Frank Castle is back, and given a bit of redefinition and relocation thanks to the vision of the creative team from Image Comics’ terrific “The Activity.”
Written by Nathan Edmondson
Illustrated by Mitch GeradsFor years, The Punisher has waged a war on crime in New York City with an array of very large guns, but a lead on a major source of drugs, weapons, and more has set his many sights due west. NOW! Frank Castle’s in the City of Angels, looking to give the devil his due. Things aren’t all they appear, though, with a highly trained military hit squad hot on Frank’s tail. Caught between a posse of Punisher predators and targets of his own one-man-war, Frank’s manifest destiny may be a shallow grave!
The most important thing about the success of Edmondson’s “Punisher” is that it manages to do a significant side-step from Greg Rucka’s revered (though stunted) run with the character while still feeling like a valid interpretation. While Rucka’s story was a tale of corruption and isolation, Edmondson’s lightens things up considerably. At first, it’s a little jarring to see Castle doling out gruesome justice on one page and then yucking it up over a cup of coffee at the local diner, but it gives you a sense that Edmondson’s Punisher has come to terms with a life that he’s lived in for a while now. The life that kept Rucka’s Punisher feeling more tortured than this one. But again, both interpretations feel valid. Actually, this “Punisher” harkens right back to the one that was introduced in “Amazing Spider-Man” all those years ago – overly aggressive and slightly madcap. And a willing ally, if your aims align with his.
There are some serendipitous contrasts to be made to Edmondson’s other ‘All-New Marvel Now’ title: “Black Widow” – all of these highlight the good handle that the writer has on both characters. Natasha is cold and focused, while here, the Punisher is more ethereal – even if they deal in the same means-to-an-end for achieving justice. Edmondson’s narration from a “drowning” Punisher starts the issue off giving us the impression that his Punisher is going to be overly brooding – a fact that initially shows up as a big warning sign to the reader. It’s actually a little overbearing. About halfway through, we realize that Edmondson’s Castle is much more well-rounded than that, and actually happy at times. Imagine that. Rather, the drowning narration serves as a naturalistic motif – something Edmondson will use again later with multiple references to water, birds (and bird accessories), and skulls (and skull accessories). Castle’s life in his new (temporary?) home feels “lived in” – as if even though he’s a man with no real home, he’s doing just fine.
That’s the other nice touch that I alluded to earlier – while most of the issue concerns Castle’s bloody efforts to track down the major participants in a drug cartel on the West coast, he takes some time to live his life too. When he stops for coffee at a diner, we realize that he knows these people and is a frequent face there. The same is true when he has a rendezvous with an Army official who provides him with some information and some artillery. Their short scene together provides a dash of wit and suggests a history and a great mutual respect between Castle and another one of his well-connected allies. While Edmondson’s “Black Widow” is rightfully a loner (who is even reluctant to let a cat into her life), Frank Castle is racking up friends and allies, even as he’s doling out punishment. Not everything is all rosy though – as you won’t want to miss who’s coming for him in future issues. This is an even more interesting development – one that makes clear that this is a “Punisher” title that is more of a “Merry Marvel” title than Rucka’s largely standalone run was. Edmondson’s opening issue doesn’t project that sort of “essential” quality that Rucka’s did, but I’ll be damned if it’s not a fun romp.
As he did with “The Activity”, Mitch Gerads applies his skill for creating a highly military environment to Frank Castle’s world. Castle is, after all, the ultimate rebel soldier, really. The western setting requires something different than Castle’s grey and gritty Manhattan haunts – something that Gerads (who does his own coloring), has an uncanny knack for. The opening sequence takes place in a lush river environment, where Gerads muted greens and blues provide haunting tranquility. Oranges and yellows characterize the city of Los Angeles as a place that will be harder for Frank to hide in. Fitting, as in this “Punisher” series, Frank looks to bring some pretty heavy artillery into some not so incognito places.
Continued belowAnother of Gerads’ talents is in his highly specific character work. Frank Castle somehow looks the way Frank Castle always has, yet fits into a modern setting. Gerads gets the most out of a simple, clean style, populating Frank’s world with a lot of allies and enemies that are unique and varied. It seems that Castle is going to be comfortable with being a more public figure this time around, and with that in mind, Gerads art brings him out of the darkness. His depiction of Castle’s brand of brutality is big and bombastic, and it’s all out in the open. There’s a twinkle in Frank’s eye as he pulls out a rocket launcher, the size of which would make several of Rob Liefeld’s pst infamous characters blush.
Edmondson has a good thing going over at Marvel right now. While I gave “Black Widow” #1 a 6.9 (which I still think is a good score), it improved dramatically after a first issue that felt very much like a standalone “pilot” episode that didn’t really indicate its full potential as a series. Edmondson & Gerads’ “Punisher” #1 doesn’t feel like a pilot and seems like it’s going to feed much more into an ongoing story for Frank Castle in his new setting. They’ve placed Castle into what is essentially a new life for the character. Fans who want to see Rucka’s dropped storylines pay off won’t get that opportunity, but if they can remember what the Punisher was like before that seminal run, they’ll find enough to enjoy here. It’s not the emotional and harrowing title that once earned a 9.5 here, but it’s solid comics.
Final Verdict: 7.8 – Take a flier on the first issue and buy it.
