Number 4 came out! It was such a good issue. Totally worth the wait.
There is so much going on, almost every page! The level of detail is incredible. Look at the spread on 4 and 5. Really look at it. I am serious. I did not see Zoe in more than one place until the third look.
Man, the Guns tore up that army that was attacking them.
John's vaguely defined force-field thingy and floating eye-spheres of doom kicked some serious butt this issue. Cool to finally see him again. Awe-inspiring to see him in action. If Tom is not dead, things are going to get really ugly with John. "Tom, who I kept out of this because he's lost enough already."
Ryp is amazing. I can't believe he crams so much into a book every month.
I really like the last panel being a fade to black.
To be honest, between the delays earlier in the run and most of the plot advancement being pretty straightforward, there hasn't been much to discuss that we haven't already gone over. There aren't really any mysteries. I guess we could speculate on whether Tom is really dead (I doubt it), or what Horus will do. Maybe Civil War burned us out on most of the themes that Black Summer is covering.
Issue 4's just a lot of stuff exploding and people dying. There's nothing introduced that's really new, except that we see the black ops team instead of just hearing about them, we see John in action, and uh, Tom's repeatedly (and apparently) blown to bits on replay.
Issue 4's just a lot of stuff exploding and people dying. There's nothing introduced that's really new, except that we see the black ops team instead of just hearing about them, we see John in action, and uh, Tom's repeatedly (and apparently) blown to bits on replay.
I thought the art was really super amazing this past issue. Also, I am not sure if Tom is really dead. There is no body, not even a boot or anything. I am not sure what is left of a person, cyborg or not, after a direct hit from an Abrams tank. Tom's powers are said to be mostly cranial implants for interfacing wirelessly with stuff (HACKING WITH HIS MIND), but he did cover his arm in some kind of armor while fighting that guy in his apartment. Could he somehow project a hologram of himself or something?
I just have a hard time believing he would KILL HIMSELF WITH A FRICKING TANK after he decided to fight back against... Vince? in his apartment after remembering Laura. Ellis is a cold bastard though...
Well, I don't think it's suicide. My prime candidate is a digital upload while his body got vapourized. If he got out of the way at the last minute, Zoe of all people would probably have spotted it happening.
Well, it has come out damn near every month. It really doesn't have that much ground to cover, narrative wise. John kills the President. The government tries to kill the rest of the Guns, thinking they were involved. Tom gets the rest of the Guns to work together and go after John and fight back against the military forces. A new team of Guns are revealed... Two issues left! shit. I don't want it to end. I want more dammit
I really do love the artwork in this series, more than anything I have seen in a long time.
Cool to see Zoe's power from her perspective. It was neat to see Kathryn fleshed out with the flash back. She's a stone-cold bitch. She doesn't really have a social conscience motivation like the others, but a desire to punish criminals and keep them from hurting society again by putting bullets in their heads.
It was a little hard to follow the fight in the base. Zoe charges the other Guns, gets blindsided by their speeder, reloads (a revolver with a clip, but oh well) and starts shooting. Meanwhile, Dom has slammed the door closed, leaving Kathy and Angel to find ammo. Another one of the other Guns is shoving against the door/Dom. Zoe shoots the other speeder legs off. The floor gives out, and Dom, Zoe, and the de-legged speeder and an Other Gun fall into an old sauna or something. Dominic drops an elbow on the Other Gun and teeth fly out of his/her helmet.
The discussion between the general and the officer and their realization that Tom Noir tricked both sides into battle was pretty good. John Horus dropping that F-22 on the base and demanding "take me to your leader" was incredible.
Honestly though, after 2 months (printer error, not the creators' fault), it was not quite enough. This whole issue seems to have happened in about 5 minutes, minus the flash back, which is both awesome and not. And the ladies apparently burnt their bras and never bought more, because we see more nipples printing on shirts this issue.
Well, we've got two to go, and I'm pretty sure the start of the huge Guns vs. Horus battle is gonna be at the tail end of next issue. Then Tom will pop up, alive and well and ready to stab Frank's spleen with his mind.
