Collects Marvel Universe vs Punisher #1-4. A terrible plague has swept the Earth, turning everyone into sadistic cannibal predators, including heroes like Spider-Man and the Hulk. Now, five years later, one man stands against the hordes of monsters who hunt the night. He is the Punisher, the Last Gun on Earth. And he has an endless supply of ammunition.
JONATHAN MABERRY is a NYTimes bestselling author, #1 Audible bestseller, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, 4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, comic book writer, and producer. He is the author of more than 50 novels, 190 short stories, 16 short story collections, 30 graphic novels, 14 nonfiction books, and has edited 26 anthologies. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, was a Netflix original series starring Ian Somerhalder. His 2009-10 run as writer on the Black Panther comic formed a large chunk of the recent blockbuster film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. His bestselling YA zombie series, Rot & Ruin is in development for film at Alcon Entertainment; and John Wick director, Chad Stahelski, is developing Jonathan’s Joe Ledger Thrillers for TV. Jonathan writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and action; and he writes for adults, teens and middle grade. His works include The Pine Deep Trilogy, The Kagen the Damned Trilogy, NecroTek, Ink, Glimpse, the Rot & Ruin series, the Dead of Night series, The Wolfman, X-Files Origins: Devil’s Advocate, The Sleepers War (with Weston Ochse), Mars One, and many others. He is the editor of high-profile anthologies including Weird Tales: 100 Years of Weird, The X-Files, Aliens: Bug Hunt, Out of Tune, Don’t Turn out the Lights: A Tribute to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Baker Street Irregulars, Nights of the Living Dead, Shadows & Verse, and others. His comics include Marvel Zombies Return, The Punisher: Naked Kills, Wolverine: Ghosts, Godzilla vs Cthulhu: Death May Die, Bad Blood and many others. Jonathan has written in many popular licensed worlds, including Hellboy, True Blood, The Wolfman, John Carter of Mars, Sherlock Holmes, C.H.U.D., Diablo IV, Deadlands, World of Warcraft, Planet of the Apes, Aliens, Predator, Karl Kolchak, and many others. He the president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, and the editor of Weird Tales Magazine. He lives in San Diego, California. Find him online at www.jonathanmaberry.com
Most of the world contracts a disease that turns them into cannibalistic savages. The Punisher is immune and declares war on all costumed individuals. Goran Parlov's art is just OK but the story is a lot of fun.
In an alternate future, mankind has been wiped out through a virus that turns everyone - even superheroes - into zombies. Among the infected are Spider-Man, Hulk, and all the Marvel greats, except for one man: Frank Castle, the Punisher, and he's bringing the pain to all of the zombie supes!
This short 4-issue run is a pretty fun “what if?” romp. Frank is at his ferocious best, meting out death to the likes of Deadpool and Wolverine. I did think that it was kind of a cop out though with how Thor and Hulk were dealt with (two very powerful heroes that Frank wouldn’t be able to beat in any universe). Also Cap and Wolverine? They wouldn't get taken down so easily either.
So while it is "Marvel Universe Vs Punisher", Frank doesn't have the uphill struggle you'd imagine which leads to a slightly less inventive story than initially hoped for. That said, it's never boring and the artwork isn't bad. It’s not Frank's best outing but it’s a good read nonetheless.
At first glance and after reading the book description, this book appears to have borrowed heavily from Marvel Zombies by Robert Kirkman and Sean Phillips. It starts with a mysterious pathogen that infected the world’s superheroes and devolved them into cannibalistic killers. This virus robs them of their minds and now they only live to eat human flesh. The plot feels rehashed but Jonathan Maberry differentiates it. In Marvel Zombies, the virus is stellar in origin, but here it is more down to earth. It is an engineered virus with weapon applications in the black market and it is the Punisher that is instrumental in exposing the world to it. This however made him immune to the infection and now it is mission to hunt down these crazed heroes and put them down. He is the only remaining “superhero” as the others have succumbed to this virus.
