Books: Black Summer

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Black Summer
Written by Warren Ellis
Art by Juan Jose Ryp
2008




Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

William Christensen (Avatar Press editor-in-chief) made a bet with Warren Ellis that he "couldn't come up with a high-concept superhero 'event' book that naturally featured all new characters and ideas, but also hit some of the notes of a standard Big Two event program." It apparently took Ellis a year before he came up with a solution that he thought would work: "What if a superhero killed the President? And the underpinning: where do you draw the line?"

And so we have: Black Summer.

The story starts on the front cover: the Oval Office - chairs knocked over, desk smashed in half, American flag half draped on the floor and a man - dressed all in a white uniform, surrounded by floating orbs - standing in the centre: blood dripping from his hands. Written in the height of the Bush administration - Black Summer is a violent and remorseless look into the idea of superhero vigilantes: and what lines they're not supposed to cross. Don't worry: it also has lots of snazzy costumes and action, wicked gadgets and explosions, quippy dialogue and fight scenes. With artwork that swarms off the page with it's lavish detail this is a book that will make you want to read it both slow and fast at the same time.

(And if you liked this - then I urge you to check out No Hero and Supergod as well: for more messed-up superaction nastiness).

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Links: Comic Book Resources Interview with Warren Ellis, Wit War Review, Forbidden Planet Blog Review, GraphiContent Article: Of Humanity and Superhumanity Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6, GraphiContent Review of #7.

Further reading: No Hero, Supergod, The One, Gravel, Irredeemable, The Authority, Palestine, Elektra: Assassin, Marvel Boy.

Profiles: Warren Ellis.

All comments welcome.