Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men

Last updated
Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men
Date
  • November 2, 2011 (Part 1)
  • December 7, 2011 (Part 2)
  • January 4, 2012 (Part 3)
  • February 1, 2012 (Part 4)
  • March 7, 2012 (Part 5)
  • April 4, 2012 (Part 6)
No. of issues6
Main characters
Publisher Dynamite Entertainment
Creative team
Writers Garth Ennis [1]
ArtistsRuss Braun
Darick Robertson (cover art)
LetterersSimon Bowland
ColouristsTony Aviña [2]
Original publication
Published in The Boys
ISBN 978-1-7811-6476-1
Chronology
Preceded by The Big Ride (volume)
Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker (miniseries)
Followed by The Bloody Doors Off

Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men is a graphic novel written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Russ Braun that was released in six parts throughout 2011 and 2012 by Dynamite Entertainment as the penultimate volume of the American comic book series The Boys . Part 1 was released on November 2, 2011, Part 2 was released on December 7, 2011, Part 3 was released on January 4, 2012, Part 4 was released on February 1, 2012, Part 5 was released on March 7, 2012, and Part 6 was released on April 4, 2012. [3]

Contents

As the Homelander finally enacts his coup against the Vought-American-controlled White House, the Boys prepare for one last terrible battle, as Frenchie and the Female are unleashed on Vought-American, and Mother's Milk, Wee Hughie, and the Vought Guy come to realise a third party has been manipulating the Homelander and Billy Butcher against one another. Preceded by the story arc The Big Ride and the prequel miniseries Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker , it is followed by the story arc The Bloody Doors Off . [4] In 2022, elements of the volume were adapted to the The Boys television episode "Glorious Five-Year Plan", [5] while the main events of the volume will be adapted as the series' 2024 fourth season. [6]

The series has received a universally positive critical reception. [7] [8] [9] [10]

Premise

Part One

After Vic the Veep accidentally kills Dakota Bob with a pet wolverine, and Vought-American takes control of the White House, Billy Butcher prepares for war with the Homelander while the Homelander himself finally decides to turn against Vought. Meanwhile, M.M. begins to lose his mind over his ex-wife's treatment of their daughter. [7] [11]

Part Two

As the Seven begin to fall apart, Vought-American enlist Team Titanic, while the Boys find themselves going up against another group of Supes entirely. As Wee Hughie finds Annie's patience with him running thin, M.M. struggles to resolve his family crisis without alerting the rest of the team. [8] [12] [13]

Part Three

As the regime of Vic the President (formerly the Veep) takes power over Washington D.C., the Boys go on the offensive, and Hughie reveals that he was sexually assaulted by Black Noir during the events of Herogasm . As Butcher sends Frenchie and the Female to bring the fight to Vought-American, the Homelander begins to take control of the United States government. [9] [14]

Part Four

As Frenchie and the Female take on Team Titanic at Vought-American, they meet with a puzzled Vought Guy and realise they are being manipulated against one another and arrange a parley. After Annie and Maeve have a heart-to-heart, the latter is killed by the Homelander as he begins to enact his coup, as the mysterious third party sets the Butcher and the Homelander against one another. [10] [15]

Part Five

As Butcher proceeds to Washington D.C. to commanding the U.S. military against the Supe army, Mother's Milk and the Hughie come to realise the truth about the true mastermind who has been setting the Boys and the Seven (and Butcher and the Homelander) against one another: Black Noir. [16] [17]

Part Six

Before Butcher and the Homelander can have their showdown, Black Noir reveals himself as the mastermind behind the torment of both: a secret clone of Homelander, he had been grown by Vought in order to kill and replace the Homelander in case he ever went rogue, only because he never did, Black Noir had begun impersonating the Homelander and committing numerous atrocities (including raping Butcher's wife) in his name, while gaslighting the Homelander into believing he had a split personality, with the ultimate goal of gaining clearance to kill him. Accepting the situation, Butcher and an enraged Homelander engage Black Noir in combat across the White House, with Black Noir quickly killing the Homelander but being wounded enough for Butcher to enact a killing blow. As the military wipe out the Homelander's army with anti-Compound V missiles provided to them by Butcher, Butcher executes Black Noir on the White House lawn before preparing to enact his final plan. [18] [19] [20] [21]

Reception

Issue #Publication dateCritic ratingCritic reviewsRef.
1November 20118.2/102 [22]
2December 20117.3/105 [23]
3January 20128.2/103 [24]
4August 20128.5/102 [25]
5March 20128.5/102 [26]
6April 20128.2/104 [27]
Overall8.1/1040 [28]