Also, I'm getting a distinct feeling that Ellis is going to leave a huge opening for a sequel or something.
I don't know if Tom will show up at the end or not. I really don't think he would have killed himself with a tank, but I can't figure out how he pulled off faking his death in front of Flash-level character. I want him to be alive and show up in the next issue or the last, and I think we all do. Ellis is a cold bastard though, so he might really be dead.
I love the characters and the art and everything, and really wish we would get good modern style action figures out of this, hopefully by Mezco. Ellis and Ryp's character designs are so awesome I want them in 3-D on my desk!
If there are any survivors after issue 7, there could definitely be a sequel. I mean the country is going to be shambles after what is happening right now. After 7, it looks like the USA might be in the place Russia was after the fall of the Soviet Union. Complete anarchy and national barbarism! Artemis could shoot bad guys in the head for years with her double-revolver with attached mini-rocket launcher! I want more of this! Black Fall, Black Winter, Black Spring, Black Year, Black Whatever. This could potentially be Fixing America by Shooting the Shit Out of Everything.
The miitary dudes in #5 mentioned something about the tank crew saw Tom turned into "pink mist" which sort of implies that yes, he is physically dead.
Given that, I reckon he's uploaded his mind into cyberspace or whatever. Killing himself and ending up being dead dead wouldn't make sense at all, but this would fit his powers and what he said before strolling on out to meet the tank:
"Is this why you wanted me dead? Because I live in the world?"
Also, I hope we get flashbacks for Dom and John Horus before it ends. I want to see what gave John the idea for loads of eyes
There is no pink mist shown in the comic though. Tom standing there, an explosion, nothing. I guess there probably wouldn't be anything left if you shot yourself in the face with a 120mm tank round other than a boot or maybe a belt buckle.
* It appears that fans are pressuring Avatar to make me
produce some sort of sequel or prequel to BLACK SUMMER.
Must create plan to have these people hurt.
I would love to see it happen. That Strange Killings thing about the modern combat mage or something got a ton of series. I want something like that, a series of series if you will, for Black Summer.
John Horus has come home, to the place where the Seven Guns started. Which may have been the plan all along - because, in the chaos of the conflict between the Guns and the army, it's the only place in America where he can be trapped and killed by Frank Blacksmith's new super-team of Tactical Guns! With art by the genius Juan Jose Ryp, no fan of The Authority or Wanted will want to miss this bleeding-edge eight issue masterpiece's penultimate issue! This issue is available with a Regular or Wraparound cover and also a rare 1-in-25 cover featuring a Tactical Guns design sketch, all by series artist Juan Jose Ryp!"
It's funny, but the only thing I can think of with the Tactical Guns is "how do they know what their powers are without flashy costuming?"I just can't tell the 4 normal-sized males apart.
Also, the tank didn't blow him up, it was his plan to get the other Guns to go apeshit and allow him some time undetected.
Man this issue was crazy intense. The opening fight was incredible. The spread there, with all of the gunshots and whatnot, the detail Juanjo puts into every panel is amazing, but this stuff is almost mind breaking. Hyde buys it completely out of nowhere. Damn brutal. Down to the three bitches.
Horus and the general was good stuff. Especially the stand-down order and the bits with Horus finding out what Tom did to all of them. And then Frank Blacksmith drops a bomb (nuke?) on their location, followed by more Tactical Guns. Damn. I can't wait for 7.
Am still wondering what TomNoirx2 is. It seems we know pretty much everyone's powers except Artemis. Is she just armored ? Her double-revolver with attached mini-RPG is amazing, but does she have powers?
I'm thinking Artemis is kind of generically superhuman. She seems fast, but not Zoe fast-- although she has fast enough reflexes to save Zoe, strong but not Dom strong-- although she manages to drag his body.
I wonder if Tom's plan was for John and the PMCs to beat the shit out each other. If the Horus and the PMCs are removed, maybe society could be saved by the remaining Guns.
