Book Review: The Boys Omnibus, Volume 5

Garth Ennis, et.al., The Boys Omnibus, Volume 5. Mount Laurel, NJ: Dynamite Entertainment, 2020. ISBN: 9781524113346.

Genre: comics and graphic novels

Subgenre: heroes and antiheroes

Format: trade paperback

Source: Hutchins Library, Berea College 

I continue reading the series. Let's get the main issue out of the way. This part of the run can be a serious drag at times. A bit part of the run is Hughie's meeting with Mallory. Hughie is there to learn about The Boys' history and their predecessor operators. We get some flashback scenes, but a lot of the narrative is literally Mallory and Hughie sitting and talking. It is basically two guys sitting and talking page after page. It can get a bit tiring. 

The volume does have some highlights. For me, the story "Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker" may be the best one. Butcher returns home to bury his father. In a private moment talking to the corpse at the funeral home, he tells him and us his story. It is Butcher's tale of young recklessness, a dysfunctional home, fighting in the Falklands, and the woman he loved and tragically lost. The story is well drawn and illustrated, keeping the just talking to the dead man to a minimum. The story does telegraphy a bit the coming tragedy, but it is still pretty powerful once you get there. From that point, Butcher is seriously motivated to take down the supes by any means necessary. 

Overall, the story continues to be pretty good. At this point, we are starting to head towards the eventual confrontations and then end of the series. This volume moves the plot forward, but it also spends a lot of time looking back. If you've made it this far, you'll probably keep reading. I know I will. 

4 out of 5 stars.