Collected editions

TitleMaterial collectedPublished dateISBN
The Boys: Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men The Boys (vol. 12) #60–65June 6, 2012 [29] ISBN   1-60690-341-1
The Boys: Definitive Edition 6 The Boys #60–72 (Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men and The Bloody Doors Off ) [30] November 25, 2013 ISBN   1-60690-435-3

In other media

In 2022, the Homelander's and the Vought Guy's "eighty over sixty" speech was adapted to the Amazon Prime Video television series third season episode "Glorious Five-Year Plan", with the characters respectively portrayed by Antony Starr and Giancarlo Esposito (as "Stan Edgar"), [5] [31] while the main events of the volume will be adapted as the series' 2024 fourth season. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Herogasm</i> Comic book limited series

Herogasm is a six-issue comic book limited series by Garth Ennis, John McCrea and Keith Burns. Originally published as a spin-off of The Boys, set between issues #30 and #31, and centering on the Boys as they infiltrate "Herogasm", an annual party for Vought-American-sponsored superheroes to allow them "vacations", Herogasm was collected in trade paperback in November 2009 as the fifth volume of The Boys, as The Boys: Herogasm.

<i>The Boys</i> (TV series) 2019 American superhero television series

The Boys is an American satirical superhero television series developed by Eric Kripke for Amazon Prime Video. Based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, it follows the eponymous team of vigilantes as they combat superpowered individuals who abuse their powers. The series features an ensemble cast that includes Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott, Jessie T. Usher, Chace Crawford, Laz Alonso, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, and Nathan Mitchell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homelander</span> Fictional comic book character

The Homelander is one of the main antagonists of the comic book series The Boys and the media franchise of the same name, created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The character is depicted as an egotistical and sadistic narcissist who serves as the extremely powerful leader of The Seven—a group of corrupt and hedonistic superheroes funded by Vought-American—and the archenemy of Billy Butcher. Beneath his public image as a noble and altruistic hero, the Homelander cares little about the well-being of those he professes to protect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Butcher</span> Fictional comic book character

William J.Butcher, or "Billy the Butcher", is an antihero in the comic book and Amazon Prime series The Boys, created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. He is the leader of The Boys, a group of CIA-sponsored vigilantes who observe, record and sometimes liquidate "Supes" artificially created by the mega-conglomerate Vought. He is the Homelander's archenemy, whom he blames for the rape and death of his wife Becky, while also developing an intense hatred for all superhuman beings.

The Big Ride is a three-part graphic novel written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Russ Braun that was published by Dynamite Entertainment as the ninth volume of the American comic book series The Boys, consisting of the four-part story arcs Proper Preparation and Planning, released from November 3, 2010 to February 16, 2011, Barbary Coast, released from March 2 to June 1, 2011, and The Big Ride, released from July 6 to October 5, 2011, the latter from which the novel takes its title.

The Bloody Doors Off is a graphic novel written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Russ Braun that was released in seven parts throughout 2012 by Dynamite Entertainment as the final volume of the American comic book series The Boys. Part 1 was released on May 2, Part 2 was released on June 6, Part 3 was released on July 4, Part 4 was released on August 1, Part 5 was released on September 5, Part 6 was released on October 3, and Part 7, You Found Me, was released on November 14.

Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker is a six-issue comic book limited series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Originally published as a spin-off of The Boys, set between issues #59 and #60, following villain protagonist Billy Butcher as he attends his father's funeral before thinking back on his origin story, serving in the Royal Marines, fighting in the Falklands War, meeting and then losing his wife Becky Saunders, and joining the CIA and in-turn the Supe-focused black ops group The Boys following her death. Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker was collected in trade paperback in March 2012 as the tenth volume of The Boys, as The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annie January</span> Fictional comic book character

Rebecca Anne "Annie" January is a fictional superheroine in the comic book series The Boys, Herogasm, and Highland Laddie, created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. As Starlight, she is a member of the Seven, a group of superheroes funded by Vought-American, and the love interest of Hughie Campbell. Annie is a former member of the Young Americans group with the ability of flight and light manipulation. Throughout the series, she is portrayed as one of the only members of the Seven with selfless, benevolent motivations, but becomes disillusioned when she sees the dark secrets of Vought and the other members of the Seven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hughie Campbell</span> Fictional comic book character

Hugh "Wee Hughie" Campbell is the main protagonist of the comic book series The Boys and its spin-offs Herogasm and Highland Laddie, created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson and visually designed after Simon Pegg. He is a member of The Boys, a group of vigilantes led by Billy Butcher, and the self-declared archenemy of A-Train. After the accidental death of his girlfriend Robin at A-Train's hands, he joins The Boys to get vengeance on "Supes" artificially created by the mega-conglomerate Vought-American. He later becomes the love interest of Annie January / Starlight, while also becoming increasingly ruthless and savage under Butcher's influence as the series progresses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Noir</span> Fictional comic book character

