I was never familiar with The Boys comics, but I am a fan of the show. The story of how real people with real ideas and emotions combined with god-like powers act with contempt and corruption is a welcomed fresh take on the genre. There's no need for one-dimensional villains. All the focus is on the superheroes because they are also the supervillains. For some characters this allows an incredible amount of development. Sadly, a weakness of The Boys is that it doesn't develop ALL of these characters, and wasted screen time is given to the flatlined. I was most interested in The Deep's arc going into season 2 because it was not a typical one. He wanted redemption. He wanted to be good. He just sucked at it - it's hilarious. However, he might as well not have been on the show...ever. He's gone nowhere and has practically never even been a part of The Seven as far as the time where the show starts. When The Boys fleshes out characters well you have outstanding stories and brilliant acting that gives you Butcher and Homelander. When it fails you get The Deep and A-Train.

When the characters you can't help but love are on the screen it is pure entertainment and increasing depth. Anthony Starr is unbelievably unhinged as Homelander. He's the most deranged villain since Ledger's Joker. A truly disturbed psychotic that you cannot wait to see what he'll say and do next as he's fearless and unpredictable. He never disappoints. Likewise for Butcher. Karl Urban is in the role he was born to play. Never a wasted moment and every line is nothing but sweet, vulgar music.

Though the show suffers some repetition (Homelander is evidently very easy to bribe or blackmail and Starlight is incessantly hopeless) it is a great show that reflects what would happen in real life. Ordinary emotional and mental trauma suffered by unordinary people with extraordinary abilities leads to deliciously evil and disgustingly gory TV...as it should be.