The Pull List – The Boys: Dear Becky #1
Publisher: Dynamite Comics
Writer: Garth Ennis
Art: Russ Braun
Color: Tony Aviña
It has been twelve years since Hugh “Hughie” Campbell left New York and the Boys behind. Hughie has returned to his hometown in Scotland, where he plans to marry Annie January. Just when his life seems to be in falling into place, a mysterious journal arrives at his doorsteps. Slowly reading the entries, Hughie is terrified as tales of a violent past reveal a nightmare that he thought was over.
This opening issue quickly recaps some of the past events, which Hughie still feels uneasy about, and making comments about the political climates. The real shake-up to Hughie’s life comes into play is a journal that arrives at his home and reveals some hidden details about Billy Butcher and his deceased wife Becky. Hughie learned about Billy’s past and thought he understood his former friend. But this mysterious journal shows that Billy’s past wasn’t complete just yet.
The Boys: Dear Becky #1 picks up nicely from the last chapter of the original The Boys storyline, in which Hughie has found peace and managed to find love once again. In all of the crazy and brutal events that unfolded, it was satisfying to see Hughie get a break for once. However, it seems that break is over and Garth Ennis wasn’t done with “wee” Hughie just yet. Dear Becky carries over the same tones of the series; lots of crude humor and disturbing visuals that make this series earn a mature rating. Russ Braun and Tony Aviña return to the series to give it that extra flavor of visual nostalgia. The artwork is awesome. It’s moody and grisly in all the right ways.
Dear Becky is an excellent start to the new series that fans need to pick up.