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The Boys: where to start reading
Adapts The Boys by Garth Ennis & Darick Robertson. Say how far you watched, and pick the book up exactly there.
SuperheroCrimeThrillerDrama
5 seasons
on screen
4 books
to read
Diverges
from the books
After Season 1, in the books you are
at Vol 1: The Name of the Game.
the opening volume introduces the same premise and cast, but the show already goes its own way.
Show and books diverge here
Season one sets up the same world and characters as the first volumes, but reworks how the team comes together and invents much of the plot.
Start reading at Volume 1
Spoiler-safe, only what the show already showed you.
Get the book
Season 1 draws on this book. Read the full story:
Vol 1: The Name of the Game
Garth Ennis & Darick Robertson · Volume 1 of 4
or borrow it: your library
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What the show changed here
- ChangedHughie is American here; the comic's 'Wee Hughie' is Scottish and drawn to look like Simon Pegg (who plays his dad on the show as a nod).
- ChangedOnly Kimiko is permanently superpowered on screen; in the comic every member of the Boys takes Compound V and has powers.
- ChangedThe Boys have an on-again, off-again CIA arrangement; the comic squad operates with steady official backing.
- ChangedStarlight and Hughie soon know each other's real allegiances; in the comic they date without either learning who the other works for.
Sources disagree slightly on this one, so we used the earlier chapter. You may re-read a little rather than risk reading past yourself.
Where this comes from: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · screenrant.com · escapistmagazine.com. Spotted a mistake? The report link at the foot of this page comes straight to us.
How far did you watch?
Tap the season you reached.
the showthe books
The show keeps the comic's premise and core cast but invents most of its plots. Early seasons draw loosely on the opening arcs (The Name of the Game, Get Some, the Herogasm concept), yet character fates, the team's powers and whole storylines are reworked, so the comic is best read as its own separate story rather than a season-by-season companion.
Ratings
How is The Boys so far?
Rate it from where you are. No account, and nothing here says a word about what happens next.
★★★★★
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