Black Noir is the name of three supervillain characters from the comic book series The Boys, created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, and the television series and franchise of the same name, developed by Eric Kripke. In both the comic and television series, Noir is a member of the hedonistic and reckless Vought-American superhero group the Seven and is depicted as a "silent ninja" type parody of Batman, Snake Eyes and Deathstroke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soldier Boy</span> Comic book superhero

Soldier Boy is the name of three superhero characters in the comic book series Herogasm and The Boys, created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The first character introduced is the elected leader of the Vought-American-sponsored superhero team Payback. He is depicted as one of the only "Supes" with selfless, benevolent motivations, who detests the use of profanity. However, Soldier Boy annually has sex with Homelander alone at the "Herogasm" orgy, under the mistaken hope that the "test" of doing so will convince Homelander to let him join his own superhero team, the Seven. After his most recent dalliance with Homelander, Soldier Boy is captured by CIA black ops agent Billy Butcher and brutally tortured and murdered by him for information on Homelander's recent activities. The original Soldier Boy is later revealed to have been mercy killed by Mallory during his first mission at the Battle of the Bulge, after his "Avenging Squad" inadvertently caused Mallory's men to be massacred, and been replaced by the second for the remainder of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mother's Milk (character)</span> Fictional comic book character from The Boys

Mother's Milk, or simply M.M., is a fictional character and antihero in the comic book series The Boys, Herogasm, and Highland Laddie, created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Born Baron Wallis, he is a member of The Boys, a group of CIA-sponsored vigilantes who observe, record, and sometimes liquidate "Supes" artificially created by the mega-conglomerate Vought. One of two "Supes" in the group alongside "The Female ", Wallis' mother was dosed with the superpower-inducing Compound V while pregnant with him, the result of which was her eventually mutating into a Cthulhu-like creature, and him becoming the first naturally-born Supe, prematurely aging. To stay alive, Mother's Milk requires continued consumption of his mother's Compound V-enhancing "mother's milk" on a semi-regular basis, leading to him taking the term as a sobriquet and boxing ring name. He later rises to become heavyweight champion of the world following his military career, before being recruited to the Boys after accidentally killing his opponent in the ring, becoming Butcher's second-in-command/best friend over years of missions and befriending Hugh "Wee Hughie" Campbell on his own recruitment. After helping Butcher finally get his revenge on Black Noir, M.M. learns that Butcher plans on killing all Supes and potential Supes, including him and his daughter. After confronting Butcher over this, M.M. is smothered to death by Butcher to prevent him from interfering with his plan. In order to avenge her son, M.M.'s mother then gives Hughie the necessary milk to kill Butcher.

"Cherry" is the second episode of the first season of the American superhero television series The Boys, based on the comic book series of the same name by Garth Ennis. It is set in a universe where most of the superpowered individuals are portrayed as corrupt individuals instead of being the heroes that the general public believes they are. The episode was written by the series showrunner Eric Kripke and directed by Matt Shakman.

"Good for the Soul" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American superhero television series The Boys, based on the comic book series of the same name by Garth Ennis. It is set in a universe where most of the superpowered individuals are portrayed as corrupt individuals instead of being the heroes that the general public believes they are. The episode was written by Anne Cofell Saunders and directed by Stefan Schwartz.

"The Innocents" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American superhero television series The Boys, based on the comic book series of the same name by Garth Ennis. It is set in a universe where most of the superpowered individuals are portrayed as corrupt individuals instead of being the heroes that the general public believe they are. The episode was written by Rebecca Sonnenshine and directed by Jennifer Phang.

"The Self-Preservation Society" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American superhero television series The Boys, based on the comic book series of the same name by Garth Ennis. It is set in a universe where most of the superpowered individuals are portrayed as corrupt individuals instead of being the heroes that the general public believe they are. The episode was written by Craig Rosenberg and Ellie Monahan and directed by Dan Attias.

"You Found Me" is the eighth episode and season finale of the first season of the American superhero television series The Boys, based on the comic book series of the same name by Garth Ennis. It is set in a universe where most of the superpowered individuals are portrayed as corrupt individuals instead of being the heroes that the general public believes they are. The episode was written by Anne Cofell Saunders and Rebecca Sonnenshine and directed by the series showrunner Eric Kripke.

"The Big Ride" is the first episode of the second season and ninth episode overall of the American superhero television series The Boys, based on the comic book series of the same name by Garth Ennis, and named after its ninth volume. It is set in a universe where most of the superpowered individuals are portrayed as corrupt individuals instead of being the heroes that the general public believe they are. The episode was written by the series showrunner Eric Kripke and directed by Phil Sgriccia.