Posts
There is so much going on, almost every page! The level of detail is incredible. Look at the spread on 4 and 5. Really look at it. I am serious. I did not see Zoe in more than one place until the third look.
Man, the Guns tore up that army that was attacking them.
John's vaguely defined force-field thingy and floating eye-spheres of doom kicked some serious butt this issue. Cool to finally see him again. Awe-inspiring to see him in action. If Tom is not dead, things are going to get really ugly with John. "Tom, who I kept out of this because he's lost enough already."
Ryp is amazing. I can't believe he crams so much into a book every month.
I really like the last panel being a fade to black.
what in the hell are you talking about
The eyeballs were nifty though.
Geebs, did you just ban him for extra irony?
no but I think I know who did
I just have a hard time believing he would KILL HIMSELF WITH A FRICKING TANK after he decided to fight back against... Vince? in his apartment after remembering Laura. Ellis is a cold bastard though...
I really do love the artwork in this series, more than anything I have seen in a long time.
It was a little hard to follow the fight in the base. Zoe charges the other Guns, gets blindsided by their speeder, reloads (a revolver with a clip, but oh well) and starts shooting. Meanwhile, Dom has slammed the door closed, leaving Kathy and Angel to find ammo. Another one of the other Guns is shoving against the door/Dom. Zoe shoots the other speeder legs off. The floor gives out, and Dom, Zoe, and the de-legged speeder and an Other Gun fall into an old sauna or something. Dominic drops an elbow on the Other Gun and teeth fly out of his/her helmet.
The discussion between the general and the officer and their realization that Tom Noir tricked both sides into battle was pretty good. John Horus dropping that F-22 on the base and demanding "take me to your leader" was incredible.
Honestly though, after 2 months (printer error, not the creators' fault), it was not quite enough. This whole issue seems to have happened in about 5 minutes, minus the flash back, which is both awesome and not. And the ladies apparently burnt their bras and never bought more, because we see more nipples printing on shirts this issue.
Also, I'm getting a distinct feeling that Ellis is going to leave a huge opening for a sequel or something.
I love the characters and the art and everything, and really wish we would get good modern style action figures out of this, hopefully by Mezco. Ellis and Ryp's character designs are so awesome I want them in 3-D on my desk!
If there are any survivors after issue 7, there could definitely be a sequel. I mean the country is going to be shambles after what is happening right now. After 7, it looks like the USA might be in the place Russia was after the fall of the Soviet Union. Complete anarchy and national barbarism! Artemis could shoot bad guys in the head for years with her double-revolver with attached mini-rocket launcher! I want more of this! Black Fall, Black Winter, Black Spring, Black Year, Black Whatever. This could potentially be Fixing America by Shooting the Shit Out of Everything.
Given that, I reckon he's uploaded his mind into cyberspace or whatever. Killing himself and ending up being dead dead wouldn't make sense at all, but this would fit his powers and what he said before strolling on out to meet the tank:
"Is this why you wanted me dead? Because I live in the world?"
Also, I hope we get flashbacks for Dom and John Horus before it ends. I want to see what gave John the idea for loads of eyes
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
http://www.tfaw.com/Toys/Profile/Black-Summer-Horus-8-Inch-Action-Figure___294914
Zoe was right there looking at him, but she has her crazy techno-goggles too.
Also, the tank didn't blow him up, it was his plan to get the other Guns to go apeshit and allow him some time undetected.
Horus and the general was good stuff. Especially the stand-down order and the bits with Horus finding out what Tom did to all of them. And then Frank Blacksmith drops a bomb (nuke?) on their location, followed by more Tactical Guns. Damn. I can't wait for 7.
Am still wondering what TomNoirx2 is. It seems we know pretty much everyone's powers except Artemis. Is she just armored ? Her double-revolver with attached mini-RPG is amazing, but does she have powers?
I wonder if Tom's plan was for John and the PMCs to beat the shit out each other. If the Horus and the PMCs are removed, maybe society could be saved by the remaining Guns.
Then she never used it after the first issue she was in so oh well
it's pretty great action comics