A ‘Black Summer’ could lead to a very green autumn for Avatar Press

The avid comic book reader often overlooks small press comics and it is a mistake that really hurts the industry. Often the big two companies (DC Comics and Marvel Comics) are so busy one-upping each other that the stories go unattended while the companies slap the latest whiz-bang foil cover or hologram card on all of their comics.
Also, the bigger companies need to take their characters on long, drawn out stories because these characters are their bread-and-butter. So, in order for something important to happen in their fictional lives, it needs to take time in the comics. Just think of what would happen if Spider-Man broke his arm. That would effect a bunch of other stories throughout the year for Marvel Comics because they would have to work his cast into every story.
But, this is just an extremely minor point, what if he died and stayed dead? Well, that could never happen, Spider-Man is too popular and he makes too much money for Marvel to ever let him go.
But, here is where small press comics are great. They allow a creative team to take any characters they want and play with them. They can build them up or destroy their lives in order to tell a good story. Since the history isn’t there, like it would be in the case of the 60-plus year old web-slinger, writers and artists have no boundaries with these characters. Unfortunately, having an elaborate history is also part of the reason why people like reading about Spidey. So, small press has to introduce these new characters and then tell their story. I believe it can be a wonderful thing and great creative talent comes from books by small or independent publishers, but with so much out there it’s hard to find what is worthwhile.
I remember when I was younger and I found “The Tick” comics at the local comic shop. I remember how hard it was getting the all black-and-white issues of the comic, but it was worth it. It was funny, clever and written well. As a reader I felt like I was in on the jokes and I knew that I found something different than other comics. It was everything a comic should be. Since then “The Tick” has had a series of toys, a video game and two separate TV shows based on it.
Well, finding a small press book like that is rare, but it is worth looking because every now and then one can find a comic that is outside of the mainstream but could be the work that eventually helps lead the entire industry. Just look at Alan Moore’s “Miricleman” for the perfect example of this.
But, I’m getting carried away. This week, I found “Black Summer” from Avatar Press and it isn’t quite what the other books I mentioned were, but it does have some interesting ideas that are worth exploring.
Veteran comic-author Warren Ellis wrote the story and artist Juan Jose Ryp drew the book. Ryp has an interesting look to his art. Things are very detailed, For example, a reader can see all the intricate details Ryp puts into the shards of glass after a bottle is shattered. But, I found his musculature of the characters to be look much like rope. Every line of their bodies is over-drawn to the point of tedium. This is not a bad thing, it just tends to make the artwork look like something from "Mad" magazine at times instead of an action-based comic.
Ellis however is on-point. The story begins with a shock; a superhero has just killed the president live on television. Then the story kicks into gear. The “hero” who did the deed is part of a group of heroes called “Seven Guns.” It consists of seven different heroes who were genetically engineered by the U.S. government to be a weapon. It seems these heroes were deactivated and separated a long time ago and the heroes were expected to lay low and turn off their cybernetic enhancements. Well, in issue #1 there is a very “Miricleman”-esque moment where we find out that some of the heroes haven’t turned off their enhancements and the power has driven them mad. (Does this sound like Kid Miricleman to any one else?)
The government decides to end the lives of these seen heroes and cut their losses. That’s understandable for the one who murdered the president, but what of the other six?
As of issue #1 little is know about the others, but one of the original seven is now crippled after a failed government assassination attempt. A bomb took his leg and the life of the woman he loved. She was also one of the “Seven.”
Anyway, the first issue introduces us to the crippled ex-hero Tom Noir, the murdering hero John Horus and their creator Frank Blacksmith.
I’m looking forward to seeing where Ellis takes these characters, but I must admit that already I’m seeing signs of imitation (or should I say flattery) of Alan Moore. It is early in the story and the similarities might be inconsequential, but it is noticeable if you’ve read Moore’s work.
However, if you haven’t or are looking for something different than the standard Marvel and DC fare, give “Black Summer” a look.