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Fury MAX (Collected Editions)
Get Fury
Definitive Punisher writer Garth Ennis returns to uncover more of the secret history of Frank Castle — and Nick Fury!
Continuing one of the most critically acclaimed storylines in Marvel history, Garth Ennis and artist Jacen Burrows shine more light into Nick Fury and Frank Castle’s time in Vietnam. You aren’t going to believe what these two went through…and how they survived to tell the tale!
Deep into the Vietnam War, Nick Fury, is captured and being moved to a prison for interrogation. Fury has been working on behalf of the US government and CIA for over a decade and has about as much inside knowledge as any human. The CIA will not risk that knowledge in the hands of the Viet Cong and needs someone utterly capable and utterly deadly to make sure that it doesn’t. That’s where Lt. Frank Castle comes in.
Garth Ennis returns to the pulse pounding, heart-wrenching uber-story he began in FURY MAX and continued in PUNISHER: BORN, PUNISHER MAX, FURY: MY WAR GONE BY and PUNISHER: THE PLATOON with the most intense story yet. Jacen Burrows re-joins Garth after PUNISHER: SOVIET with the most fierce work of his career.
COLLECTING: Get Fury (2024) 1-6
Continuing one of the most critically acclaimed storylines in Marvel history, Garth Ennis and artist Jacen Burrows shine more light into Nick Fury and Frank Castle’s time in Vietnam. You aren’t going to believe what these two went through…and how they survived to tell the tale!
Deep into the Vietnam War, Nick Fury, is captured and being moved to a prison for interrogation. Fury has been working on behalf of the US government and CIA for over a decade and has about as much inside knowledge as any human. The CIA will not risk that knowledge in the hands of the Viet Cong and needs someone utterly capable and utterly deadly to make sure that it doesn’t. That’s where Lt. Frank Castle comes in.
Garth Ennis returns to the pulse pounding, heart-wrenching uber-story he began in FURY MAX and continued in PUNISHER: BORN, PUNISHER MAX, FURY: MY WAR GONE BY and PUNISHER: THE PLATOON with the most intense story yet. Jacen Burrows re-joins Garth after PUNISHER: SOVIET with the most fierce work of his career.
COLLECTING: Get Fury (2024) 1-6
136 pages, Paperback
Published December 31, 2024
About the author
Garth Ennis
2,653 books3,219 followersEnnis began his comic-writing career in 1989 with the series Troubled Souls. Appearing in the short-lived but critically-acclaimed British anthology Crisis and illustrated by McCrea, it told the story of a young, apolitical Protestant man caught up by fate in the violence of the Irish 'Troubles'. It spawned a sequel, For a Few Troubles More, a broad Belfast-based comedy featuring two supporting characters from Troubled Souls, Dougie and Ivor, who would later get their own American comics series, Dicks, from Caliber in 1997, and several follow-ups from Avatar.
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 22, 2025
This Marvel MAX mini series give you an adult version of the familiar Nick Fury and the Punisher. Interesting read. Recommended
February 1, 2025
A very disappointing book. Out of nostalgia, I do miss the original Nick Fury, the super spy not played by Samuel L. Jackson. This is a company man keeping the company secrets. In fact, most of the story is not even about Fury but a certain Captain Castle set during the Vietnam war.
Nick Fury has been captured. The problem is that he not only know where the bodies have been buried, but who buried them and what was done to them. Of course, the CIA does not want the information he has to fall into anyone's hands to do the send in the person with the highest confirmed kills Captain Frank Castle. However, is Frank being played, or is he playing his own game?
In this book, Nick Fury is just another prisoner. He puts up no resistance. They say waiting for his shot thar never comes. I know this is what would really happen, but this is a comic. A bit of bending reality is expected, right? This is a MAX book, but it is not even the most violent Punisher book. It earns the MAX label for not bleeping out the swearing. This book is just all round, disappointing for me in the story, the characters, and the point of it. The book finishes with a varient covers gallery.
Nick Fury has been captured. The problem is that he not only know where the bodies have been buried, but who buried them and what was done to them. Of course, the CIA does not want the information he has to fall into anyone's hands to do the send in the person with the highest confirmed kills Captain Frank Castle. However, is Frank being played, or is he playing his own game?
In this book, Nick Fury is just another prisoner. He puts up no resistance. They say waiting for his shot thar never comes. I know this is what would really happen, but this is a comic. A bit of bending reality is expected, right? This is a MAX book, but it is not even the most violent Punisher book. It earns the MAX label for not bleeping out the swearing. This book is just all round, disappointing for me in the story, the characters, and the point of it. The book finishes with a varient covers gallery.
January 7, 2025
I don’t want to say anything negative because I know Garth will be reading this and I dare not dissuade him from penning the next chapter in this exceptional series BUT… next time, please, a little less bureaucratic intrigue and a lot more Nick & Frank messily dispatching period-accurate baddies. Now get to work, Ennis!
February 3, 2025
Enjoyed this.
Possible because it was Garth Ennis.
