‘The Boys’ Creator Garth Ennis Launches New Comic That You Might Adore
Garth Ennis will be remembered for creating The Boys, one of the most popular superhero series worldwide. Originally an underground cult classic, the comic book gained traction through Amazon’s hit adaptation, transforming into a mainstream title beloved by fans globally.
As the series prepares for its fifth and final season, Ennis is hard at work on a new comic with Jacen Burrows that you might enjoy!
Published by AHOY Comics, Babs is a sword-and-sorcery fantasy featuring a Barbarian named Babs, who humorously navigates a world seemingly intent on her destruction. In a recent interview with CBR.com to promote the series, Ennis shared insights about the comic.
In the interview, Garth Ennis covered various topics, including his views on satire in fiction (which we have reported on). He was also asked about the series itself, sharing intriguing details about the comic and its main heroine, Babs.
CBR: As you’ve noted a number of times over the years, your early love for Battle-Action greatly influenced the direction of your future work, and I imagine that it would be very hard for fantasy fiction to break through once you’ve gotten hooked on the more realistic stylings of those early war stories.
You’ve mentioned some exceptions, though, so I was wondering, then, what made those rare exceptions break through, like The Hobbit and Hawk the Slayer (which you so ably followed up a few years back with Henry Flint for Rebellon). Hawk the Slayer definitely had a specifically British-approach to the genre (that I supposed you could argue that Pat Mills’ Slaine did, as well). Was that a factor? Or was it just that those writers were so damn good that it was hard to pass up, even when the genre wasn’t to your liking?
Garth Ennis: In fact The Hobbit was one of the very first stories I read (aged six) and I’ve loved it ever since. Why the genre didn’t stay with me was that barely any of the rest of it lived up to Tolkien, certainly not after I discovered the likes of Battle Action and 2000AD. Hawk has its own peculiar charm.
Slaine I liked because Pat Mills went all out to make it different to other sword & sorcery stories, it had 2000AD’s unique stamp- although I should say only the black & white era of that strip has ever appealed to me, and even the latter half of that doesn’t quite stand up to the Bellardinelli/McMahon stories.
I recall reading Stormbringer in my mid-teens and being quite blown away by it, another example of something standing out from the rest of its kind. Ultimately fantasy fiction will always be second best for me because I find the extremity of real life (and stories rooted therein) so much more interesting.
Now and again, though, I’m happy to dabble in the more outlandish genres- as and when the spirit moves me.
The hero of the story, Babs the Barbarian, is a classic capable but flawed protagonist. However, it is interesting that it seems like her biggest flaw is simply shitty luck. What would you term as Babs’ biggest flaw?
Very much that, probably exacerbated by greed.
Source: CBR.com
Babs is not The Boys, but from what we’ve seen, the series has the potential to be hilarious and clever enough for you to enjoy, so we recommend checking it out.
Do you have any thoughts to share? Let us know in the comments below!
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