No doubt released concurrently with The Punisher being introduced in Netflix’s ‘Daredevil’ series, Punisher Max has now been re-released in a second collection. Written by the only, and most definitive Punisher writer, that matters; Garth Ennis. A master of gritty story telling, Ennis has the longest run of Punisher out of all the writers who have written for the character. Make no mistake, this is The Punisher that you want to read: gritty, extremely violent, and making full use of Marvel’s MAX title series.
Garth Ennis, famous for creating the soon to be an AMC series ‘Preacher.’ A comic that while it was running from ‘97 to 2000, Ennis won the Comic Buyer’s Award for favorite writer. His work is known for being more grounded with his characters not having superpowers and the stories based more in what is reality. His Punisher writing actually took on two different forms: his earlier Punisher works have a much more black comedy vibe to them; Punisher shoots people in the testicles a lot and there is a mob boss that is also a midget. But his revamped run, which is this collection, is much more serious in tone and story telling. Ennis is able to actually make his characters swear, the themes are much more adult, and The Punisher is a ruthlessly cold blooded killer. As he mother-loving should be.
Gorgeously drawn by Dougie Braithwaite for issues #13-18 and Leandro Fernandez for issues #19-20; the book covers stories: Mother Russia, Up is Down and Black is White, and The Slavers. All stories follow Frank Castle as he ages in real time, placing him somewhere in his late fifties. The storyline is continuous and in issue #19 mentions that Frank Castle has been The Punisher for roughly thirty years, and has racked up a kill count of over 2,000 people. It is interesting to note that these stories do not include other superhero appearances from other Marvel publications sans Nick Fury; as these Punisher MAX comics are supposed take place in more modern times and deal with more current issues such as terrorism, Al Queda, and reference modern government agencies such as the C.I.A. and the NRA.
Although The Punisher is more of a force of nature, and doesn’t really grow much as a character throughout these stories, we do learn things about his character through flashbacks and through his first person narration. We are reminded that even though The Punisher kills without mercy and is the first to pull the trigger, he has rules: no kids, and those that get killed deserve it; no innocent bloodshed. The standout story from this collection, doesn’t really even feature Frank Castle much, but tells the story of the descent into darkness and rise of mafia boss Nicky Cavella, as he systematically takes out his rivals. Ennis even makes a Marlon Brando reference as this story has obvious influences from movies such as ‘The Godfather.’
Overall this is classic and definitive Punisher. Ennis is at his best in this series, and if you are fond of the more darker take on the character this is the series to buy. Ennis still sneaks in his twisted brand of comedy now and then, but it is rare, and when it sneaks in; it is a welcome change. Pick this up if you want to get an idea of where John Berenthal got his inspiration for his take on The Punisher for the Netflix series; or if you want a comic that is just cover to cover spy/mafia action awesomeness.
Garth Ennis, famous for creating the soon to be an AMC series ‘Preacher.’ A comic that while it was running from ‘97 to 2000, Ennis won the Comic Buyer’s Award for favorite writer. His work is known for being more grounded with his characters not having superpowers and the stories based more in what is reality. His Punisher writing actually took on two different forms: his earlier Punisher works have a much more black comedy vibe to them; Punisher shoots people in the testicles a lot and there is a mob boss that is also a midget. But his revamped run, which is this collection, is much more serious in tone and story telling. Ennis is able to actually make his characters swear, the themes are much more adult, and The Punisher is a ruthlessly cold blooded killer. As he mother-loving should be.
Gorgeously drawn by Dougie Braithwaite for issues #13-18 and Leandro Fernandez for issues #19-20; the book covers stories: Mother Russia, Up is Down and Black is White, and The Slavers. All stories follow Frank Castle as he ages in real time, placing him somewhere in his late fifties. The storyline is continuous and in issue #19 mentions that Frank Castle has been The Punisher for roughly thirty years, and has racked up a kill count of over 2,000 people. It is interesting to note that these stories do not include other superhero appearances from other Marvel publications sans Nick Fury; as these Punisher MAX comics are supposed take place in more modern times and deal with more current issues such as terrorism, Al Queda, and reference modern government agencies such as the C.I.A. and the NRA.
Although The Punisher is more of a force of nature, and doesn’t really grow much as a character throughout these stories, we do learn things about his character through flashbacks and through his first person narration. We are reminded that even though The Punisher kills without mercy and is the first to pull the trigger, he has rules: no kids, and those that get killed deserve it; no innocent bloodshed. The standout story from this collection, doesn’t really even feature Frank Castle much, but tells the story of the descent into darkness and rise of mafia boss Nicky Cavella, as he systematically takes out his rivals. Ennis even makes a Marlon Brando reference as this story has obvious influences from movies such as ‘The Godfather.’
Overall this is classic and definitive Punisher. Ennis is at his best in this series, and if you are fond of the more darker take on the character this is the series to buy. Ennis still sneaks in his twisted brand of comedy now and then, but it is rare, and when it sneaks in; it is a welcome change. Pick this up if you want to get an idea of where John Berenthal got his inspiration for his take on The Punisher for the Netflix series; or if you want a comic that is just cover to cover spy/mafia action awesomeness.