In many ways, it is a copy of a superior work but Maberry manages to make his mark because of his excellent character work. Two characters come to mind; The Punisher and Deadpool. The Punisher feels no remorse in dooming the world to virus he helped release, but he aims to clean up his mess with the same efficiency he employed in assassinating criminals. He reads like and feels like the Punisher developed in the regular Marvel comics. He does not compromise with his enemies and his code. The only good maniac is a dead maniac.
If there is one character that would fit in this post apocalyptic setting, it would be the psychotic Deadpool. The virus could do so much to enhance much of Deadpool’s already active psychosis. If any of his baser instincts is enhanced it’s his penchant for ultra violence and appetite for human flesh. He’s a perfect foil for the Punisher and have already encountered many times before in this world, only which no matter how many time the Punisher kills him, he always comes back with his wisecracks.
This was a fun read and the gritty art by Goran Parlov is appropriate for the post-apocalyptic setting. It is bereft of the humor that Marvel Zombies had and that is what makes it move away from its shadow. This is the Punisher and his past team-up with the teens from Riverdale notwithstanding, he is a cold blooded killer, only he kills criminals and in this story deranged, cannibalistic superheroes.
Fun. This is an alternate universe story where a virus turns most people into savage cannibals. That includes most superheroes, who the Punisher (immune to the virus) goes about killing. Maberry’s writing is quite good, his narration for Frank surprisingly measured. And I know some people don’t like Parlov’s sketchy art, but I think it suits the Punisher really well. His art here is on par with his MAX work.
Not a bad way to spend an hour or less. Although maybe not during a pandemic.
This was a fun little alterna-verse - a little reminiscent of Marvel Zombies, a little reflection of Old Man Logan. Frank is Frank, the villains are extra-bastardy, and there's lots of grey in between for the *real* story. Art's not great but the story and action are.
Better than average post-apocalyptic zombie hunting story. The Punisher must take on 'zombified' Marvel super-heroes who have turned NYC into principalities...and everyone is hungry!
Jonathan Maberry is the author of possible my all time favorite Horror novel series, The Pine Deep Trilogy. Therefore, it stands to reason I would enjoy his comic work as well, especially when he's writing my favorite comic book character, The Punisher.
This series puts the Punisher in a Walking Dead type scenario, with the main difference being he's dealing with super hero "zombies" rather than the usual kind! I liked the idea of the Punisher, someone with no powers, being a survivor while the superhumans were not. It also added a great element of suspense as it takes the classic "Lone Survivor" story (think I Am Legend) and takes it to a whole...nother...level.
If you are a Punisher fan, of course you will enjoy this, but if you are a fan of horror comics in general, particular Zombie comics, then be sure to give this one a try! Another great story from Mr. Maberry!
I really like this one, and would love it if it was an ongoing series instead of just a one off. The dark gritty artwork was perfect for the apocalyptic setting.
The only reason I didn't give his five stars is because it suffers from what I like to call "unnecessary Deadpool syndrome". I like the character Deadpool as much as the next guy, but it has gotten to the point that not only does he have multiple books of his own, but you can't open a Marvel comic without Deadpool being a prominent character in the story. It's like Marvel has some sort of editorial mandate in place that Deadpool has to be in every comic.
I love the Punisher. Anyone who knows me knows this about me. Jonathan Maberry managed to capture what it is I love about the Punisher in this series. The lonliness. The angst. The hate. The love. The longing. The depression. Stoic. Committed. Unflinching. A hopeless romantic in pursuit of vengence. And ZOMBIES! The entire Marvel Universe is infected and it is up to Frank to put things right and straight while protecting the innocent. Well done sir. My hats off to you. I hope you write more Punisher in the future brother!
Okay, I love Zombies. I love the Punisher. What happens when the Punisher meets the zombies? Only a thoroughly kick-ass story! Think of a Richard Matheson Punisher crossover storyline! Short miniseries, 4 issues, but highly entertaining.
Read again during vacation 12/3. Still great. I Am Legend starring The Punisher.
Awesome Marvel- The Punisher 💀 story in apocalyptic world, virus, etc... and that he has to kill superheros that he use to before when they were not infected.
