The Punisher #1: Both Barrels

Any good Punisher writer knows not to mess with Frank Castle in the wrong ways too much: he doesn’t change. He doesn’t grow, he doesn’t have character arcs. He simply is. And what that is, is a force of nature that punishes crime, no matter how big or small.

But what happens if his body betrays him, and he can’t move in for the kill like he used to?

That’s the question writer Benjamin Percy asks in this latest volume of The Punisher. Post Red Band miniseries, Frank is running on autopilot, doing only what he knows to do best: punish the guilty. But he has no compass, no plan, no home – he’s merely moving through his life like a sleepwalker, and occasionally passing out from complications rendered by having his mind controlled recently (again, see the Punisher Red Band miniseries). Not a good look, and it’s eventually going to catch up with him.

Percy understands the immutability of Frank Castle. The man himself doesn’t change; his circumstances do. His are largely plot-driven stories. So the challenge for any writer is to create a new set of circumstances for Frank to inhabit while he does what he does best. Percy’s challenge here is to write a vulnerable Punisher, something readers aren’t used to seeing. And for what it’s worth, it works! Fans of OG Punisher yarns rejoice; Benjamin Percy understands Frank Castle. Maybe not on the molecular level that Garth Ennis or Chuck Dixon did, but there’s an excellent chance that out of Marvel’s current stable of rotating writers, Percy is the best man for the job here. The plot is fairly straightforward: Frank is injured and on autopilot, which means it’s absolutely the worst time for an old enemy to re-emerge (in a truly memorable sequence involving Tombstone, no less). How does Frank Castle overcome his debilitation and stay alive? Stay tuned, sports fans!

The tone of this book is dead on, and the narration rings true. No internal dialogue here – Percy’s Punisher remains something of an enigma, as an omniscient narrator weaves together the broken, jagged glass that is Frank Castle’s life now. If you thought that modern Mouse House Marvel couldn’t pull off a Punisher yarn, think again.

The art by Jose Luis Soares (pencils) and Oren Junior (inks) is gnarly, messy stuff. They bring a clean line to the proceedings, but keep it gritty at the same time. Soares’s Punisher is a looming, ominous physical threat, as flawlessly rendered in a “mine is bigger than yours” sequence involving a street punk who makes the mistake of thinking he can mug the Punisher. Frank’s smile says it all, here: go ahead, punk. Make my day.

There are nitpicks to be had with this latest Punisher #1, but they’re few and far between. For one, it assumes the reader checked out the recently-wrapped Red Band mini. If they didn’t, there’s not a lot happening to clarify matters beyond the “previously in” blurb on the credits page. To that end, it also assumes that readers will not only be familiar with Punisher sidekick Microchip, but will already know why Frank has him imprisoned here. It would have made much more sense if editorial had just continued this as the next arc in the Red Band series, or something similar. (But it wouldn’t be modern Marvel if we weren’t relaunching as many first issues as possible, now would it? *WINK*) Beyond that, though – it’s safe to say that if you’re a Punisher fan, you’re in safe hands with Percy, Soares, and company.

May the punishment commence.