"The Vought Guy", also known as Mr. Vought-America(n) or The Guy From Vought, is a fictional character in the comic book series The Boys and the resulting franchise, created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, an executive officer of the defense contractor/pharmaceutical company Vought-American Consolidated, which publicly owns the Seven, several smaller superhero teams, and their related franchises, while privately being responsible for the creation and distribution of the superpower-inducing Compound V. The most prominent normal human antagonist in the series, whom the Homelander often unsuccessfully seeks to impress/cause to fear him, the Vought Guy is an apparent high-functioning sociopath and embodiment of Vought-American, working only in the corporate interest, including orchestrating/ordering: the near-coup of the Russian government, the massacre of the G-Men teams, Payback's ambush of the Boys, and the planned takeover of the White House via idiotic puppet ruler U.S. Vice President "Veep" Vic Neuman. At the conclusion of The Bloody Doors Off, his legal name is revealed to be James Stillwell.

References

  1. ↑ Phegley, Kiel (September 25, 2012). "Saying Goodbye To "The Boys" with Garth Ennis, Part 1". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on September 26, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
  2. ↑ Dmitri, Chad, Josh, and Marcus (August 12, 2022). BTS w/ the Colorist of The Boys (Tony Avina). The Square Round Table. Retrieved August 12, 2022– via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ Johnston, Rich (August 13, 2018). "The Top 500 Most-Ordered Comics and Graphic Novels in July 2018". Bleeding Cool . Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  4. ↑ Barnhardt, Adam (March 25, 2024). "The Boys: Giancarlo Esposito Says He "Never" Wants to Leave Series". ComicBook.com . Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Barnhardt, Adam (March 25, 2024). "The Boys: Giancarlo Esposito Says He "Never" Wants to Leave Series". ComicBook.com . Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  6. 1 2 The Boys – Season 4 Official Trailer | Prime Video. Amazon Prime Video . May 4, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024– via YouTube.
  7. 1 2 Kutsenok, Victor (November 3, 2011). "The Boys #60 Review". A Comic Book Blog. Archived from the original on May 4, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  8. 1 2 Peterson, Matthew (December 7, 2011). "Review: The Boys #61". Major Spoilers. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  9. 1 2 Kaye, Edward (January 5, 2012). "Best Shots Rapid: Swamp Thing #5, Wolverine and the X-Men: Alpha & Omega #1, The Boys #62". Newsarama . Archived from the original on January 8, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
  10. 1 2 Lindsay, Ryan K. (February 1, 2012). "The Boys #63". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  11. ↑ Demers, Matt (November 2, 2011). "Review: The Boys #60 – Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men, Part 1". Comic Vine . Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  12. ↑ Hill, Shawn (December 7, 2011). "Review: The Boys #61". Comics Bulletin . Archived from the original on May 7, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  13. ↑ O'Leary, David (December 12, 2011). "The Boys #61 Review". Comic Buzz. Archived from the original on July 22, 2014. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  14. ↑ Peterson, Matthew (January 5, 2012). "Review: The Boys Sixty-Two". Major Spoilers. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
  15. ↑ Kutsenok, Victor (February 2, 2012). "The Boys #63 Review". A Comic Book Blog. Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
  16. ↑ Pepose, David (March 6, 2012). "Best Shots Advance Reviews: Swamp Thing #7, The Boys #64". Newsarama . Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  17. ↑ Nevett, Chad (March 8, 2012). "The Boys #64". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  18. ↑ Peterson, Matthew (April 9, 2012). "Review: The Boys Sixty-Five". Major Spoilers. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
  19. ↑ Felizarte, Michelle (April 6, 2012). "The Boys #65 Review". Blue Raven Comics. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  20. ↑ Lindsay, Ryan K. (April 4, 2012). "The Boys #65". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on June 10, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  21. ↑ Kutsenok, Victor (April 5, 2012). "The Boys #65 Review". A Comic Book Blog. Archived from the original on May 4, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  22. ↑ "The Boys #60 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. November 2, 2011. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  23. ↑ "The Boys #61 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. December 7, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  24. ↑ "The Boys #62 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. January 4, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  25. ↑ "The Boys #63 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. February 1, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
  26. ↑ "The Boys #64 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. March 7, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  27. ↑ "The Boys #65 Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. April 4, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
  28. ↑ "The Boys: Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men Reviews". ComicBookRoundup.com. June 20, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  29. ↑ Ennis, Garth; Braun, Russ (June 6, 2012). "The Boys Volume 11: Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men". Previews World . Retrieved June 6, 2012.
  30. ↑ Johnston, Rich (July 8, 2022). "The Boys Omnibus Selling Out – How Many Copies Are Left?". Bleeding Cool . Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  31. ↑ Stan Edgar Is Forced To Leave Vought | The Boys. Amazon Prime Video . March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2023– via YouTube.
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