Fans of The Boys were treated to a pleasant surprise last month when Dynamite Entertainment announced that Garth Ennis and artist Russ Braun would collaborate on a sequel series. Titled The Boys: Dear Becky, the sequel thrusts Hughie Campbell back into the world of supe surveillance that he left behind 12 years prior. The success of Amazon Prime’s adaptation of the original comic makes this an excellent time to revisit its characters. And while speaking with CBR, Ennis dished on how it feels to dive back into the story of Hughie and his teammates.
Dynamite previously shared that Dear Becky will open with Hughie and Annie January/Starlight enjoying married life. According to Ennis, “life has been easier” for Hughie since leaving The Boys. More importantly, it “has allowed him to relax a bit.” Unfortunately, the arrival of a mysterious document pulls him back out of his comfort zone. It’s not clear who sent it, but it offers new and unflattering details about Billy Butcher’s time with the team.
“This raises a lot of questions about the former team leader’s motivation,” Ennis explained. “Particularly as regards his dead wife, Becky, and his resolution of those questions. People are going to see a side of Butcher they’re probably not expecting in this one.”
RELATED: Dynamite Brings The Boys Back To Comics With New Miniseries
Part of what made The Boys such a hit with readers was the way it brazenly melded genres together. The series’ most distinguishing characteristic was the way it shamelessly parodied mainstream superhero comics. But beyond that, it also served as indictments of corporate greed and the American political landscape. Thankfully, Ennis promises we can expect more of the same biting social commentary in Dear Becky.
“I hadn’t quite realized what an appalling mood I was in about the state of the world until I began to write about it in this series,” said Ennis. “And of course, there’s no better character for me to write when I’m pissed off than Billy Butcher. He’s even better than Frank Castle, whose problem is that he doesn’t know how to enjoy life. Billy does.”
The Boys: Dear Becky #1 hits comic store shelves in April.
Are you excited to see what Ennis and Braun plan to reveal about Butcher’s past? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: The Boys Omnibus Vol. 2 TPB
