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Every few years, a piece of superhero fiction emerges to truly transform the surrounding landscape, to the point of even rising above the legacy of the comics which once inspired it. In the case of Prime Video's The Boys, a new modern era of subversive superpowered storytelling emerged across multiple streaming services. Acclaimed and similarly subversive hits have come since then, such as fellow Prime Video series Invincible, but don't always have the same transgressive punch as Eric Kripke's iconic hit starring Karl Urban and Antony Starr. Even Crunchyroll, courtesy of donghua hit To Be Hero X, have gotten in on certain angles of the craze.
But one particular series stands out for channeling similar energies and tones of The Boys, being Netflix's daring Super Crooks anime. The series adapted the eponymous Marvel comic by Mark Millar in 2021 to tell the story of Johnny Bolt, his squandered hopes at superheroism, and what came next. It's an unusual collaboration for Japanese studio Bones, known previously for high-profile anime like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and My Hero Academia among many others. The series hits similarly subversive, brutally violent, and darkly funny beats as it renders a world in which not all those who aspire to be superheroes are fit for the job.
Netflix's 2021 Hit Is A Solid Palate Cleanser After The Boys
It's no surprise that the ending of The Boys was certainly abrupt, a problem Super Crooks doesn't seem to share. Across 13 half-hour episodes, viewers are treated to a concise origin story of Johnny Bolt, his discovery of electricity manipulation superpowers while growing up in a broken home as a bullied child, and his half-baked scheme to make a name for himself that results in a darkly comedic public pool massacre. It checks practically all the boxes of a truly messed-up cast member of The Boys, with Bolt left devastated by the notion that his abilities might not be fit for helping others. Instead, upon accidentally getting his first taste of thievery with his powers activating an ATM, Bolt's Electro Boy moniker lives on as a supervillain.
This is how the series introduces its viewers to Johnny Bolt: a young boy, whose unknown father is likely another superhero given his emerging powers. The dark comedy doesn't stop at pool and pig massacres, either, with Bolt growing into an adult crook who, upon release from a supermax prison, must soon face the choice of rejoining his criminal buddies for more heists, or leaving his life behind to be with his lover, Kasey.
But final decisions aren't made until a proper confrontation with the story's overarching antagonist, Christopher Matts, aka "The Bastard", whose utterly The Boys-like identity is perfectly fitting as the head of the Network criminal syndicate, who collects his debts and vengeance by killing the loved ones of those who dare cross him using his psychic powers to explode their heads. Using extreme cruelty and prejudice, The Bastard is like a more sadistic take on The Boys' Victoria Neuman, whose own penchant for popping heads is well-documented.
The absurdly violent parallels speak for themselves between these two shows, with some truly gnarly moments of ingenuity helping the show stand out well as an engaging, self-contained one-season run following The Boys. The best part is that its tight plot hardly feels derivative, cleanly telling what's effectively the buildup to one last superpowered heist.
Super Crooks Is A Solid Weekend Binge
Things don't take long at all for the action and intrigue to take off in Super Crooks. The stakes are laid out quickly in terms of The Bastard's Network ties to criminals everywhere, as well as just how uncompromising he is as an opponent, to the point that it feels utterly odd anybody would consider crossing him. But Johnny, as is established, is hardly the only superpowered crook capable of matching wits with this powerful antagonist, with everybody, including Kasey (who was the most eager of all to leave their lives behind) playing a pivotal role.
Super Crooks is practically over as quick as you start it and has plenty of appealing factors for everyone involved. There is creative use of superpowers in carrying out heists including bypassing a Resident Evil-style laser hallway in a truly gruesome-yet-effective manner. The animation is strong and distinctive, benefiting well from the collaboration of Millarworld and Bones, with key voice cast including one of Japan's top, most sought-after voice actors, Kenjiro Tsuda, playing the adult Johnny. It feels like the series packs a little something for audiences worldwide, from superheroes, to uncompromising violence and carnage, to beloved cast portraying flawed-yet-likeable characters.
Super Crooks only runs for 13 episodes which, while certainly much shorter than the five-season run for The Boys, takes advantage of a clear arc in mind, sticks to its intended direction, and lands nicely with a decent amount of closure. It certainly won't be remembered for anywhere near as many internet-breaking moments of virality that The Boys had, but Super Crooks is more than worthy as a companion piece, and a strong, unique offering among Netflix's many exclusive anime originals.
