Karl Urban as Billy Butcher, who recruits an eclectic bunch of like-minded criminals and brawlers (as well as a Hughie) to fight back against the mighty menace of superheroes like Homelander and A-Train.
A world away from capes, cowls, and cavity explosives is The Legend of Vox Machina, adapted from the first campaign of Critical Role's Dungeons & Dragons streams. Occupying the fantastical land of Exandria, The Legend of Vox Machina would appear to share very little with Butcher and his pals... on paper, at least. In reality, the narratives' themes, tones, and humor styles align with surprising symmetry. They may not be natural bedfellows (although who isn't a natural bedfellow for Scanlan Shorthalt?), but is The Legend of Vox Machina the fantasy genre's answer to The Boys?
The comparisons begin from The Legend of Vox Machina's first scene, which masquerades as a typical fantasy cartoon... right up until a dragon gruesomely decimates the assembled heroes. The bloody massacre has echoes of The Boys' own series premiere. Frodo, Legolas, Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli). The Legends of Vox Machina's reference to iconic characters from the same genre is similar to how The Boys ruthlessly parodies Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain America, etc.
However, the most substantial parallel between The Legend of Vox Machina and The Boys lies with the titular protagonist groups themselves. Butcher, M.M., Frenchie, Hughie and Kimiko are the most reluctant of heroes, and their strange family unit is only ever one calamity away from breaking up, turning the stereotypical image of a superhero team on its head. Unlike the Avengers or Justice League, Butcher's Boys make no apologies for being sweary, crude, and rough around the edges. Regardless, they poke their noses into business well above their social station on a crusade to take down Vought and Homelander. The Boys aren't necessarily trying to do the right thing, but they're the world's best hope... depressing as that may be.
That description could apply equally to Vox Machina. The mercenaries represent a collection of eccentric individuals from vastly different backgrounds, and these differences often threaten to drive them apart (Keyleth duly points this out in episode 1). Mirroring how The Boys subvert Marvel and DC's superhero teams, Vox Machina fly in the face of your typical fantasy heroes. They swear loudly, throw up from booze, fall flat on their faces, and don't know the meaning of the word "finesse" (especially Grog). Nevertheless, they're taking down monsters way above their pay grade, switching the milky breath of Homelander for the fiery breath of a blue dragon. Interestingly, both groups have a moral com striving to make their companions better - Hughie in The Boys, and Pike in The Legend of Vox Machina.
More broadly, the black humor, unflinching violence, and grim realism that underpin The Legend of Vox Machina can all be found in Amazon's adaptation of Garth Ennis' comics. Take, for instance, the trailer scene where Percy stomps a poor enemy to death, covering himself in blood. The Boys season 2's finale features a comparable moment where Starlight, Queen Maeve and Kimiko afford the very same treatment to Stormfront. The Legend of Vox Machina has a flavor all of its own, but many of the ingredients that made The Boys such a soaring Amazon success story can be found in Tal'Dorei also.
The Legend of Vox Machina streams Fridays on Prime Video.