Black Summer

Admittedly I hadn't heard of this book before a co-worker told me of it a few months ago, and that's a shame considering how good it is. Warren Ellis is top notch, as per his usual and the art from Juan Jose Ryp was nothing short of spectacular.

Set in modern day, the story opens with John Horus announcing to the press that he had just killed the President and all of his top advisers.

Horus had previously been the leader of a team of hero's called the Seven Guns that had developed enhancements and became vigilantes in a fight to clean up their city since the police could no longer handle the job.

The real identities of the Seven Guns are never revealed, though since it's a limited series there really isn't time or the need to develop the characters outside of the one aspect that the reader gets to know.

After Horus murders POTUS, the team is torn on whether it was a good idea or not, but you get to see the immense loyalty they have for each other as the six other members of the team, despite their differences band together to protect each other from the military and the rest of the country as a whole as they are repeatedly attacked and sought out in conjunction with Horus.

I won't go to far into details, but I must insist that you go out and pick this one up. I read, and then reread the entire run in the space of an afternoon, and all I want is to know when there might be more. I'd love to see a series about this team set up with how they came about and the fight they took on originally. Even if only done in another limited series. There is definitely an audience for it.

The book has been optioned for a movie, but no new news on when it may come out since late 2009.