Welcome to another video, and today we will be talking about an animated mini-series released on Amazon Prime from the twisted world of The Boys.
We are talking about The Boys Presents: Diabolical, particularly about the first two episodes, but before we continue, we must provide a small introduction for those who are not so familiar with “The Boys” concept.
“The Boys” depicts the cynical and corrupt underbelly of superheroes, which is managed and controlled by the unscrupulous Vought Corporation. The show provides a look at Vought’s vast power and reach. Still, its primary focus remains on the titular vigilante protagonists’ battle to defeat Vought and the Corp’s coveted Seven superheroes. “The Boys Presents: Diabolical” delves further into the universe with a diverse collection of bite-sized animated films that vary in visual style and tone. They all adhere to the main series’ insane humor and violence style in an outstanding, breezy, and amusing manner. Each of the eight episodes is around eleven to fourteen minutes long and has nothing to do with the parent series.
Episode 1 – Laser Baby’s Day Out
Executive producers Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen start off the series with a short they wrote about the exploits of a Vought-created laser baby. The lighthearted episode inspires nostalgia with its vintage cartoon aesthetic and mainly dialogue-free antics of a laser baby fleeing into the world, with harm befalling everyone in the baby’s circle. You better not be fooled by the style and mood of this episode as it is like Baby’s Day Out on some hard drugs.
This episode pays homage to the classic Looney Tunes animation, as seen by the imitation “Voughtoons” logo and the “That’s all, Boys!” conclusion card, which parodies Porky Pig’s legendary “That’s all, people!” Such as the Merrie Melodies escapades starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and the rest of the group. “Laser Baby’s Day Out” has no real dialogues. Instead, they rely on musical cues and noises to complement the action and relishing in slapstick fun – albeit brutal, horrific slapstick fun.
You may also detect a Hanna-Barbera influence, with references to The Flintstones, The Popeye Show, and other classic cartoons. Snipple, a company that has successfully replicated old moods on Jellystone, Wacky Races, and New Looney Tunes, animated The Boys: Diabolical’s “Laser Baby’s Day Out” to convey a feeling of authenticity.
So, the episode begins with Simon, a Vought employee, arriving at work. Simon goes in to visit a small girl who happens to have laser capabilities among the many children kept in cells, each with their own distinct talents. Laser Baby is, of course, her name. Simon is unsuccessful with his task after 20 days of experiments. Still, he dreams of one day getting on the Vought adoption wall and adopting this particular baby as they have developed a strong bond with each other. Unfortunately, his unsuccessful venture has not gone ignored, and Laser Baby’s name is placed on the firing list by Superbrain, the boss in charge of everything who also has tremendous telekinetic powers. Simon helps her get out of the cell, but troops are on their tail, leading to Laser Baby unleashing her abilities to sneeze and kill the soldiers. The rest of the episode displays savage violence, with troops being ripped apart and Laser Baby saving the day.
In the climax, Superbrain appears and is ready to kill Simon, telepathically sending a heap of rubble their way. Laser Baby controls her abilities and stops the threat when she senses Simon is in danger. Laser Baby ultimately walks away with Simon, whom she calls “DADA”, leaving a gory trail in her wake.
This episode has a beautiful ebb and flow, with hardly a single line of dialogue. But then it’s unnecessary. The plot speaks for itself, and the play instead leans on its humour, which crackles through the intense violence for which The Boys is widely known. It is Fun, and It is Grotesque. No, it would be best if you did not watch it with a kid.
In any case, this sets the stage wonderfully for an intriguing collection of cartoon antics. With chapters ranging from 11 to 14 minutes, this was the perfect start to get into.