With the success of the Amazon Prime Video show starring Karl Urban, old and new fans of The Boys have been diving into the chaotic world of the Supes and Billy Butcher and his team, both in print and on screen. Now, a new installment in the universe, The Boys: Dear Becky, is set to release this spring thanks to series creator and writer Garth Ennis and Dynamite Comics. Co-creator and artist Darick Robertson will return on covers and artist Russ Braun continues his work on interiors.
Ennis chatted with The Beat via email about the new book and why now was the time to tell this tale.
Deanna Destito: Did you ever think you’d return to The Boys’ universe?
Garth Ennis: Not until relatively recently. For obvious reasons I found myself thinking about the original series quite a bit and steadily realized there were certain aspects that deserved revisiting.
Destito: Why did you decide to tell another story and why this particular one?
Ennis: The one character that I felt never got a fair shake was Becky Butcher; she casts a long shadow but only appears in two episodes of the original series. I loved writing Becky—there was something about seeing her and Billy genuinely happy together, really enjoying their shot at life, that I wanted to revisit and expand on.
Destito: Did the show have any influence on this installment?
Ennis: It made the economic conditions for the release ideal, although I’m sure Dynamite would have been happy to publish new material at any point. In terms of narrative, no. The book and the show are separate entities.
Destito: Was it important to have some of the original creative team back for Dear Becky?
Ennis: I think it helps in terms of visual continuity; there’s a familiarity to Russ Braun’s art on the characters that I think will bridge the gap between this and the previous series. Darick Robertson on covers is the icing on the cake.
Destito: If you were to continue with more tales from The Boys, who or what would you focus on next?
Ennis: I have no such plans. Obviously I said this the last time, too, but as things stand right now this will be the final word from me on The Boys.
The Boys: Dear Becky #1 will be available for preorder this month. The issue is set to debut on April 1. For digital, go to Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more.
