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If you think the TV series version of "The Boys" crosses the line, wait until you read the original comics by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson.

Ennis writes about things he hates getting raked over the coals. "Preacher" is an enormous middle finger to organized religion, particularly Christian fundamentalists. When Ennis wrote "The Punisher Max," he had Frank kill Ira terrorists, human traffickers, and Enron executives. Ennis' disdain for corporate America also leads us to "The Boys," which also let him vent about how ridiculous he thinks superheroes are, following in the footsteps of Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill's comic "Marshal Law."

The "Boys" comic is more episodic than the show; it's divided into arcs about the Boys fighting one particular superhero team, then moving onto the next as they climb up the ladder towards the Seven. This avoids...

It's a tragedy that "comic book" is synonymous with "superhero." If film is sometimes dismissed as a less mature medium than literature, and television in turn deemed less than film, then comics are at the bottom of that rung. The medium being the birthplace of an inherently childish genre about strongmen in capes doesn't dissuade the uninitiated of that notion.

Someone who definitely agrees with me is Irish comic writer Garth Ennis. He co-created "The Boys," a series where CIA agent Billy Butcher leads a five-man squad dedicated to taking down corrupt "supes."

Ennis grew up reading war comics and the magazine "2000 Ad" (home of Judge Dredd), so he has no childhood fondness for superheroes and can look at them with a different eye than most comic writers. "I don't hate superheroes," Ennis has protested. "I just think they're kind of silly." Hence, "The Boys" is all about taking the piss out of superheroes,...

Marshal Law was the vanguard of a wave of anti-heroes that cropped up in the 90s. Not as well-known as Venom, Juggernaut, or many other villains gone good, Marshal Law nonetheless held a strong cult audience fascinated by a wasteland world destroyed by superheroes. Long-time, die-hard fanatics of Marshal Law firmly believe that if developed and delivered perfectly, the long-dormant and long-suffering intellectual property would prove profitable.

We'll dispel the myths and take a look at a few rumors regarding everybody's favorite anti-superhero vigilante.

A Moron in a Hurry?

On the cusp of 1987, Kevin O'Neill and Pat Mills devised Marshal Law, envisioned as a pastiche, blood-soaked examination of the superhero trope. Characterized by bold but meticulously detailed panel work, the comic version of Marshal Law introduced sci-fi fans to the futuristic, broken world of San Francisco, known as San Futuro, and its similarly broken characters. Many misconstrue and misappropriate Marshal...

The Boys’ Homelander is perhaps the most powerful being on his Earth, but he may have a friend in another “hero” from a rough-and-tumble world of super-powered beings. That would be the Public Spirit from Marshal Law, a cult classic from the 1980s that was a major inspiration for The Boys.

Recently posting about the inspirations behind the design for Homelander on Twitter, The Boys co-creator Darick Robertson went on to confirm that he would probably be “drinking buddies” the Public Spirit from the world of Marshal Law. Created by Pat Mills and Kevin O’Neil in 1987, Marshal Law was a creator-owned comic published by Epic, Marvel’s mature readers imprint of the day. A vicious satire of superheroes, Mills and O’Neil’s series told of the adventures of the titular character, a “cape killer” officially sanctioned by the U.S. government to take out superheroes who have gone rogue. With...

To help sift through the increasing number of new releases (independent or otherwise), the Weekly Film Guide is here! Below you’ll find basic plot, personnel and cinema information for all of this week’s fresh offerings.

For July, we’ve also put together a list for the entire month. We’ve included this week’s list below, complete with information on screening locations for films in limited release.

See More: Here Are All the Upcoming Movies in Theaters for July 2016

Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, July 22. All synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.

Wide

Ice Age: Collision Course

Director: Galen T. Chu, Mike Thermeier

Cast: Adam DeVine, Jennifer Lopez, Melissa Rauch

Synopsis: Scrat’s epic pursuit of his elusive acorn catapults him outside of Earth, where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that transform and threaten the planet.

Gotham, Season 2, Episode 7, “Mommy’s Little Monster”

Written by Robert Hull

Directed by Kenneth Fink

Airs Mondays at 8pm (Et) on Fox

The season of Gotham comes to a turning point as more people are becoming well aware of Galavan’s evil plan, which may put things in his way. This is a fair time for this to happen, as Galavan has now become Mayor of Gotham City. Before having the power of the mayoral office, Galavan was already a force to be reckoned with, but now, with it, he may very well be unstoppable.

Galavan wastes no time either, initiating Marshal law for the interim until the Penguin is caught, which he does with the aid of Harvey Dent, who finally makes a return to Gotham. It makes sense that they would introduce more characters that are within Galavan’s sway, which is a good way to set up...