Frank Castle is dead. Long live the Punisher. Well, for however long this new one lasts, at least. Yes, with Frank’s story wrapped up (for now) in an excellent run by Jason Aaron, it’s time for a new character to pick up where he left off and carry out a bloody campaign against every criminal element the Marvel Universe has to offer. So let’s take a look at this new Punisher, and see if his first issue.
And since this does involve the new Punisher’s identity and backstory, there will be big spoilers ahead.
Written by David Pepose
Illustrated by Dave Wachter
Colored by Dan Brown
Lettered by VC’s Cory PetitIs this the return of Frank Castle – or the start of something else? Frank Castle has disappeared, but evil will always need to be punished. With all-new threats rising to claim innocent victims, criminals will need to beware of a dangerous vigilante hunting them from the shadows. Who is the new Punisher? What put him on his path of vengeance? And when the smoke clears, will he even make it out alive? It’s John Wick meets The Fugitive in this action-packed new saga from Ringo Award-winning writer David Pepose (SAVAGE AVENGERS, MOON KNIGHT: CITY OF THE DEAD) and Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated artist Dave Wachter (PLANET OF THE APES, X-MEN LEGENDS), as the Marvel Universe meets the next generation of punishment!
The Punisher is a character defined by tragedy and bloodshed. Frank Castle lost his family by sheer misfortune, and then lost himself in his bloody quest to avenge them. So what tragedy could set another man down this quest?
In this case, it’s also the death of a family, as we’re introduced to the story through the eyes of two cops investigating a bombing. That leads us to seeing this new Punisher in action, as he hunts down the criminal responsible for the attack. So it comes as very little surprise when we learn that this new Punisher is Joe Garrison, a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent whose wife and kids were killed by the bombing, and is now the top suspect for it.
So that’s our general setup. Naturally, this sends Joe on his own warpath as he seeks revenge on those who killed his family, with no care for what happens to him after.
Obviously, we have to compare him to Frank Castle. There are already plenty of parallels – Frank’s history in the military gave him the training, weapons, and connections to help carry out his rampage of revenge, whereas Joe has his time as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with a notable body count. Frank’s family was in the wrong place at the wrong time when they got caught in the crossfire of a mob war, while Joe’s family was caught in the crossfire of old enemies targeting him. Both have a large arsenal of weapons and a “guy in the chair” helping out with the tech and support. And of course, both are exceedingly efficient at killing bad guys.
That does lend to some great fight scenes, with a combination of well-illustrated gunfights (thanks to the artwork by Dave Wachter) and hard-hitting close-quarters combat, complete with some painful-looking finishes. The fights flow well, they hit hard, and they look great through a combination of detailed illustration and dramatic uses of shadows and colors.
With all that said, it’s important that Joe Garrison has some way of differentiating himself from Frank Castle, otherwise his story would just be more of the same. In this case, one major element is Joe’s status as a wanted man. While Frank is just a murderous vigilante, Joe is the prime suspect in the killing of his own family, and a key element of his story is needing to bring in the real killer to clear his name. It adds a different kind of stake to the story, even if it soon stops mattering after his body count rises.
Another notable difference is the technology Joe uses. While Frank’s weaponry was primarily steel and bullets, Joe uses more technological weapons, including portable rail guns (although he still has plenty of explosives and guns, of course) and other S.H.I.E.L.D. tech. Even the skull shape on his armor is the result of “ballistic chestplates” that just so happen to look like a skull with glowing eyes. (Well, it’s a reasonable enough explanation to keep the skull motif.)
Continued belowFinally, one point in favor of the new “Punisher” run is how it connects to the greater Marvel Universe as a whole. The comic makes the smart decision to tie Joe in to the setting by making him a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with a history of fighting enemies from Hydra to Latveria, giving him a built-in connection to other characters and events. It also brings in elements like Mutant Growth Hormone, and even a preexisting Marvel villain for him to fight, which makes the comic feel more like a part of the world it’s set in.
But even with all those elements, is it still an entertaining comic to read? Well, it serves its purpose of setting up our new Punisher and introducing him to us, while giving us plenty of good fight scenes to go with it. There’s enough tragedy to make Joe sympathetic, and enough drama to keep us engaged. And while it doesn’t blow us away with anything exceptionally profound or impactful, it’s still a solid start.
This is helped by the artwork by Dave Wachter and colors by Dan Brown. Dave’s gritty, detailed style is perfect for the atmosphere and story. The lighting and shadows make everything feel ominous and overcast, while the characters have solid designs overall. Sometimes the characters’ faces do look a little off or flat, but overall the artwork is solid.
Wachter’s strengths come through the most in the action scenes, and there are plenty of them. The first fight scene shows us the new Punisher’s speed and strength in action as he takes down multiple enemies across a single half-page panel, while still letting us easily follow the action as it flows across the page. We get appropriately dramatic shots of characters getting stabbed, smashed, and even set on fire, with appropriately dramatic framing that gives them the impact they deserve.
Then there’s the color work by Dan Brown, which is well suited for the atmosphere of the comic. The shades are mostly earthy and dark, save for the bright orange of fire and the glow of the new Punisher’s chestplate, which create a great contrast against the darker tones. The color shift when we see his flashbacks, taking us back to a literally brighter time, and they can change again when a panel needs an appropriately dramatic effect.
All together, it works well, and really helps set the tone.
So, is this a ground-shaking new addition to the Marvel Universe? It’s too soon to say, but it’s a solid start for a character that can carry on the legacy of Frank Castle (until his inevitable return, because comics revert to the status quo more often than not). It will be interesting to see where Joe Garrison’s story goes, and what writer David Pepose has in store.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – A strong introduction for a new character, with enough parallels to Frank to carry on the legacy of the Punisher, and artwork well-suited for the story.
