Product Description: The Bushwacker has taken a hostage in the heart of Times Square. With every TV camera in the world rolling, it's New York City's biggest nightmare, and it's coming down live. As G.W. Bridge watches the worst day of his life uncoil in real time, a lone beat cop is the only thing that's keeping Bushwacker in check... and when Bushwacker demands to see Frank Castle... well, that's when thing get really interesting. By Matt Fraction (The Immortal Iron Fist) and Young Guns Reloaded artist Ariel Olivetti (The Last Avengers Story). Collects Punisher War Journal #5-9.
This is not gritty Punisher stuff ^ OK. So far, I bought all 5 volumes of this series (hardback too)as I was so enamoured of the Punisher Max series. So on with the reviews.
It is obvious that the intention here is to recast the Punisher in a totally different style. He has to intereact with superheroes. In the first review, I was not enamoured of the fact that the Punisher was involved in some Civil War stuff, which means that you have to buy other marvel series to see the entire picture.
There is also the problem of developing the Punisher's character here. Whereas all the other superheroes retain their characters, the Punisher here is actively being "dumbed down", a diluted version of the sociopath. The character of Stu Clarke, Rampage is also ambivalent. His falling in with the Punisher is too sudden and unconvincing.
The Hate-monger plot was just too reminiscent of another a hick-town setup for a merc army from an earlier Punisher story of dealing with the same.
The Punisher killing Tati is a new twist to the Punisher character. Without any further angst, this is really out of character for the Punisher.
The art takes some getting used to.
I'll Make It Simple, Don't Buy This Book. ^ I think I must have bought this book by accident, high on excitement of preordering both Punisher MAX 9 and The Boys 2 I must have added it to my order on a whim. Yeah, I don't mean to sound so Comic Book Guy pretentious but plainly speaking this book isn't worth the money. In the positive column the art is fantastic, there's no doubting that, and the beginning with Bushwacker is exciting, maybe both those things enough that I should add a second star, but unlike the description suggests the Bushwacker story doesn't really go anywhere. Obviously this Frank Castle is a whole different character to the MAX imprint, although they share a name I think it's a valid arguement that people should not be going in expecting the two to have anything alike. Unfortuantly this character, judged entirely on his own merits, is still ludicrously horrible. He goes about posing, preening and running around going on about how tough he is like a five year old's idea of a hardcase. The writing is childish and horrible, which would be fine I guess if I could say to myself "No duh, it's a comic, it's meant for children." And accept I made a mistake in buying a comic that was actually meant for a younger crowd, but at the same time, unsurprisingly for a Punisher book, it also wants to juggle around with themes a little too mature for kids. And although I said you shouldn't judge the Frank Castle of this series with any other creative team there is one major, major misstep. Sure you can take him from calm, ruthless tactician to rageaholic, preening, blood-crazed psychopath who invents flimsy excuses to wear the dumbest costume of all time, but absolutely no character wearing the famous skull should ever cross the one line. I should warn you this is a spoiler, even though I'm begging you not to buy the book and you should take my advice, you've got your warning for this: Frank kills an innocent, oh there's some terribly shallow brain-ray excuse for it, but there it is, he stone-cold murders an innocent bystander and doesn't really seem all that broken-up about it. Don't go thinking it adds any depth to the story, it doesn't, and for whatever Punisher you're thinking of I think it's damn blasphemous.
After a promising start, this train wreck occurs. ^ The Punisher's reappearance in the Marvel universe was incredible during the Civil War. In the first volume of this new War Journal he shows us that merciless hero we've missed for so long during a literal beatdown he gives the Rhino! What great stuff!
Then this volume comes out. The majority of this story during his "I'm Captain America!" phase is told in a flash-forward/flash-backward method that makes no sense. We see him tied to a pole, then we see him starting the trip, flash back to him tied to a pole, flash back to the trip, and so forth. The story doesn't even really progress for about twenty percent of the book! When something finally starts happening it's such a letdown you'll find yourself bored out of your mind. Fortunately Marvel doesn't indulge this stupid Captain America phase for long and allows the Winter Soldier to show up in a future issue to take the mask away.
Marvel had such promise with this character. They brought him back with a bang (literally) during the Civil War and his interactions with Captain America were amazing. Even his decision to steal the mask was a good choice and showed potential. But when the time came to deliver on it, we are treated to the stupidest variation of the costume you've ever seen, and Punisher taking more of a beating than a nerd at a jock convention. They really blew it during this storyline, but fortunately it picked back up somewhat during the World War Hulk phase (which will come out in the next volume). If you like the Punisher, my advice is to buy the first volume, skip this one, and buy the next.
hell ya ^ i love the new war journal series. great story that shines a little light at franks soul, and finly he's part of the greater picture. the art in this series is frick'n sweat as well. if you like the punisher you'll love this book.
Matt Fraction makes the Punisher a part of the MU again ^ Matt Fraction takes the Punisher out of the grim and gritty world of the great Garth Ennis MAX series and does something readers haven't seen since the 80s: make him relevent to real world issues and make him an actual part of the Marvel Universe again. Fighting a swastika and star clad Hate Monger on the US/Mexican border really creates some fun and interesting moments of the character. The other reviewer, unfortunatly, doesn't seem to understand this, as the Captain Punisher costume is supposed to be over-the-top and ludicrous, just as the entire series itself is. It's a fun romp through the eyes of a not-so-stable vigilante. It's a book that requires the reader to have a sense of humor and a certain expectation that this won't be Ennis' Punisher, and to compare the two is just idiotic. Enjoy it for what it is: a well-written book by one of the best in the industry Matt Fraction with a completly unique art style of Ariel Olivetti.
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