The Boys’ Creator Settled Marvel vs DC with One Insult

Garth Ennis, co-creator of The Boys alongside Darick Robertson, once made it known where he stands in the DC vs. Marvel Comics debate with a notable insult. In an interview with CBR during the original ending of The Boys comic book series from 2012, Ennis called the Avengers “resentful also-rans” of the Justice League of America while throwing shade at the Marvel heroes he parodied.

In The Boys’ comic book series, both Marvel and DC heroes are parodied, but the story often focuses on the latter. The Seven is a parody of the Justice League, with heroes being clear satires of the DC Universe’s most notable characters. Homelander is Superman, Queen Maeve is Wonder Woman, The Deep is Aquaman, and A-Train is The Flash. The Marvel parodies are often portrayed as lesser heroes who are the butt of jokes, as the Payback team featuring the likes of Soldier Boy (Captain America), Tek Knight (Iron Man), and Swatto (Ant-Man). While it’s clear which heroes are respected more as parodies in The Boys universe, co-creator Garth Ennis didn’t mince words when insulting Marvel compared to DC.

In a wide-ranging interview from CBR.com in 2012 with The Boys’ co-creator Garth Ennis, the writer discussed the comic series coming to an end after more than 70 issues. Ennis was asked about the twists in The Boys and parodying the superhero world, specifically Marvel and DC with Payback and The Seven. Ennis said that after more than 20 years working in the industry with both publishers, it was clear to him that the Avengers were “resentful also-rans to the JLA.” The comments were quite an insult to the Marvel Universe.

Ennis would use more colorful language in the insult to describe how he showed how he saw the Avengers as second-rate versions of the Justice League, as The Seven and Payback, specifically the relationship between Homelander and Soldier Boy, were used to show Marvel as a failure. While Ennis has long expressed his disdain for superheroes in general, except for his love of Superman, with his comments and writing in The Boys, he clearly favors the DC Universe and portrayed the Supes with that opinion in mind.

If you’ve ever wondered why the DC heroes parodied in The Boys were treated with more respect than the Marvel characters (although they were still heavily satirized), it’s because Garth Ennis respected the Justice League more than the Avengers – a sentiment that comes clear through his characterization of the Payback team. As such, he was perfectly fine admitting where he stands on the topic of Marvel vs. DC when it comes to The Boys universe.

Source: CBR.com