Comic book limited series
Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker is a six-issue
comic book
limited series by
Garth Ennis and
Darick Robertson . Originally published as a
spin-off of
The Boys , set between
issues #59 and
#60 , following
villain protagonist
Billy Butcher as he attends his father's funeral before thinking back on his
origin story , serving in the
Royal Marines , fighting in the
Falklands War , meeting and then losing his wife
Becky Saunders , and joining the
CIA and in-turn the Supe-focused
black ops group
The Boys following her death. Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker was collected in trade paperback in March 2012 as the tenth volume of The Boys , as The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker .
[3]
Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker was adapted as
the seventh episode of the
second season of the
Amazon Prime Video
streaming television adaptation of
The Boys , with
John Noble and
Lesley Nicol portraying Sam and Connie Butcher,
[4]
[5]
[6] as well as to the
third season episode "
Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed ", with Jack Fulton portraying Lenny Butcher.
Premise
Part 1: Bomb Alley
Following the death of his estranged father, after attending his funeral,
Billy Butcher begins talking to his
corpse about his time spent serving in the
Royal Marines , fighting in the
Falklands War , from the heights of love to the depths of tragedy, revealing the terrible nature of the forces that drive him.
[7]
[8]
[9]
Part 2: Harriet
In 1982, on the desolate
Falkland Islands , young
Royal Marine
Billy Butcher finds his calling. On the war's end, he begins to indulge his love of conflict in civilian life, leaving it locked on a grim course until an unexpected source brings him a chance at salvation.
[10]
Part 3: It Must Be Love, Love, Love
Finding love with
Becky Saunders , turning his life away from one of crime,
Billy Butcher explores a life of joy.
[11]
[12]
Part 4: The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies
Over the course of two years, Billy Butcher set up home in
1980s Britain under the reign of
Margaret Thatcher , living with Becky, before she suddenly grows distant, and months later, gives birth to a Supe baby, the process of which kills her. On seeing this, Billy beats the baby to death.
[13]
[14]
[15]
[16]
Part 5: Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed
Arrested for Becky's murder, Billy Butcher is recruited from
solitary confinement to the
CIA by Colonel Mallory, and on reading his wife's diary, believes he has discovered the identity of the one responsible for her
pregnancy and subsequent death.
[17]
[18]
Part 6: Every One of You Sons of Bitches
Beginning a new life in America, which turns out to mean life ending for a good many unsuspecting superheroes. Billy Butcher embraces his destiny as the enforcer of keeping Supes in-line as part of the
CIA
black ops group "The Boys".
[19]
Reception
Issue #
Publication date
Critic rating
Critic reviews
Ref.
1
July 2011
8.0/10
4
[20]
2
August 2011
6.8/10
2
[21]
3
September 2011
7.5/10
3
[22]
4
October 2011
8.8/10
4
[23]
5
November 2011
7.7/10
3
[24]
6
April 2012
5.0/10
1
[25]
Overall
7.3/10
17
[26]
Collected editions
Adaptation
In September 2020,
Eric Kripke , the showrunner of the
Amazon Prime Video
streaming television
adaptation of The Boys , confirmed that Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker would be adapted as
the seventh episode of the series'
second season (starring
Karl Urban as
Billy Butcher ), featuring
John Noble and
Lesley Nicol portraying
Sam and Connie Butcher , characters introduced in Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker .
[4] Unlike the source material in which Sam Butcher is depicted as having died, and Billy Butcher returning for his funeral, Billy returns to find his mother had lied to him about his father's death, in an attempt to have the two reconcile before his father actually dies.
[29]
[30] In addition, Butcher's family history from the series is adapted to the
third season episode "
Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed ", with Jack Fulton portraying Lenny Butcher.
[31]
[32]
References
^ Press Release (April 16, 2011).
"Sneak Peek: The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #1" . Major Spoilers . Retrieved April 16, 2011 .
^ Carr, Ari (June 11, 2012).
"Review: The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #1" . Inter-Comics . Retrieved June 11, 2012 .
^ CBR Staff (March 2, 2012).
"The Boys Vol. 10: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker " .
Comic Book Resources . Retrieved March 2, 2012 .
^
a
b Dominguez, Noah (September 29, 2020).
"The Boys Casts Lord of the Rings' John Noble as Butcher's Dad" .
Comic Book Resources .
Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022 .
^ Romano, Nick (January 17, 2021).
"The Boys season 3 will tackle Herogasm , one of the raunchiest moments from the comics" .
Comic Book . Retrieved January 17, 2021 .
^ Rowles, Dustin (April 18, 2021).
"' The Boys ' Showrunner Had A Very Scandalized Reaction To The First ' Herogasm ' Production Meeting" .
Uproxx . Retrieved April 18, 2021 .
^ Kutsenok, Victor (July 20, 2011).
"Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #1 Review" . A Comic Book Blog . Archived from
the original on October 11, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2011 .
^ Hill, Shawn (July 20, 2011).
"Daily Reviews: The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #1" .
Comics Bulletin . Archived from
the original on August 8, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011 .
^ Lindsay, Ryan K. (July 20, 2011).
"The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #1" .
Comic Book Resources . Archived from
the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2011 .
^ Kutsenok, Victor (August 17, 2011).
"Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #2 Review" . A Comic Book Blog . Archived from
the original on October 11, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2011 .
^ Hill, Shawn (July 20, 2011).
"Daily Reviews: The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #3" .
Comics Bulletin . Archived from
the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2011 .
^ Kutsenok, Victor (September 22, 2011).
"Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #3 Review" . A Comic Book Blog . Archived from
the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2011 .
^ Nevett, Chad (October 24, 2011).
"The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #4" .
Comic Book Resources . Archived from
the original on October 27, 2011. Retrieved October 27, 2011 .
^ Borzelli, Brandon (October 21, 2011).
"Geek Goggle Reviews: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #4" . Comic List. Archived from
the original on October 29, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2011 .
^ Hill, Shawn (October 22, 2011).
"Daily Reviews: The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #4" .
Comics Bulletin . Archived from
the original on October 24, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2011 .
^ Kutsenok, Victor (October 19, 2011).
"Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #4 Review" . A Comic Book Blog . Archived from
the original on October 26, 2011. Retrieved October 26, 2011 .
^ Lindsay, Ryan K. (November 16, 2011).
"The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #5" .
Comic Book Resources . Archived from
the original on November 18, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2011 .
^ Kutsenok, Victor (November 16, 2011).
"Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #5 Review" . A Comic Book Blog . Archived from
the original on May 4, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2012 .
^ Nevett, Chad (December 21, 2011).
"The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #6" .
Comic Book Resources . Archived from
the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2012 .
^
"Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #1 Reviews" . ComicBookRoundup.com . July 20, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2011 .
^
"Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #2 Reviews" . ComicBookRoundup.com . August 17, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2011 .
^
"Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #3 Reviews" . ComicBookRoundup.com . September 21, 2011. Retrieved September 21, 2011 .
^
"Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #4 Reviews" . ComicBookRoundup.com . October 19, 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2011 .
^
"Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #5 Reviews" . ComicBookRoundup.com . November 16, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2011 .
^
"Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #6 Reviews" . ComicBookRoundup.com . December 21, 2011. Retrieved December 21, 2011 .
^
"Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker Reviews" . ComicBookRoundup.com . March 6, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2012 .
^
Ennis, Garth ;
Robertson, Darick (March 7, 2012).
"The Boys Volume 10: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker " .
Previews World . Retrieved March 7, 2012 .
^
Johnston, Rich (July 8, 2022).
"The Boys Omnibus Selling Out – How Many Copies Are Left?" .
Bleeding Cool . Retrieved July 8, 2022 .
^ Nolan, Liam (October 2, 2020).
"The Boys : Billy Butcher Faces His Greatest Enemy (& It's Not Homelander)" .
Comic Book Resources . Retrieved October 2, 2020 .
^ Piña, Ramon (October 13, 2020).
"Eight Thoughts on The Boys ' s "Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker" " . Multiversity Comics . Retrieved October 13, 2020 .
^ Singh, Olivia (July 2, 2022).
"' The Boys ' star Karl Urban opens up about the 'tragedy' of Butcher's childhood that's finally unpacked in episode 7" .
Business Insider . Retrieved July 2, 2022 .
^ Darwish, Meaghan (February 13, 2023).
"' The Boys ' Director on Tackling Butcher's Waking Nightmare & Black Noir's Animated Story" .
TV Insider . Retrieved February 13, 2023 .
External links
Publications
Original series
Licensed series Crossover series
Adaptations See also