Possible because it was pretty brutal.
Possible because it was Garth Ennis.
Possible because it was pretty brutal.
Read
October 21, 2024While mainstream Marvel – not to mention the screen division – somehow continues to get itself in a tangle over one of their most straightforward characters, you can always rely on Garth Ennis to knock it out of the park when he's set loose on a mature readers Frank Castle series. Although you do increasingly get the sense he's pushing at the boundaries even of the leeway that label affords; I've read every Punisher comic he's written, there's been a lot of brutal stuff along the way, but with the last outing, Soviet, and again here, there were nevertheless moments where I turned a page and did a sharp intake of breath. Not that it's gratuitous shock tactics; these are war stories, and part of telling that honestly is acknowledging that in any war, but especially one like Vietnam, some horrifying shit goes down, especially if you open with one of your leads captured by the Viet Cong and en route to the Hanoi Hilton. That being Nick Fury, a character Ennis has always done just as well as Castle – though more seldom, because even Ennis doesn't like spending too much time with his version of the ultimate ends-justify-the-means spook. So the Agency, given rescuing Fury is clearly impossible, commission Castle to take Fury out, saving Fury from the hideous suffering in store for him, and ensuring the North Vietnamese and their Russian backers won't be able to get what he knows (pretty much everything, given Fury) out of him. Of course, Frank Castle, even before he was the Punisher, had a different idea of possibility to most people. What follows is occasionally darkly comic, more often harrowing, and leaves nobody clean. It is also, I'm pretty sure, the only Marvel comic ever to host an offscreen cameo by Guardian journalist Gary Younge. On art, there were times when Jacen Burrows almost made me forget we lost Ennis' great collaborator Steve Dillon far too soon.
June 2, 2025
Clever - perhaps too clever - Nick Fury/Punisher tale set in Vietnam during the war. Punisher (pre-super-hero) is tasked with finding Fury (same) who has been captured by the North Vietnamese. Fury knows some valuable secrets - namely, what a general and a couple CIA officers have been up to (drug smuggling). So, Fury must be captured (or killed) by the kind of guy who is both ruthlessly efficient and expendable.
Get Fury tracks a few paths, which hurts its coherency. Fury and Punisher, of course, but also the general/CIA guys (who are constantly "figuring things out" without ever telling the reader what they're figuring out) and an old North Vietnamese leader who is narrating the whole thing unnecessarily. It's a bit too much and would have been a much crisper tale if it stuck to its core: Punisher saves Fury in an impossible prison break.
The art is terrific (and very much warrants the Max marking) and much of the plot is engaging and intriguing. Maybe not a true four-star read, but the kind of book that's good enough you suspect it would make more sense on a re-read.
Get Fury tracks a few paths, which hurts its coherency. Fury and Punisher, of course, but also the general/CIA guys (who are constantly "figuring things out" without ever telling the reader what they're figuring out) and an old North Vietnamese leader who is narrating the whole thing unnecessarily. It's a bit too much and would have been a much crisper tale if it stuck to its core: Punisher saves Fury in an impossible prison break.
The art is terrific (and very much warrants the Max marking) and much of the plot is engaging and intriguing. Maybe not a true four-star read, but the kind of book that's good enough you suspect it would make more sense on a re-read.
April 29, 2025
No one writes the old school Nick Fury like Garth Ennis. Some people might not enjoy the machinations of the plot that get in the way of Frank murdering people, but I enjoyed them. Ennis paced the story well. It also helped that artist Jacen Burrows has a style that’s complementary to long time Ennis collaborator, the late Steve Dillon. He did a great job.
Read
October 21, 2024Near as I can tell, this is the chronological order of Ennis' Frank Castle/Nick Fury Vietnam stories:
The Platoon
My War Gone By 7-9
Get Fury
Born
Get Fury relies heavily on a plot point from My War Gone By, and I strongly recommend familiarizing yourself with that (fantastic) arc before diving into this. I had to reread those War issues after the second issue of this series to make sure I got everything. And that leads me to my main complaint with the book: a bit too much text, a bit too much plot. It has a simple enough premise: Fury is captured by the Vietcong, and because he knows U.S. military secrets, top brass sends Frank Castle to kill him so those secrets don’t got public. Here's where things get complicated. The brass, including two C.I.A. agents, realize Fury and Castle know about their coverup of a drug running operation in Vietnam. Ennis spends a lot of time explaining this, to the point where it's slightly confusing even if you read that War arc closely. And there's more. Two new characters whose lives are inextricably tied to Fury have their elaborate backstory explained in issue 4. Basically, issues 2-4 feature lots of backstory, nearly bringing the story to a halt if it wasn't for those scenes of Frank doing his thing.
This is Ennis, so the dialogue comes off. Burrows, an Ennis collaborator for two decades now, is a great fit for the story too (his style really looks like Steve Dillon's). The last issue hammers home how much of a fuckup Vietnam was; Ennis doesn't shy away from laying his feelings on the line about the conflict, specifically in the two text sections he includes at the beginning and end of the issue. The last issue also gets to the core of Castle and Fury’s unfuckwithable-ness even during this early period in their histories. Further proof that Ennis remains the characters’ greatest writer.
