You only have to look at the lasting legacy of Austin Powers and Airplane! to see how impactful and successful parodies can be. Many believe the golden age of TV stretched from the late 1990s to the mid-2010s—there’s no linear A-to-B journey. Some in the film and TV industry believe we’re still in the middle of it, others believe it ended with the conclusion of Game Of Thrones back in 2019, and the less said about that final season, the better.
Dealing With Changing Consumer Appetite
The money that TV shows generated in the 2000s and early 2010s meant that the big streaming services were keen to get their hands on some of the recognition and revenue that came with the golden age of TV. The problem that streaming services, TV, and movie production companies then faced, stemmed from the smaller scope of ideas they had to choose from, especially those looking to base their ideas on successful books or comics.
Companies like Amazon have naturally risen to the top of the streaming power vacuum, alongside Netflix and Disney+, thanks to the sheer scope of their reach and the money they have behind them.
Pivoting away from traditional TV models, which HBO perfected, and moving toward streaming services was a natural next step; we saw it in far-ranging industries, from finance to the casino industry. From traditional models to digital-first gaming platforms, casinos continually produce a new set of games catering to our new mobile-centric world. They have a digital-first approach, which is proving to be the clearest route forward.
This is part of the broader shift to digital services, and while casino games may have had their fingers on the pulse a few years before streaming services did, they’re both now multi-billion-dollar industries.
Major Differences Between The Comic & TV
The Boys was a highly successful comic book in the mid-2000s. It was picked up in 2008, but the project took a few years to get off the ground. Originally thought of as a film idea, Amazon floated the idea of turning it into a TV series in 2016, and three years later, we saw the release of the first series.
However, just like dozens of great books and comics adapted for film and TV, there are some significant differences between the comics and TV show. Other examples include The Shining, which Stephen King hated, and Game Of Thrones, which ended up in a timeline that stretched beyond the original George RR Martin books and ended in significant disappointment.
Although online comics and print are still popular, there is a separate, usually larger, audience for film and TV. And while they can sometimes end in disappointment, many fans believe The Boys is the exception to this rule. Below, we’ll look at the most significant changes the TV show implemented compared to the comic series.
Kimiko
Known as The Female in the comics, Kimiko is her new name in the TV show version, and her backstory has completely changed.
Notable Homelander Changes
Homelander is a more cunning, manipulative antihero in the show than in the comic book. His relationship with Stillwell is another sharp departure from his character in the comics, as the two are shown to have a much more divisive association. Those who read the comics noted they felt like they were two different characters.
Characters Created Solely for the Show
Although The Boys TV show does an excellent job of using the comic as a framework, there are characters in the TV adaptation that do not feature in the comic book at all, including:
- Translucent
- Ezekiel
- Mesmer
Switching Gender Roles
One of the more noticeable changes that the TV show incorporates from the comic book is switching gender roles. For those who have read the comic, Vic the Veep is a hack who helps prop up corruption at the top of the political ladder.
However, his TV equivalent, played by Claudia Domitt, portrays the character as a ruthless, power-hungry female political figure with lofty aspirations.
Butcher’s Wife’s Storyline
Butcher’s wife remains in the TV show until season two, and many fans believe this is the most significant contrast in comparison to the comic. Her early death in the comics creates the main foundation for Butcher’s story, and his thirst for revenge against The Supes.
Final Thoughts
The changes we listed today aren’t the only notable differences between the comic book and the TV show—but they’re the most evident and show a stark contrast between the two. Very few films or TV shows stick to their original story verbatim, especially ones like The Boys, which is now an established TV show with multiple seasons.
However, it does hold a unique distinction as one show that has moved away from the comic book and not lost sight of what the show is about, despite these changes. This puts it into a bracket alongside a very small number of other shows that put their own stamp on a recognisable TV or film version despite differences to the original story.
