PunisherMax Vol. 3 : Frank (TPB)

After the massacre with Bullseye, the Punisher is captured by the authorities and thrown into a maximum security prison to serve the hardest of time. His body & spirit broken, Frank Castle waits helplessly as every scumbag prisoner with an agenda is out for his blood. Alone in his cell, Frank thinks about his past, his days as a soldier in the Vietnam war and the horrible things he’s done. Of his return to his wife & children a changed man. Will he let the inmates butcher him like cattle? Or does he have a little fight in him left? Featuring the Kingpin & Nick Fury.

The Pros

A terrific prison story and a retelling of Frank Castle’s earlier days and the birth of the Punisher. Writer Jason Aaron’s follow up to the amazingly blood-soaked PunisherMax Vol. 2 : Bullseye story captures the harsh reality of prison life & the decisions Frank Castle has made that shaped him into the murderous vigilante he is today. Illustrator Steve Dillon’s rendition of the Punisher is one of the best I’ve ever seen. From his characters deadpan faces and chiselled looks to the blood splatter & gruesome gore. It makes me want to reread the Preacher series all over again. The cover is wonderfully done by Dave Johnson.

The Cons

The Punisher’s origin is a straight forward tale that has been told several times over the years, grant it, not as much as Batman’s origin, although I did enjoy this fresh perspective on the familiar origin story, but I’m hoping it will be the last.

The Outcome

The Punisher is the very first comic I bought back in 1986, so the character will always have a special place in my heart. I’ve always appreciated characters like Spider-Man & Batman, heroes who have a sense of right & wrong and see the world in black & white. But I also like the anti heroes & vigilantes with a history of violence and crave bloody vengeance, who have a more “shades of grey” view of the world they live in. This is a fine addition to the PunisherMax series. Originally published as PunisherMax #12-#16. From Marvel Comics.