The DC Comics Supe Handler That The Boys Fans Favor Over Stan Edgar

The superhero genre is known for dividing characters into "good guys" and "bad guys." The Boys throws all that out of the window and offers a more nihilistic take, portraying a world wherein everyone's heroes are more than a little messed up. This is particularly true of the show's answer to Superman, Homelander (Antony Starr), who tries to keep a squeaky-clean image to the public but has done some truly horrifying things in the past. 

However, it's not just the supes who hide dark secrets throughout the show. He may not have any superpowers, but Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) is one of the most diabolical characters on the entire series. He's broken bad plenty of times in the show's second season, doing everything within his power to keep Vought International in the public's good graces.

Considering Stan Edgar is a normal human being who's able to strike fear in those physically more powerful than him, it's easy to compare him to another superhero handler from the pages of DC Comics. One such Reddit thread sought to answer the question — namely, who is better, Stan Edgar or Amanda Waller?

Amanda Waller has a much more storied history than Stan Edgar. Waller originated in the comic books, of course, but she has gone on to appear in everything from Batman Beyond, to Arrow, to her cinematic portrayal by Viola Davis in Suicide Squad. Stan, while being a great villain portrayed by a brilliant actor, just doesn't have the same pedigree. When you look at all that both of them have accomplished so far, it's easy to see why fans have to put respect on Amanda's name. 

As Redditor mrmonster459 commented in the aforementioned thread, "As hard as it is for me to vote against Giancarlo Esposito, I'm going with Waller." They're not alone. Fellow user Foolishtrolls broke down what makes Amanda Waller such an engaging character, stating that, "Waller has proven to be resourceful and quite intelligent going toe to toe with 'the world's greatest detective'. She's a complex character that believes what she's doing is right." They go on to mention how it's pretty cool that Amanda isn't afraid of stepping on the Justice League's toes, even though they could destroy her at a moment's notice if the mood struck them. 

Meanwhile, Stan Edgar just really hasn't gotten a chance to show off his prowess, as Foolishtrolls went on to say. "I'm not particularly impressed with him explaining the concept of not needing [Homelander] since he has the tool to replace him as if it's rocket science [...] The point is outsmarting an idiot isn't particularly hard nor impressive." 

Then again, it's still early in The Boys' run. Perhaps when season 3 gets here, and if, potentially, a new villain rises to the surface, we may see just how ruthless Stan can truly be.