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The Punisher (2004) (Collected Editions)
Untold Tales of Punisher MAX
PunisherMAX returns for another round as talented creators including JASON LATOUR (BPRD, Loose Ends) and award-winning crime novelist JASON STARR bring their unique visions to the gritty MAX world of Frank Castle! A massive debt, a gun with untraceable bullets, and one unthinkable choice. Whose side will the Punisher take? Frank gets involved in the most twisted encounter ever. COLLECTING: UNTOLD TALES OF PUNISHER MAX 1-5
120 pages, Paperback
First published December 26, 2012
7 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Jason Starr
116 books244 followersJason Starr is the international bestselling author of many crime novels and thrillers, including Cold Caller, The Follower, The Pack and The Next Time I Die. He also writes comics for Marvel (Wolverine, The Punisher) and DC (Batman, The Avenger) and original graphic novels such as Red Border and Casual Fling. In addition, he writes film and TV tie-in novels including an official Ant-Man novel and the Gotham novels based on the hit TV show. His books have been published in sixteen languages and several of his novels are in development for film and TV. He has won the Anthony Award for mystery fiction twice, as well as a Barry Award. Starr lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 10, 2021
The first 3 tales should have stayed untold. They barely had the Punisher in them. They were straight up crime stories where the Punisher shows up at the very end. Which would be fine if they were any good. Crap art too. The last two were better, probably because they actually featured the Punisher.
October 17, 2018
Just as the title would ostensibly not suggest, some stories are (and should remain) untold for a reason. Featuring 4 boring duds to shamelessly sell yet another TPB, only the 4th tale is worthy of anything approaching a read. Ever since the abominable FrankenCastle story line only a few years back, I’m been beyond recalcitrant to enjoy anything Punisher related published recently and this collection proved my cynical expectations once again.
4 parts crap, 1 part ok: ultimately not worth your time.
4 parts crap, 1 part ok: ultimately not worth your time.
November 26, 2017
A mediocre volume, no story deserving better than a half hearted 2.5* even less.
- Jimmy's collision is about an inveterate gambler who thinks he can play his way out of debts through the Punisher. He's wrong. The best of the lot. 2.5*
- Where the devil don't stay plays the southern hillbilly tune. One can wonder what Franck is doing down South. Not enough scum in NY to eradicate? 2*
- The ribbon is running for the worst of the volume. Now Franck becomes somehow a hired hitman for a girl to exact her revenge. How did she found him? In the yellow pages? 1*
- Manhunt sees Franck played for a fool. But Franck's nobody's fool, you chump! 2*
- A little about revenge tries to deal with the consequences of Franck's war for "innocent" victim's families but fails. There may be a moral lesson here but I missed it. Too bored to death to get it. 1*
To sum it up : lousy stories, mediocre art most of the way (with the exception of Jimmy... and Where the devil...), you need to be a pure-bred completist to really want this volume.
- Jimmy's collision is about an inveterate gambler who thinks he can play his way out of debts through the Punisher. He's wrong. The best of the lot. 2.5*
- Where the devil don't stay plays the southern hillbilly tune. One can wonder what Franck is doing down South. Not enough scum in NY to eradicate? 2*
- The ribbon is running for the worst of the volume. Now Franck becomes somehow a hired hitman for a girl to exact her revenge. How did she found him? In the yellow pages? 1*
- Manhunt sees Franck played for a fool. But Franck's nobody's fool, you chump! 2*
- A little about revenge tries to deal with the consequences of Franck's war for "innocent" victim's families but fails. There may be a moral lesson here but I missed it. Too bored to death to get it. 1*
To sum it up : lousy stories, mediocre art most of the way (with the exception of Jimmy... and Where the devil...), you need to be a pure-bred completist to really want this volume.
December 19, 2019
Slightly mixed bag of Punisher stories, a couple didn’t really work for me, but the other 3 (including one by Megan Abbott) were really good.
May 17, 2013
An enjoyable selection of snacks, rather than a meal; wildly variant quality in story and art, but fun for all that. Probably more about the people with whom Frank chooses to deal than Frank himself, but that's no bad thing - it allows him to be understood without unnecessary schmalz.
February 16, 2019
tem seus momentos
February 3, 2025
Bummed about this one. All the tales are pretty boring, and the authors go with the technique Rucka used a lot early on in his run with the character, keeping the punisher out of the comic until the end when he inevitably shows up to blow holes in everyone.
Problem is, the bad guys are uninteresting and even when the writing is good, it's still pretty boring. A gambling junkie in over his head. A couple hillbillies who are in over their head. A kid with a vendetta who is in over his head. I get it. People get in over their heads, then the Punisher shoots them.
My other problem with this collection is that SPOILER SPOILER
most of the criminals (and the way he takes them down) don't make much sense. SPOILER- In the one tale, Punisher kills a guy who killed a woman decades prior, drowning her when she revealed she's pregnant with his child. No problem. But the way the author spoon feeds the reader the "twist" is weak and unimaginative. Turns out a girl who knew the dead girl read the deceased woman's diary and figured out who killed her and ....what? Called the punisher? Put out an ad? She lures the killer to the scene of the crime by wearing a bikini everyday at a bus stop. What?
Ditto for the child slavery tale. This guy wants revenge and tracks Punisher to a restaurant. How? How the hell do you track the punisher? Then you just walk up and say "hey dude, i need your help"? Weak.
Also in the same story they show Punisher sitting with his back to the front door of the restaurant. A small thing, but give me a break. Punisher isnt going to sit with his damn back to the door. Bush-league.
Problem is, the bad guys are uninteresting and even when the writing is good, it's still pretty boring. A gambling junkie in over his head. A couple hillbillies who are in over their head. A kid with a vendetta who is in over his head. I get it. People get in over their heads, then the Punisher shoots them.
My other problem with this collection is that SPOILER SPOILER
most of the criminals (and the way he takes them down) don't make much sense. SPOILER- In the one tale, Punisher kills a guy who killed a woman decades prior, drowning her when she revealed she's pregnant with his child. No problem. But the way the author spoon feeds the reader the "twist" is weak and unimaginative. Turns out a girl who knew the dead girl read the deceased woman's diary and figured out who killed her and ....what? Called the punisher? Put out an ad? She lures the killer to the scene of the crime by wearing a bikini everyday at a bus stop. What?
Ditto for the child slavery tale. This guy wants revenge and tracks Punisher to a restaurant. How? How the hell do you track the punisher? Then you just walk up and say "hey dude, i need your help"? Weak.
Also in the same story they show Punisher sitting with his back to the front door of the restaurant. A small thing, but give me a break. Punisher isnt going to sit with his damn back to the door. Bush-league.
July 21, 2013
I have been an idol of The Punisher ever since 2005 and I have read every graphic novel of The Punisher ever since. I believe The Punisher only is at his best when he is presented in the Max Series and this book gives a taste of that dark reality where The Punisher is. A must read for all Punisher fans. I hope in the future we see someone as iconic as The Punisher in the Max Series more! :-)
October 31, 2012
For someone who is well known for his brutal actions, I certainly didn't expect him to teach me a thing or two about life. But guess what, this book really did.
December 1, 2012
Great story! Great Art! Well worth the read!
June 15, 2015
Some what meh-experience. Short, one off stories and all of them were.... meh. Some nice art, some nice ideas, but still... meh.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews