Get Fury #1
Recap
Vietnam, 1971. Captain Frank Castle, deep into his second tour of duty, has been given a new covert mission: get Nick Fury. Fury has been captured by the North Vietnamese, and only a man with Castle's skills can extract him.
But with all Fury knows about American operations in Southeast Asia, will Castle rescue Fury or kill him...?
Review
Any time Garth Ennis returns to the Punisher, it’s cause for celebration. The author knows Frank Castle inside and out, and has written not one but two definitive runs on the character. Add his iteration of Nick Fury to the mix – the ultimate Cold Warrior – and you have the ingredients for one helluva potboiler, and a comic not to be trifled with.
Ennis knows his way around the historical battlefields of Vietnam, too, and his decision over two decades ago (!) to firmly root Castle’s metamorphosis into the Punisher (see the superb Born) more on that conflict than on the deaths of his family afterward was one of profound transformation for the character: no longer was he a good, decent family man gone bad – unending war had already snaked its way into his heart, and was merely waiting for the chance to explode out. That shift may seem subtle, but it created an understanding that the Punisher is a man who happens to also be named Frank Castle, not the other way around. The difference might seem subtle, but lent itself to the creation of a Punisher whose war could never end until his life did.
Returning to Vietnam means returning to the origins of that iteration of the Punisher. Ennis knows this, and right off the bat, his Frank Castle is a stone cypher of violence barely kept in check by the chain of command. His thoughts are of two things: his war, and keeping the men under his command alive. He’s a soldier, first, foremost, and last.
That black-and-white interpretation of the Punisher might seem odd to readers unfamiliar with Ennis’s interpretation of the character, whose only interaction with the character might be Castle’s recent adventures as a ninja (yes, it’s as stupid as it sounds) in the regular Marvel Universe. But make no mistake: this is how the Punisher should be written. Grim, unrelenting, and uncompromising.
As for Nick Fury, well, if readers are only familiar with the Samuel L. Jackson version – they’re in for a treat. Dating all the way back to 2001, Ennis takes his interpretation of the classic version of the character and turns him into the kind of sonuva bitch who’ll do whatever he needs to do to succeed in the mission for his country. He’s a kind of inverse of Punisher, in that they’re both soldiers, but one fights for country while the other fights for himself. The two of them have met before, in Ennis’s criminally underrated Fury: My War Gone By, so there’s precedent for how they’ll eventually interact with one another. Be forewarned: it’s fun.
The plot is another of Ennis’s meticulously-researched forays into 20th-century warzones. His Vietnam is dangerous and unknowable. The soldiers who fought this war (not to mention their commanding officers) didn’t understand their enemies; this truth is hardwired into Ennis’s storytelling at every turn. However, he admirably sidesteps the temptation to “other-ize” the North Vietnamese; yes, they do terrible things, but it’s nothing that didn’t occur in real life. The growing horror of one of their captives late in the story as he realizes his brother-in-arms is doomed to die horribly isn’t some figment of Ennis’s imagination; it’s made all the more horrifying by the fact that yes, these types of things did happen. And the knowledge that American soldiers committed atrocities too, leaving an indelible mark on the story’s tone.
Jacen Burrows’ art is solemn and crisp, playing well into that tone. He’s maybe a tad too solemn in places, though, leaving some of his characters feeling a little stiff. Colorist Nolan Woodard’s work elevates every page, though, creating a muted palette that suits the story to a tee. Topped off with Guillermo Ortego’s smooth inks and Rob Steen’s traditional-looking lettering, and you have a top-tier book that might have been produced in 1984, 2004, or 2024. The versatility on display from the entire art team earns top marks, even with the minor niggle with Burrows’ pencils.
Final Thoughts
Run, don't walk. Buy this book NOW, and immerse yourself back in the definitive world of the Punisher. You won't be disappointed.
Get Fury #1: P.T.S.D.
- Writing - 10/1010/10
- Storyline - 10/1010/10
- Art - 10/1010/10
- Color - 10/1010/10
- Cover Art - 10/1010/10