Overall entertaining, awesome art, and fighting scenes looked very good too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Second time The Punisher went against the Marvel universe and although it wasn’t as horrible as the first time, it was still pretty bad.
In this 4 part mini-series brought to us by Jonathan Maberry, a disease is spreading through the Marvel universe and turning everyone into crazed cannibalists. There are very few people immune to the disease, one being The Punisher. For the past 3 years he’s taken out some of Marvel’s biggest characters and survived just long enough on his own. He is put in a weird situation however when he’s recruited by the agent zero of the disease, Spider-Man. Spider-Man wants Punisher to rescue his “mate”, and in exchange Punisher will as well get to release some survivors before they die. The Punisher must decide if he should help the man who started it all or just get rid of him like all the rest.
Maberry unfortunately does not deliver on a great/fun read. The overall plot is kinda interesting but also very cliche. The pacing was also a little too fast, with no real in-depth looks at Punisher vs any Marvel characters. Anytime we actually see him kill another Marvel hero or villain, it’s kinda lame and there’s no build up. I feel like Maberry also does a poor job of giving The Punisher a good voice. This didn’t feel like the Frank Castle we all know and love, just some run of the mill post apocalyptic hero/survivor. And the whole making him immune thing felt very corny. Just a lot of umph that felt left out in this one and I really couldn’t get too wrapped in.
I did enjoy Goran Parlov’s artwork a bit, but with not much going on in the story, the flow of the whole thing was just meh. Some pretty nice shots that were *supposed* to be cool, but nothing blew me out of the water. I wouldn’t say it was all his fault as there wasn’t much for him to do when the story didn’t provide.
Overall; once again The Punisher fails on making his battle against the Marvel universe entertaining. Even if in the comics he comes out somewhat victorious against the Marvel universe, because of the writers, I got him 0-2 against it.
Marvel Universe vs The Punisher by Jonathon Maberry is a graphic novel about how a plague hits the whole city of New York City. The plague that hits them turns everyone and everything into a cannibal. Everyone that gets hit by this plague is turning on everyone and trying to eat each other. After this plague wipes out the whole population, The Punisher comes into New York City and gets the last gun in the whole entire world. With this gun he has unlimited ammo and has to fend for himself. I did not really like this book that much because I am not a big Marvel person. I did not get into the whole super hero books and movies. I feel like if I was into that type of stuff this book would have been a really good one. There was not anything that i really disliked about this book. I did not necessarily love it but like I said I am not a huge fan of the super heros. This book overall was okay. I feel like if someone was a superhero fan then they would really like this book. It gives a different view from the normal books and movies show of the marvel. This book just was not the type of book I like to read. I would give this book a 1/5 just because I do not like the super hero stuff.
An alternate universe, or the regular one where shit went south fast. Punisher unwittingly unleashed a pathogen when taking out some criminals, which transformed most of the population into cannibals. The first one infected was one of the major players in the Marvel world, and it spread from there. This book has everything I like about post-apocalyptic work, as well as the great stuff about the Punisher; win-win. Interactions with survivors (both costumed and civilian) are what keep Frank going, on his quest to correct the mistake he shoulders the blame for. This is a very enjoyable book, and I would have loved to see this continue even further. There are shades of Children of Men, I am Legend, and other sci-fi future work.
Well worth a read for Punisher fans and fans of post-apocalyptic work.
This is a fun read. Different as it feels more like a 28 Days feel to Marvel. Castle had messed up on a weapons exchange several years back and now the world has turned into violent cannibals, Heroes and citizens alike. Frank Castle aka The Punisher is for some reason immune, maybe because he got hit by a heavy dose when it first went viral-since then he has never been ill. Not even a cold (lucky him). Now he has been hunting and killing, cleaning up his mess in his own way. But still something lures Frank to find survivors, eventually he does. A priest and a young boy. Some great heroes turn up, reverted to simplistic animal form, some still have somewhat intelligence to talk though, like Deadpool. Violent, fast and funny. The Punisher is virtually his own version of The last Man Alive/I am Legend.
