Wronged by superheroes who abuse their power, a group of renegades forms to hold them accountable for the collateral damage they caused. They are THE BOYS. And you can stream the series when it debuts on July 26, 2019, on Amazon.

Starlight is Star Bright

Annie January, aka Starlight, is a genuinely good person who wants to save and help others. Imagine her supreme disappointment when it turns out that she’s the only one.

She gets her dream of being a part of The Seven — an elite team of superheroes. But just when she thinks she has the opportunity of a lifetime, she is subjected to workplace harassment and sexual violence at the hands of another “hero.”

Like the other women in THE BOYS, Annie does not let this define her. She suffers from it, yes. She has moments of self-doubt and shame. But at the end of the day, her assault is not the only defining quality she has. Annie stands up to her abusers and shares her pain and doubts with the world. She continues to live her life on her own terms, even when the odds are stacked against her. Starlight is truly the ray of sunshine in this show because of her strength and determination in the face of absolute bullshit.

And she’s not the only one. The other women in this show have all been through the wringer, but they keep going. They keep fighting for what they believe in. Even though they take hits and make mistakes, they are constantly trying to find ways to further themselves. Sometimes this takes a while. (We see you trying, Queen Maeve. We know you’ll get there.) And sometimes their methods and motives are not in the interest of the greater good. But for the most part, these women are authentic and have autonomy. And that’s definitely worth something.

Amazon’s THE BOYS vs. WATCHMEN

Both THE BOYS and WATCHMEN have a lot in common. Both attempt to answer the question “what if superheroes existed in real life?”

Amazon’s THE BOYS succeeds where WATCHMEN struggled. As badly as WATCHMEN wanted to comment on American “might-equals-right” culture, it felt disjointed. At one point in the film, Owlman, masterfully played by Patrick Wilson, bellows “what happened to the American dream?” It seemingly comes out of nowhere. You understand what the film tries to do at that moment, but the moment forces itself into the film, and it doesn’t quite fit. It unironically raises the important question of American excess and drops it before you have a moment to ponder it.

THE BOYS feels entirely different. Not only does the series ask the same questions, but THE BOYS also leads you through a meditation on modern American influencer culture, sexual violence, and corporate greed through a fascinating and never-ending ride of laughs, tears, and action.

Should You Watch Amazon’s THE BOYS?

Let me put it to you like this, if you enjoy the comics, you won’t be disappointed. If you never heard of the comics, you won’t be disappointed. If you like superheroes, you won’t be disappointed. Even if you hate superheroes, you won’t be disappointed.

THE BOYS is a masterpiece full of Emmy worthy performances and plot twists that will blow your mind. If it doesn’t, maybe you should take a cue from Annie January?

All eight episodes of Amazon’s THE BOYS premiere on July 26, 2019.