Black Summer, then, is Civil War done properly: superheroes taking the law into their own hands, actively breaking it in the service of what they see as a morally superior position, and forcing the nation to respond as it sees fit. Many people will probably misconstrue this book, as it's far easier to interpret Ellis' story as a statement about George W Bush than it is to delve deeper into the psychology of the writer's central character: Horus is a flawed hero, condemning the President's illegal actions but finding no other solution than to commit several murders in order to remove a regime that he sees as corrupt. Don't let the heavily politicised premise distract you: this is a book which has as much to say about the superhero genre as it does about the Bush administration, and I look forward to seeing Ellis examine the moral grey areas that are inherent in the concept of a costumed hero who takes the law into his own hands at the same time as he explores contemporary US politics. Read Full Review