There sure is a lot of talking this issue. There’s Hughie and Annie talking–they talk a whole lot, all about their relationship’s current status, Hughie working for the Boys, Annie being one of the Seven. Wait, it actually sounds like a bunch of conversations Ennis has been writing for twenty issues or so.

Then he’s got Butcher recapping the previous issue.

There’s a long conversation between Hughie and Mother’s Milk–this issue is the first one where Hughie sees the Boys after his trip away (he really didn’t rush to get his hamster back). The long conversation sort of moves things forward, sort of recaps a lot of other things Ennis has gone through already.

I feel like I’m missing something, but I’m really not. The Seven’s evil plot doesn’t even get play; it’s just a talking heads issue with old conversations.

There’s also a cloyingly sensational soft cliffhanger.

CREDITS

The Big Ride, Part Two; writer, Garth Ennis; artist, Russ Braun; colorist, Tony Aviña; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

Ennis brings Hughie and Butcher back together in a criminal investigation. It’s very similar to one of the early Boys arcs. It’s straight investigation with a lot of lurid elements. The only big difference is there’s a little with the evil corporate guys and then something with the Seven. It might be the first time Ennis has actually had the Seven on the same page as the Boys when it comes to investigating something.

It’s a decent enough issue, though Ennis draws a lot of attention to the foreshadowing stuff. Does Butcher know Hughie has met Mallory, will be find him out? Are the Seven on to Maeve? It’s mildly annoying but not particularly distracting stuff. Ennis writes a lot of good dialogue–Hughie and Butcher talk a lot.

Braun’s art is fantastic here too. There’s not a lot for him to draw, but he nails everything Ennis gives him.

CREDITS

The Big Ride, Part One; writer, Garth Ennis; artist, Russ Braun; colorist, Tony Aviña; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

First, a technical issue. The company woman who’s decided to get rid of the Boys and the Seven has a computer simulation running with both team’s head shots then an “accuracy” calculation. Except Braun goes for realism, showing the Mac taskbar… and the Photoshop app running.

Pretty sure Photoshop doesn’t run military simulations, not even in the world of The Boys. An editor should have caught it, but it’s unclear if this series’s editor does any work at all.

The issue opens with a lot of exposition in dialogue–useless political stuff–before finally getting to Butcher blackmailing Monkey. It’s a fine sequence, funny, lots of little surprises; no reason Ennis should’ve played Butcher scared a couple issues ago. This resolution was always available.

Then Butcher hangs out with his CIA boss lady for a scene. More good stuff.

Ennis isn’t back on track, he’s just had a good issue.

CREDITS

Proper Preparation and Planning, Conclusion; writer, Garth Ennis; artist, Russ Braun; colorist, Tony Aviña; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

Having Mallory just be some guy doesn’t pay off. Sure, it’s realistic enough, but why hide his face for forty issues. No reason he couldn’t show up. It’s not like he’s Butcher’s dad or Hughie’s or a clone of Frenchie. He’s just some old white guy.

Ennis hiding him suggests he was trying to get up the interest in the reveal and the backstory. Since the pay-off is non-existent, the whole thing was just Ennis messing with the reader. His handling of it makes me somewhat suspicious overall now. All the promised pay-offs all of a sudden seem less likely.

The flashback continues without many surprises. There’s a cute Thing reference. None of the scenes are earth shattering, none seem to have much effect on the present, it’s just Ennis filling in with long scenes when short would have worked just as well.

It’s kind of boring.

CREDITS

Proper Preparation and Planning, Part Three; writer, Garth Ennis; artist, Russ Braun; colorist, Tony Aviña; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

So it’s all setup for Ennis flashing back to the big first fight between The Seven and The Boys? With Butcher recounting the event to his dog, I’m not sure the Homelander is the only nutty one in the comic.

The transition doesn’t go well at all–because Butcher doesn’t usually talk to Terror for this purpose–and it’s actually not a particularly good encounter. Ennis has everyone talking way too much. He’s being very coy, very opaque and I keep losing interest in the exposition. Whether it’s the Homelander, Mother’s Milk or Butcher, there’s just too much talking. The book, even at its best, isn’t worth all this effort.

I assume Ennis put in the cliffhanger to make it more action-packed–I forgot all about the Homelander blathering–but it doesn’t help. All these explanations don’t make for a good comic. Not even Ennis can sell superfluous exposition.

CREDITS

Proper Preparation and Planning, Part Two; writer, Garth Ennis; artist, Russ Braun; colorist, Tony Aviña; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

Why get Russ Braun to draw and then do all that color shading when he’s capable of doing it himself? Does Dynamite actually tell their artists to go light on detail?

