The Boys
Summary
admonition ! Major despoiler for The Boys ahead!In a series known for its brutality , Frenchie ’s death was among the most emotionally redolent character endings inThe Boys , and his killer was one that nobody saw coming – except Frenchie himself . A brief exchange between Billy Butcher and Frenchie , from the epilogue seriesDear Becky , highlighted the weapons expert ’s perceptive identification of Butcher ’s true nature early in their time make together .
The Boys : Dear Becky#4 – written by Garth Ennis , with artistic production by Russ Braun – is fix over a decennium after the main serial , but it also delves back into the timeline ofThe Boys . This admit a look the nature of Frenchie ’s relationship with Butcher during their formative days fighting supes .
One of the most shameful things about theThe Boys’comic series ending was Billy Butcher ’s turn into its ultimate adversary , during which he kill off his long - time loyal following , including Frenchie . AsDear Beckysuggested , Frenchie was cognisant of the danger of mould with Butcher from the start .
In many ways , Garth Ennis ' oft provocative superhero caustic remark " The Boys " sublimate the burden of the best and worst of Generation X artistry .
Frenchie Recognized Butcher Would Be The Death Of Him Early In The Boys' History
Dear Becky #4 – Written By Garth Ennis; Art By Russell Braun; Color By Tony Aviña; Lettering By Simon Bowland
Frenchie was largely portrayed as a dogmatical supporter of Butcher ’s state of war on superheroes – yet the epilog seriesDear Beckyadded further context to this , making it open that Frenchie was rightly suspicious of Billy Butcher ahead of time in their history .
reader ofThe Boysknew that " the Frenchman " – or " Frenchie " to his Friend – wait on on the original embodiment of the team , well before Billy Butcher recruited " Wee " Hughie Campbell into the CIA - backed anti - superhero group . During the main run of the series , fans were even treated to a fantastical backstory for the lineament , in one ofThe Boysmost straight-out humourous issues . Part of Billy Butcher ’s villainous endgame in the series ' concluding arc included killing his teammates , include Mothers Milk , the Female of the Species , and Frenchie , the latter two perishing in one ofthe dealership ’s most gutwrenching import .
With the Female by his side , Frenchie died in an explosion , so that he could n’t attempt to stop Butcher from carrying out his net architectural plan . Throughout the series , Frenchie was mostly portrayed as a dogmatical suspensor of Butcher ’s war on superheroes – yet the epilog seriesDear Beckyadded further circumstance to this , making it clear that Frenchie was rightly suspect of Billy Butcher early in their history . In a way , Frenchie sideways betoken that Butcher would violently turn on his teammates if it suited him .
InDear Becky , the first avatar of the squad team was portray consider with a group of supes known asthe Children of Stormfront . In an effort to get more entropy on Stormfront himself , Butcher planted a hearing gadget , seeking to supervise his conversation . After he admitted this to his teammates , Frenchie and Mother ’s Milk object to Butcher scoff the procedures that had been laid out by Mallory . Butcher ’s reaction leave Frenchie deeply unquiet – and in effect , signaled that he knew Butcher would be unforced to kill him .
Butcher’s Story From “Dear Becky” Mirrors Frenchie’s Final Fate
A Subtle Narrative Connection
Though he could n’t know for sure during the geological era presented inDear Becky#4 , Frenchie ’s instincts proved right , and Butcher ’s tale turned out to be a dark foreshadowing of his final fate .
During the Boys ' disagreement inDear Becky#4 , Butcher argued the chemical chain of program line is n’t always intelligent ; to make his tip , he colligate a story about a commander in his platoon that bring himself pour down by a landmine . Frenchie picked up on something implicit in Butcher ’s story , and outright require if Billy direct his commander ’s last . Though Butcher abnegate that he murder his superior military officer , Frenchie was not wrong to immediately recognize that it was the sorting of matter his new ally was open of .
In the end , Butcher implant explosives in the Boys ' base in the Flatiron Building , resulting in Frenchie dying in a mode that flat echoed his commandant ’s demise . This was almost certainly an designed parallel of latitude by writer Garth Ennis – meaning it is clear that the import of this scene inDear Beckyrests in Frenchie ’s plainspoken assessment of Butcher ’s true nature . This make it all the more tragic that he cover to come after Butcher ’s lodge until his leader finally had no more usance for him .
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
When Frenchie question Butcher ’s story inDear Becky#4 , he touch on to the exercise of " fragging " – the targeted killing of one soldier by another soldier , a practice session which first came to public awareness during the Vietnam War . Often , as was the case in Butcher ’s chronicle , incidents of " fragging " involved soldiers using engagement as a pretext to attack commanding officers . Notably , Frenchie ’s concluding luck involved the reverse , a leader betraying and murdering his subordinates .
Though he could n’t know for sure during the geological era presented inDear Becky#4 , Frenchie ’s inherent aptitude prove right-hand , and Butcher ’s tarradiddle turned out to be a dark prefiguration of his terminal fate . By returning to scenes like this with thefull story arc ofThe Boyscompleted , Garth Ennis was able to refine on the quality dynamics of the long - running series in potent agency . As long as the original series lasted , it wasfast - pace , and densely plotted . Dear Becky , by direct contrast , was able to serve as a finale for the report , while also highlighting its root word and characters in more detail .
Frenchie’s Insight Into Butcher’s True Nature Makes Him A More Tragic Character
He Accepted The Risks
Despite how unexpected the minute was for fan , Frenchie seem unagitated [ in his final moments . ] Expectant , even . This can be attribute to his core discernment of Billy Butcher .
One dreadful truth that became quite clear throughoutThe Boyswas that the team understood howcold Butcher actually was . They knew what deed of savagery he was capable of , and how short qualms he had against kill . Frenchie ’s probing of Butcher ’s storey inDear Becky#4 showed that on some horizontal surface , he have it away that it was possible that Butcher was n’t being honest about his past – and moreover , that he had it within him to kill someone in his own companionship .
This is perhaps why Frenchie ’s final moments inThe Boyswere drop telling the Female how much he loved her , rather than express shock at Butcher ’s perfidy . Despite how unexpected the moment was for fan , Frenchie appeared unagitated . Expectant , even . This can be attribute to his core intellect of Billy Butcher , something that he set aside in decree to work with him , for what he consider to be a gravid cause . Frenchie always empathize thathe could easily become a casualty in the fight against superheroes , even at the hands of his own friend .
The deaths of Frenchie and the Female were the moment that in truth sign the net stretch ofThe Boys , and they brook among the most heartbreaking last of the serial as a whole . The insight into Frenchie and Butcher ’s human relationship fromDear Becky#4 adds an whole new layer to the character , recontextualizing hisrole in the seriesin a way that justifies the epilog , and explicate why Garth Ennis experience the need to return to the world ofThe Boysone more prison term .
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The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero music genre , focusing on a grouping of vigilantes who confront potent superheroes abusing their ability , explore themes of corruption and moral equivocalness in a world where hoagie are not always what they seem .
