The Boys, Volume 5: Herogasm

So, this starts off with all the superheroes and some villains taking off to battle a menace from space. But after they leave they arrive on a private tropical island stocked with all the hookers and booze and drugs they want for a few day orgy. That will be followed up by an awards event for their version of the Oscars and all. The Boys sneak onto the island to get some information on what is going on between the supes, the government and Vought. As you can guess these worlds will collide in some way with a big mess. But first we must see these supes just going wild in an old Rome style orgy all over the place. The writer and artist really went to town with their imagination there. It totally reminded me of stories you would hear about rock bands back in the day with all the sex and drugs. No responsibility and to hell with the "normals".

This fact is really hammered home by Homelander, the head of the Seven, and the one Billy is most anxious to kill. After he informs a member of a junior team that he failed his "test" ie sex, that he can't move up to the Seven, he flys naked into the sky above the clouds. At this point he pops up in front of a passenger jet. Since it would not due to be spotted this way he just decides to destroy the jet, killing the few hundred on board. At this point Homelander realizes that he, that supes, can do whatever they want and no one can stop him. This leads to an interesting thought later.

Meanwhile Vic the Veep shows up. He is naturally with his Secret Service detail. Vic goes off to start sleeping with anything he can. From how he talks and all, you can tell he probably is a barely functional mentally disabled adult. But somehow he became the VP of the US. We get details on that from a meeting of the head of Vought and the handler for the VP. They discuss how they can control him, and the plans on how they will gill the president so Vic can move up and then run him and rig things so he will be president for a total of 10 years. And because they tell him what to do, in all essence Vought will run the country.

Now the Boys are watching all the stuff going on, and are working on a kidnapping. They are able to do that and get their target. Who is it? What superhero? Nope, it is one of Vic's guards. They interrogate him to find out what is going on. Turns out this guy is a true to the president/secret service guard, who is sick of how Vought is taking over. He tells them how he was in the situation room on 9/11 and saw Vic knock out the president to tell the Air Force to leave the last jet alone, the one that took out the Brooklyn Bridge. The Boys realize they have an ally in him and they release him to help cover their being there. He tells them he has been trying to find someone who can help stop Vought, and they are the ones that can. Both sides realize that the play for Vought is to rule the White House and the supes and all.

So the next section is the awards ceremony the supes have. Best new hero, best new team, etc. The representative from Vought is being delayed at the hotel bar by a prostitute that Homelander tasked with doing that. During the presentation of hero of the year, which he pretty much wins every time, he was going to announce his plans. Homelander was thinking of taking over the world, but needed to pitch it with no Vought in the room. Unlucky for him she can't keep the rep there long enough and Homelander can't make his announcement.

Ok there were some interesting side stories and all. But I don't want to go through every detail of the book. I am still really loving these novels, and I will read every one for sure. You can see how the supes were not that good and clean earlier. And you have always known Vought is a corrupt company. In this issue you really see how deep and dark both those groups are. While I felt like Hughie at times, not wanting to take such violent steps, I can see that maybe Billy is right on how he treats them.