Murders are on the rise in Philadelphia-but no one seems to mind because the victims are all fugitives with histories of heinous sex crimes against women and children. Worse for Homicide Sergeant Matt Payne, the main suspect is leaving evidence for police to find. But when copycat killings start popping up due to vigilante groups dealing out their own justice, Payne must find out who's behind the chaos before the violence overtakes the city.
The deadliest campaign of vigilante justice in American history erupted in the Rocky Mountains during the Civil War when a private army hanged twenty-one troublemakers. Hailed as great heroes at the time, the Montana vigilantes are still revered as founding fathers. Combing through original sources, including eye-witness accounts never before published, Frederick Allen concludes that the vigilantes were justified in their early actions, as they fought violent crime in a remote corner beyond the reach of government. But Allen has uncovered evidence that the vigilantes refused to disband after territorial courts were in place. Remaining active for six years, they lynched more than fifty men without trials. Reliance on mob rule in Montana became so ingrained that in 1883, a Helena newspaper editor advocated a return to “decent, orderly lynching” as a legitimate tool of social control. Allen’s sharply drawn characters, illustrated by dozens of photographs, are woven into a masterfully written narrative that will change textbook accounts of Montana’s early days—and challenge our thinking on the essence of justice.
From the Preface:On the frontier, says conventional wisdom, a structured society did not exist and social control was largely absent; law enforcement and the criminal justice system had limited, if any, influence; and danger--both from man and from the elements--was ever present. This view of the frontier is projected by motion pictures, television, popular literature, and most scholarly histories. But was the frontier really all that violent? What was the nature of the violence that did occur? Were frontier towns more violent that cities in the East? Has America inherited a violent way of life from the frontier? Was the frontier more violent than the United States is today? This book attempts to answer these questions and others about violence and lawlessness on the frontier and do so in a new way. Whereas most authors have drawn their conclusions about frontier violence from the exploits of a few notorious badmen and outlaws and from some of the more famous incidents and conflicts, I have chosen to focus on two towns that I think were typical of the frontier--the mining frontier specifically--and to investigate all forms of violence and lawlessness that occurred in and around those towns.
Koichi Haimawari couldn’t make the cut to become an official hero, so he uses his modest Quirk to do good deeds in his spare time. Then one day a fateful encounter with some local thugs leads him to team up with two other unlikely heroes. None of them really know what they’re doing, but they’ve got the courage—or foolishness—to try. But they soon discover fighting evil takes more than just being brave... -- VIZ Media
Introducing the newest good guys in the bad Old West. A ragtag team of misfit avengers who don’t wear badges, don’t follow rules, and won’t stop shooting—till justice is served . . . GUNS OF THE VIGILANTES It begins with a massacre. A crime so brutal and bloody, the local sheriff isn’t smart enough to solve it. But when young deputy Dan Caine sees the slaughter for himself—an entire family murdered—he can’t let it go. Especially when the eldest daughter is missing. Right there and then, Caine makes a fateful decision: throw away his badge, form a vigilante team, and go after the killers . . . There’s one problem: Who would be crazy enough to join him? First up is a grizzled old tinpan named Fish Lee, who discovered the bodies. Then there’s the Kiowa, an Indian scout with a grudge; Cooley, a washed-up gambler; Mortimer, a whiskey-soaked newsman; and Holt, a half-grown stock boy. Sure, they might be crazy. They might be inexperienced. But one thing is certain: be it from heaven above or hell below . . . vengeance is coming.
With Pop possessed and wreaking havoc as Bee Pop, Koichi must push his Quirk to the limits to try to save her. The pressure is on, because if Pop won’t fulfill the duplicitous Number 6’s plans, this evil villain is more than willing to sacrifice her. The chaos downtown has also drawn the attention of Endeavor, the fiery number two hero, and his scorched-earth methods of dealing with trouble make no distinction between villain and vigilante! -- VIZ Media
As O’Clock and his accidental allies Tiger Bunny and the Rapper try to escape the underground arena, shadowy figures observe the chaos from afar. O’Clock takes on a hooded fighter who seems to be targeting him specifically. Back in the present day, Pop has been rescued, but Koichi and his friends have only a brief respite before the villainous Number 6 puts a terrifying new plan into action. In true vigilante fashion, Koichi must evade the law in order to protect Pop... -- VIZ Media