Ennis isn’t just doing a bridging issue, he’s apparently doing a bridging arc. The Seven are gearing up for whatever the Homelander has planned, the Boys are getting ready to fight, there’s a bunch of regarding both things.

The company guys at Vought have a bunch of scenes about the insanity of the Seven, without calling it insanity. The Boys do too–calling it insanity–but there’s really nothing here. Lots of talking, not enough movement forward. The biggest change in the issue is the CIA doofus becoming Butcher’s boss.

It’s not exactly like Ennis is treading water, he’s moving stuff forward… he’s just doing it oddly. He’s got a bunch of B plots without an apparent A one.

CREDITS

Proper Preparation and Planning, Part One; writer, Garth Ennis; artist, Russ Braun; colorist, Tony Aviña; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

Ennis inexplicably employs a third person narrator for the end of the issue, after Hughie breaks up with Annie. I’m nearly positive he’s never used it before in the series. It’s jarring, reminding the reader it’s just a comic.

He also skips over giving the reader a look into Hughie’s thought process, as he acts so out of character. Traumatic event aside, he’s still acting out of character. And Annie’s somewhat sympathetic… but not exactly well-written.

As for Butcher, who’s the only character with a lot of dialogue besides them–and Maeve, who comes off well in her drunken ramblings–he comes off as malicious. It’s strange stuff.

At the same time, Ennis is building Homelander’s big evil subplot. He’s clearly setting up Annie and Hughie’s breakup to play into it, which is too bad. He doesn’t let anything in The Boys grow organically.

But it works more often than not.

CREDITS

Believe, Conclusion; writer, Garth Ennis; artist, Russ Braun; colorist, Tony Aviña; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

Butcher gets around to setting Hughie up for the whole truth about Annie, which implies he’s also messing with Mother’s Milk’s flask, but there’s also a big reveal about Maeve.

It all of a sudden makes sense why Ennis has always been so careful with her character–he’s got major plans for her. Or at least minor interesting ones.

It’s another of those Butcher and Hughie talking issues, just like the old days. At one point Hughie even mentions they haven’t had a long talk for a while.

There’s just not a lot of content to it. There’s a funny moment for the Female, but otherwise it’s just exposition. Mallory–the mystery Boys member who’s never been seen on panel–shows up for a second in the flashback, so does the Legend, but it’s all just fill in. Ennis probably could have done it in dialogue.

It’s fine, just underwhelming.

CREDITS

Believe, Part Three; writer, Garth Ennis; artist, Russ Braun; colorist, Tony Aviña; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

Actually, it wasn’t a soft cliffhanger last issue; Ennis takes the reader through Annie telling Hughie about her superhero life and Ennis and Braun show Hughie’s thought process in glorious detail.

There’s a little humor with Frenchie and the Female as they infiltrate the superhero religion convention. Not a lot, but enough–with visual gags–to get through all the boring plotting Homelander does the rest of the issue. He’s got some master plan, which Ennis is way too obscure about in the dialogue; I’ve got no idea what to expect.

Otherwise the issue is mostly just Hughie freaking out and Butcher finally having a little talk with him. Not even one where he says anything, because Ennis is keeping the deep conversation for later (if ever).

It’s okay enough, but after racing into this issue’s situations, Ennis is slowing down. He’s laying out new subplots while delaying others’ resolutions.

CREDITS

Believe, Part Two; writer, Garth Ennis; artist, Russ Braun; colorist, Tony Aviña; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

I was going to comment on how different Robertson’s art looks, but it’s Russ Braun, not Robertson.

Braun does a good job too, except Tony Avina’s colors do way too much, putting in cheekbones and the like.

Ennis finally has a go at religion this time–corporate “700 Club” type religion, with some Scientology digs thrown in, all tied into the superhero thing. It’s a funny opening sequence, then it turns into a plot point for Annie.

Meanwhile, there’s tension between Mother’s Milk and Butcher, Hughie in the dark about some things, Annie deciding he shouldn’t be in the dark… Not to mention the Homelander apparently on the way to a meltdown.

It’s a fast read, but a full issue. Instead of putting things off, Ennis finally seems ready to move ahead with his long gestating plots. Maybe having Braun on the book got him moving.

Great soft cliffhanger too.

CREDITS

Believe, Part One; writer, Garth Ennis; artist, Russ Braun; colorist, Tony Aviña; letterer, Simon Bowland; editor, Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.