I'm not lazy - it's just that once again Sam Quixote says everything I was going to. Doesn't quite live up to its potential, cuts a few corners, but a great big fun romp and a lively story (and honestly just the central idea is worth it... c'mon, Frank killing zombie superheroes amid the ruins of civilisation sells itself). Lots of fun, and most importantly actually credible as a Punisher story.. as Michael Roop puts it in his review: "a hopeless romantic in pursuit of vengeance". Normally I don't care for zombie stories, but this was fun. Love the surviving "good guys" gone bad...
This short but fantastic story manage to capture the pure anti-hero character of the punisher. This is why punisher is one of the best marvel character ever created. Along with a brief back story of Frank castle origin, this is a must read for all punisher fans; hence, fans of straight up, no nonsense vigilante like the punisher. It's a tale of horror, revenge, and compassion. A character study of a man that has lost everything, giving him an black and white point of view toward the world (with or without zombie), which is absolute justice. The punisher is indeed a legend in the sense of giving crime and punishment equal fairness.
A powerful, gritty and surreal new chapter in the Marvel Multiverse. A universe in which most of the noblest heroes of Earth are drastically transformed into primitive, monstrous versions of their former selves, and the one man who unleashes his own monster in order to stop them. Exploring the downward spiral a virus taking Earth’s heroes would take, the volume explores the aftermath of this scenario more so than anything else, and the fight for survival for the few who didn’t get the disease. A great read for anyone who loves alternative Marvel histories.
The punisher does ok. The disease is pretty odd? Affects sandman who is made of sand. Wolverine should be immune. The story is basically punisher moving and killing like a great white shark.
I bought this because I like Jonathan Maberry's stories and novels, and I enjoy Goran Parlov's expressive cartooning, so even thought I don't love the Punisher I decuded to give it a chance. This book illustrates exactly my frustration with superhero comics--there are no stakes, at no point did I feel like the Punisher was in danger of not making it through this story. I mean, I know he's going to because he's the marquee character, but he kills the Hulk with an arrow made of a Wolverine claw? He throws some grenades at some symbiotes and that takes them out? The disease that takes out the superheroes sort of hews too closely to the origin of the zombie plague in some of Maberry's other stories, which is fine and just pulpy enough to launch a story like this one. It was pretty thin for the most part. I will say this, though--the Punisher stayed the Punisher all the way through the story and the final few pages made reading it worth the while.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Tutta la serie "Marvel Universe" viene vista, ogni capitolo, attraverso gli occhi di un diverso protagonista; in questo caso i riflettori sono puntati su Il Punitore.
Qui abbiamo un assaggio di come il mondo stia continuando a evolversi e combattere dopo la piaga che ha trasformato e sta trasformando gran parte della popolazione in cannibali. Praticamente solo, Il Punitore continua la sua solitaria battaglia contro tutti, ma si troverà a doversi porre un quesito molto importante riguardante il suo scopo.
Ritmo serrato e coinvolgente, nonostante la storia abbia risvolti molto seri e complessi, Maberry riesce ad alleggerire la narrazione con momenti di ironia e non scade mai nell'esagerazione splatter.
Marvel Zombies pero no son zombies. Frank en el fin del mundo con un montón de superheroes por matar es una premisa interesante pero no es llevada de la mejor manera, no explota ni su violencia ni a sus personajes y tiene muchas cosas muy ilógicas para el universo que plantea, no me agradó del todo ni termina de argumentarse bien esta realidad.
Me divertí y me entretuve leyéndolo, además que recalca un punto que Marvel constantemente recalca en su historia y es que Punisher simplemente no es un héroe.
Una historia de un virus que provoca el salvajismo hasta en los mas valientes heroes de Marvel. Siendo el unico inmune The Punisher, quien se toma la tarea de extinguur a cada uno de los contagiados
4 comis muy buenos pero he notado que siempre el final de las historietas son debiles y sosas. Dejando un sabor amargo de boca. En lo personal un buen comic con un buen desarrollo pero con un final apresurado.