The Boys Volume 9: The Big Ride

This is volume 9 of the ongoing series The Boys. In this series we follow the adventures of a group of five individuals and a dog, The Boys, that have chemically enhanced abilities. They are a (rebel part of a) secret agency that follows the lives of super-heroes and do damage control of said heroes, mostly by destroying them when they misbehave. In a way it uses a plot device for story progression that is similar to that of The Nam, in the sense that the story unfolds around a new recruit to the organization, that slowly understands what he got himself into. It is a very refreshing look a super-heroes and how they could come about in real life. It is a very politically incorrect series, with sex, drugs, and violence jokes running rampant. I have thoroughly enjoyed all its previous paperbacks. However, for me, this is the paperback that brings the series to maturity. It is very well written, and drawn and we begin to see what lies underneath the leader of The Boys. We see how the (not so) new (anymore) team member comes to the realization of what he might have gotten himself into and how he tries to begin controlling the situation. This is the quietest of the paperbacks so far, and there are very nice scenes between the different characters. The ending is chilling and it is one of the best comics I have read this year. I was very sorry to see my favorite character die, but after reading the ending I understood that it was for a good cause... Recommended
Story: 5
Art: 4.5
Overall: 4.75