It’s not easy to build a superhero universe. Truly successful new franchises rarely emerge. With The Boys, Amazon has taken the first step in recent years: the satirical one Superhero series has now had three seasons, all of which have been critically acclaimed. Will Amazon also manage the second step: establishing a spin-off that attracts fans of the main series?
It looks like it, because the Reviews of the first real spin-off Gen V (based on the anthology series Diabolical) are really good. The series starts on Friday. We summarize the reactions.
What is The Boys: Gen V about?
Gen V takes place in the same universe in which Homelander, The Deep, Starlight and Co. are based. The powerful company Vought International owns an exclusive college in the USA where the superheroes of tomorrow are trained. At Godolkin University we follow the experiences of a series of hormonal, ambitious and competitive young supes who want to be among the best of the best.
At Supes College they put their physical, sexual and moral limits to the test. Because only the most outstanding Supes receive lucrative advertising contracts in the most prestigious cities. But something isn’t right about the Godolkin.
Gen V surpasses Marvel: “Will laugh out loud and cringe”
Let’s start with the positive votes, which clearly predominate in the echo for Gen V. Matt Donato writes for IGN: “Gen V stands at the intersection of contemporary teen sex comedies, reckless The Boys mischief and [jener] Shock and disrespect that the fans deserve.” He also prophesies: “You’ll laugh out loud, cringe a lot, and wonder how Gen V gets away with half of the things shown.”
The short verdict from Ross McIndoe (Slant) goes like this: “The series offers a raw mix of humor, action and emotional storytelling.”
Ed Power from The Telegraph draws the inevitable comparison to recent Marvel series releases (such as Secret Invasion), but is not entirely enthusiastic: “[Gen V] is far more successful than the last Marvel series. But […] “There are times when Gen V is shockingly smart and many times when it’s just shocking.”
There are definitely negative voices about Gen V. As Richard Lawson writes for Vanity Fair: “Gen V constantly resorts to gross-out humor for fear of losing our attention. Despite the flashy, confident demeanor, this is a strange one […] uncomfortable show that repeatedly underlines her seriousness, as if she had to prove her coolness.”
On the subject:
The Boys achieves this balance better, despite all the gore. Another point of criticism that the main series mostly avoids is addressed by Nate Richards from Collider: “There are moments where Gen V manages to create a series that perfectly blends teen melodrama, superheroes and satire, but the overall story ends up being a little too generic and predictable.”
The Boys doesn’t reinvent the superhero wheel either. But having an antagonist like Homelander at the center of the plot always forces the series to steer away from overly common storylines. On a “generic murder mystery story” As in Gen V, The Boys hasn’t had to resort to this yet.
When does The Boys spin-off Gen start on Amazon Prime?
Generation V will be on 29. September 2023 on Amazon Prime start. The spin-off bridges the wait for The Boys season 4. It has already been filmed, but in the Amazon series many of the dialogues are only written in post-production and then recorded by the stars. This process was slowed down by the screenwriters’ strike (which has now ended).
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