7 Shows to Watch if You Loved the Cooked Plot in The Boys

7 Shows to Watch if You Loved the Cooked Plot in The Boys
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Are you a fan of The Boys but need something similar to watch while the gruelling wait for the next episode turns you into a super beast like you’ve just ingested far too much Compound V? Good news, we’re here to help.

At the time of publish, Amazon Prime Video had five episodes of The Boys’ third season up. I personally hate the wait for weekly episodes to drop and prefer to binge far too many episodes than I should at once. So, with that in mind, the team and I have gathered a little list of seven shows we reckon are similar enough to pass the time until the next ep of The Boys drops.

Starting with the obvious choice.

Similar shows to The Boys

The Boys Presents: Diabolical

The Boys Presents: Diabolical actually takes place in the same universe as The Boys, so this is a no-brainer (and a good place to start). Obviously being animated means The Boys Presents: Diabolical is going to be a different experience, but it is for adults. Like The Boys, the anthology series is based on the comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, with the idea being The Boys Presents: Diabolical is more a spin-off that travels into the unseen crevices of The Boys universe. Diabolical was released in eight episodes, each using its own animation style and features stories from the likes of Seth Rogen, Awkwafina and Andy Samberg. Think of it more as a collection of short films set in the superhero universe of The Boys, which I will now be calling the Boys-iverse.

All eight episodes of The Boys Presents: Diabolical are streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Heroes

While not part of the Boys-iverse, Heroes is super similar to The Boys. If you’re unfamiliar with this sci-fi/superhero series that started way back in 2006, Heroes follows the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary abilities. Just like The Boys. Unlike The Boys, however, Heroes is less a social commentary and more a Robin Hood style ideal of using these abilities to prevent catastrophic futures. The series ran for a whopping 77 episodes from 2006 through 2010. So agreeing to a Heroes binge will result in … at 45 minutes per episode, my calculator tells me you’re in for a winter binge, my friends. And that’s before you even find Heroes Reborn, which is the 13 episode, second instalment of the franchise. Heroes-iverse if I may.

Seasons one through four of Heroes are streaming on Binge and Foxtel Now. Heroes Reborn, however, is only available to purchase on AppleTV in Australia.

Preacher

This one equal parts confused and intrigued me when I watched the first ep. Preacher is based on the comics of the same name from DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint. Preacher follows the unholy trinity and a twisted battle spanning Heaven, Hell and everywhere in between. Preacher the comic book is about a man of faith who becomes possessed by a power that allows him to make people do what he says. He and his friends then set off on the road to literally find God, who has gone missing. It’s an odd premise for a story, but the TV show knows it’s weird, and wisely lets the audience connect to the characters before those characters can start disconnecting from the real world.

Why is it similar to The Boys? A few reasons, the whole superpowers thing of course, but also the fact the names behind the Preacher comic are none other than our The Boys kings Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Seth Rogen is also executive producer. So it’s kinda in the Boys-iverse, right? It got axed after the fourth season, which was probably fair. They always take things too far, don’t they? But it’s definitely worth a watch.

Seasons one through four of Preacher are streaming on Stan.

Peacemaker

We had to include this one, you know this. Peacemaker is based on the DC Comics anti-hero of the same name. The first television series in the DC Extended Universe, Peacemaker is set five months after the events of The Suicide Squad, and follows Christopher Smith/Peacemaker (John Cena) as he is enlisted by an A.R.G.U.S. black ops squad for Project Butterfly, a mission to take out parasitic butterfly-like creatures. Put it this way: the man fights for peace at any cost, no matter how many people he has to kill to get it.

Like The Boys, Peacemaker blends comedy with the story. And superhero stuff. Admit it, you’re here just for the superhero stuff. The good news is there’s going to be a second season. But similar to The Boys, this will mean you’ll have to watch next season as it drops weekly.

Season one of Peacemaker is streaming on Binge.

Umbrella Academy

The Umbrella Academy is a time travel/superhero series based on the comic book series of the same name written by Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance fame.

On one day in 1989, 43 infants are inexplicably born to random, unconnected women who showed no signs of pregnancy the day before. Seven are adopted by billionaire industrialist Sir Reginald Hargreeves, who creates the Umbrella Academy and prepares his “children” to save the world. Reunited by their father’s death, the estranged siblings with extraordinary powers uncover shocking family secrets – and a looming threat to humanity.

Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy actually drops today, so it’s the perfect time to binge the first two seasons. But yes, it’s a similar case with The Umbrella Academy as it is The Boys, with that weekly ep drop bound to annoy.

Seasons one, two and a little bit of three of The Umbrella Academy are streaming on Netflix.

Jessica Jones

Surprisingly the first Marvel show on our list of similar shows to The Boys, Jessica Jones follows the titular character who just so happens to be a former superhero. When a tragedy puts an end to her short-lived career as a superhero, Jessica settles in New York City and opens her own detective agency, Alias Investigations. The agency is called into cases involving people who have special abilities. There’s no denying the social commentary here, similar to The Boys, but more relatable. Jessica suffers from PTSD and wants to do good, but her primary interest isn’t in saving the world, it’s saving her apartment and getting through each day. Like The Boys, this isn’t exactly a superhero story for the kids. After all, a big part of the job is looking for the worst in people.

Seasons one through three are streaming on Disney+.

Invincible

The last show we reckon is similar to The Boys is another animation. Invincible is an adult animated series based on the Skybound/Image comic. Amazon’s adaptation of Invincible — the Image comic from writer Robert Kirkman and artists Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley — did a surprisingly solid job of weaving plots from the original series into a new and distinct animated story. Mark Grayson, 17, is just like every other guy his age – except that his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man. As Mark develops powers of his own, he discovers his father’s legacy may not be as heroic as it seems. Season two of Invincible was renewed before the season one finale. With how popular Invincible ended up becoming after its release, it’s no surprise that a second go was announced.

Season one is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.


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At Lifehacker, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

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