[7.3/10] This was all fine, but pretty standard. It’s the short that feels the most like *the Boys* simply translated into animation rather than stretching the limits of what can be achieved via animation. But I don’t really mind. Getting to see Homelander’s first save, and his introduction, provides a bit of interesting backstory. I especially like the fact that, by god, he’s trying to be a good guy here, or at least do as he’s told, and things go terribly wrong. He’s firmly in the “Don’t know my own strength” territory, so watching him use his powers but mess people up in a way that even he doesn’t expect is revealing. Antony Starr remains good in the role, even when you don’t get his outstanding facial expressions. You do get the sense of “Bambi’s first steps” hesitance about him, accentuated by panic and anger when things start to go pear shaped. I also find his relationship with black Noir especially interesting. I don’t think we ever got much of it on the show. But him thinking that Black Noir is against him, only for the fellow Supe to flee for his life and convince Homeladner that he’s one the new guy’s side no matter what is particularly fascinating when you know the history with Black Noir and Homelander’s erstwhile father. Seeing Homelander fear usurpation and Black Noir fear being brutalized by another member of that gene pool makes for an interesting dynamic. Otherwise, you can see the seeds of both how Stan aims to position Homelander versus how Stillwell aims to manipulate him. It’s a small vignette, and it’s not *that* revealing. But it does fill in a bit of backstory and give us a glimpse of Homelander when he wasn’t quite Homelander yet. Overall, this is the least adventurous of the shorts, but still a solid entry with art in a recognizable but cool style and a story that could sit alongside the main show.