Black Summer

Black Summer

Jun 14

I’ve always liked Warren Ellis enough to forgive the things he does that drive me nuts – which is to say for every prig that gleefully picks up on his “underwear pervert” term, he is still cashing in on my goodwill towards Planetary. Were we ever to meet (unlikely) it would probably start with a beer and end in a fist-fight, with both side declaring it a total success.

This time, Ellis has written Black Summer – the story itself lays things out pretty clear. In short, the most powerful member of America’s premiere team of science-heroes, comes to an uneasy conclusion – what’s the point of working to make the world a better, safer place, when the nation is complicit in an illegal war? And his solution is that the country has to be rebooted, and he will start the process by taking out the Honcho Supremo of the executive branch, a handful of right-hand men, and tells the country to ponder, get their shit together, and go back to the polls (pencil and paper this time.)

And if that isn’t a clear enough allegory, Ellis’ letter at the back of the issue makes it pretty clear that as a Mad-dog Englishman, the world today wears on him as much as anyone, and Marvel’s Civil War was perhaps a little too coy in its message. Ergo, Black Summer.

If you like Planetary, or the early Authority, or the Doctorow Power Fantasy that is Transmetropolitan, I’m going to recommend Black Summer – don’t know how far this bird will fly (for example – issue #0 alternate cover. Holy shit), but I’ll watch.

Jesus, Ellis. There are easier ways to keep your file in the active pile.