Supes Ain't Always Heroes: Inside the Complex Characters and Twisted Psychology of the Boys

Go deeper inside the hit TV show The Boys and its characters with psychologists, media experts, filmmakers, and more--including the original comic series' co-creator and the actors behind Soldier Boy and Stormfront.

Supes Ain't Always Heroes offers a fresh look at The Boys, delving into the show's unflinching depiction of celebrity, politics, social media, corporate greed, racism, sexism, and more:

• The true difference between Homelander and Billy Butcher--and who the show's biggest villain really is
• What Soldier Boy's characterization says about how we define masculinity
• How today's media landscape has contributed to The Boys' success
• What the evolutions of Hughie, Starlight, A-Train, Mother's Milk, and other show standouts reflect about addiction, family, identity, and self-acceptance

PLUS: Exclusive interviews with The Boys comics co-creator Darick Robertson and actors Jensen Ackles (Soldier Boy), Jim Beaver (Robert Singer a.k.a. Dakota Bob), Aya Cash (Stormfront), and Nathan Mitchell (Black Noir) provide a unique glimpse behind the scenes. Comments from editor interviews with more of the show's stars give further insight into their experiences in bringing these complex characters to life.

Author: Lynn S. Zubernis
Publisher: Smart Pop
Published: 12/05/2023
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9781637744161

About the Author
Dr. Lynn S. Zubernis is a clinical psychologist, a mom of two, a university professor--and a passionate fangirl. She fell in love with the television show Supernatural, discovered the wild and wonderful world of fandom, and has never looked back. Her writing celebrates all the positive things that come with being a fan--inspiration, creativity, self-expression, validation, and a support system that extends across the globe. She has written for publications including Slate, The Conversation and Supernatural Magazine about fandom, chairs the stardom and fandom area of the Southwest Popular Culture Association, and has contributed to many articles, podcasts, and documentaries on fandom--including NPR's piece on Supernatural. She co-wrote and was associate producer for the documentary Squee! The Fangirl Documentary and blogs at fangasmthebook on Wordpress. That's her academic half; the fangirl half writes fanfiction whenever she can, braves the lines at Comic-Con, collects Supernatural gifs on Tumblr (yes, we have a gif for everything), and has purchased way too many photo ops at Supernatural conventions.

Matthew Snyder, PhD, is a licensed professional counselor, a university professor and previous department chair, and a practicing therapist. He has clinical experience in a number of diverse settings, including as a high school counselor, inpatient psychiatric specialist, university counselor, drug and alcohol counselor, university professor, and in private practice. Dr. Snyder has over 20 years of clinical, teaching, and supervision experience, and has seen hundreds of clients for thousands of sessions. He has written several books, chapters, and articles and presented at national conferences on case conceptualization, the roots of mental illness, motivational interviewing, treating adolescent depression, and counseling diverse populations. Recently, he has turned his attention to societal impacts and mental health and wellness.