story, he doesn’t resolve the company man’s story….

About all he does resolve is the Wonder Woman stand-in and Annie are de facto friends. He even forgot Annie was calling Hughie at the beginning of Herogasm. Ennis drops plot threads all over the place.

There’s some art problems this issue. It ends on a huge action sequence, which has zip to do with the majority of the series, and McCrea and Burns aren’t up to it. The art’s too cynical and snide. It’s not even comic.

In the end, Herogasm is a hodgepodge of indecision. Ennis never figured out how to tell the story, which is unfortunate. He had multiple ones to tell.

CREDITS

Six: Golgotha; writer, Garth Ennis; artists, John McCrea and Keith Burns; colorist, Tony Avina; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

This issue’s very confusing. First, Ennis wasn’t clear enough before about Hughie’s interaction with Black Noir. I think that name’s right. But it was a lot more traumatic than I thought.

Second, McCrea and Burns don’t draw Hughie well. Forget Simon Pegg, he looks exactly like the Frenchman here. Made he and Butcher’s scene awkward.

Third–and foremost, I suppose–there’s something up with the colorist. Or I missed the joke. The Homelander–he’s the Superman stand-in–is trying to pull one over on the company man and gets him a hooker to distract him. Except the hooker’s clothes and hair keep reversing in color. It seems like it’s part of the story, but it’s apparently not.

Otherwise, it’s a decent enough issue. Ennis self-indulgently spends too much time on the debauchery, but good character moments for Annie and the Wonder Woman stand-in make up for it.

CREDITS

Five: Hollywood; writer, Garth Ennis; artists, John McCrea and Keith Burns; colorist, Tony Avina; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

It’s entirely unclear why this issue should be part of Herogasm and not part of The Boys proper. Ennis finally explains a little more about “Vic the Veep,” who’s sort of like the retarded messiah from Preacher, but the vice president. He also explains what happened with the U.S. government on The Boys’s 9/11–I’m not sure that story is entirely necessary, but Ennis and company do a good job.

Speaking of the company… there’s a little of the superhero debauchery this issue, but not much. Without changing styles, McCrea and Burns switch gears and tell a really effective “real world” superhero story. Their visualization of Vic is terrifying.

The issue’s all exposition–the Boys appear but have nothing to do but ask questions–but it’s well done exposition. Ennis knows how to do this kind of issue and he does it.

The art’s the real star here.

CREDITS

Four: Sparta; writer, Garth Ennis; artists, John McCrea and Keith Burns; colorist, Tony Avina; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

This issue feels more like the regular Boys, even with McCrea and Burns on the art.

Ennis opens the issue with the Boys on their mission–of course, he saves a reveal for the last page. Regardless of the actual reveal, Ennis shows a different hand. He’s intentionally keeping stuff from the reader to pique interest. It’s a common device–and one he might have already used in The Boys–but it feels forced here. Like the misdirection was filler.

Besides the mission, the debauched superheroes get their scenes. There’s a whole new mystery to the JLA stand-ins, which is fine. Ennis comes up with great solutions, even if the intrigue leading up to them is somewhat labored.

The company man gets his scene, of course. This series practically belongs to him. Herogasm might have been smoother if Ennis had made him the protagonist.

It’s okay. Underwhelming, but okay.

CREDITS

Three: Vegas; writer, Garth Ennis; artists, John McCrea and Keith Burns; colorist, Tony Avina; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

It took until the Boys show up I forgot they hadn’t made an appearance yet in this issue of Herogasm. Ennis has a lot going on–the moronic vice president arriving, the company man explaining the situation to some of the heroes… the Superman stand-in killing everyone on a plane.

You know, little stuff.

Maybe it’s the art, but it’s hard to take Herogasm seriously. Ennis occasionally gets very serious on The Boys, but in this series he’s able to refer to serious events in that series and still keep them lighthearted. He goes for a laugh every time–often cheap laughs–and gets them.

He’s also able to move between repugnant characters, listen in on their bantering, and still make the scenes enjoyable. Again, it’s because of the art. McCrea and Burns make it all so comical. Except the airplane scene.

The issue’s not deep, but it works.

CREDITS

Two: Amsterdam; writer, Garth Ennis; artists, John McCrea and Keith Burns; colorist, Tony Avina; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

Herogasm definitely gives Ennis the chance to unwind. Even when the art gets a little lazy–the art’s from John McCrea and Keith Burns–you can tell they’re still having fun. There’s still an edge to the writing, but Ennis is back in his “making fun of superheroes” mode.

One just wishes DC had kept the series long enough for the man love scene between Captain America and Superman.

While the Boys do show up at the end of the issue–and apparently will have their own plot line for it–Ennis uses a more distant narrative approach. He shows a little of familiar characters (the Wonder Woman stand-in is actually one of Ennis’s best in the series, even if he doesn’t use her enough) and lets the reader enjoy.

Most of what happens is–so far–just comic debauchery, which doesn’t give me a lot to talk about.

CREDITS

One: Babylon; writer, Garth Ennis; artists, John McCrea and Keith Burns; colorist, Tony Avina; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.