Still, I have to say this is one of the weaker Ennis Punisher outings, not on the level of his two recent returns to the character (The Platoon and Soviet). He could have streamlined the story better.
The Platoon
My War Gone By 7-9
Get Fury
Born
Get Fury relies heavily on a plot point from My War Gone By, and I strongly recommend familiarizing yourself with that (fantastic) arc before diving into this. I had to reread those War issues after the second issue of this series to make sure I got everything. And that leads me to my main complaint with the book: a bit too much text, a bit too much plot. It has a simple enough premise: Fury is captured by the Vietcong, and because he knows U.S. military secrets, top brass sends Frank Castle to kill him so those secrets don’t got public. Here's where things get complicated. The brass, including two C.I.A. agents, realize Fury and Castle know about their coverup of a drug running operation in Vietnam. Ennis spends a lot of time explaining this, to the point where it's slightly confusing even if you read that War arc closely. And there's more. Two new characters whose lives are inextricably tied to Fury have their elaborate backstory explained in issue 4. Basically, issues 2-4 feature lots of backstory, nearly bringing the story to a halt if it wasn't for those scenes of Frank doing his thing.
This is Ennis, so the dialogue comes off. Burrows, an Ennis collaborator for two decades now, is a great fit for the story too (his style really looks like Steve Dillon's). The last issue hammers home how much of a fuckup Vietnam was; Ennis doesn't shy away from laying his feelings on the line about the conflict, specifically in the two text sections he includes at the beginning and end of the issue. The last issue also gets to the core of Castle and Fury’s unfuckwithable-ness even during this early period in their histories. Further proof that Ennis remains the characters’ greatest writer.
Still, I have to say this is one of the weaker Ennis Punisher outings, not on the level of his two recent returns to the character (The Platoon and Soviet). He could have streamlined the story better.
May 6, 2025
Very - too much - chatty, and without the cheerful meanness of a good Garth Ennis book. Even Jacen Burrows seems subdued. Clean but dull.
October 3, 2024
2.5-stars if I could. Honestly, the first 3 issues were great and a possible 4-star book. The following 3 issues, though, were a letdown; the story just dissolved and went nowhere. It kinda left me feeling nothing.
January 29, 2026
Another nice addition to the Ennis Punisher saga. Deepens the world, the corruption that seeps into every hardship from all sides. Most Fury stories focus on secrets and espionage and Punisher stories focus on revenge and murder- this one gives you a lot of both. If you like the original Max run, this is a solid read that makes you see another few weeks in the Vietnam war and what helped create the punisher. It also makes you trust fury more or at least better understand him, he will never be able to fully trust or believe in anything because time and again he is proven that he shouldn’t.
November 4, 2025
Fun story with Nick Fury and Frank Castle during the Vietnam War before they become what they are most known for .
October 18, 2024
This was my toe dip into the waters of Ennis' Fury and Punisher work. This is a brutal and violent story, and in all seriousness war is. This story is probably not for everyone, and I am not seeking to use a cliche for the sake of using it. By the final issue Ennis does an excellent job of portraying who everyone is. From Fury losing eye during torture, Castle being disillusioned with the war, and the Vietnamese general who had them both in custody.
January 23, 2025
It’s rare to see Marvel Comics take a big swing with a character like Nick Fury, but they pulled it off earlier this year with Get Fury, largely thanks to legendary writer Garth Ennis. The six-issue series is now out in the collected format, pitting Frank Castle against Nick Fury during the Vietnam War. Steeped in realistic elements like corruption and brutal violence, the story works as it explores two heroes’ lives at a time when superheroes didn’t exist.
Once you finish the first issue of Get Fury, you get the feeling that this is a classic comic feel from a bygone era. The issue opens with an unfamiliar older man who reveals he’s been fighting wars since he was twelve. He faced both Nick Fury and Frank Castle during the war and happily shared a tale with us with no ire or hate. History buffs will note that he’s based on the actual North Vietnamese general Letrong Giap.
After the opening, the story firmly focuses on Frank Castle’s hard-edged and non-nonsense approach to war while Nick Fury is captured behind enemy lines. Ennis defies your expectations a bit when a giant soldier refuses to give up his puppy, and Castle backs him up even when it’s against orders. Speaking of orders, we learn early on Frank’s been set on a mission that’s off the books and directly endangers Fury. Go figure.
Get Fury #2
The story opens up in the second issue, as Ennis moves away from our two main characters to explore the CIA operative and general who sent Frank on his mission. You see, it appears there’s more to their little plot to kill Nick Fury, and it’s a juicy one. By delving into their plot, Ennis reveals the corruption of the U.S. government and the likelihood this isn’t a fight between heroes but an eventual team-up!
Grounding the story is an old Vietnamese man recounting this tale to an unseen interviewer. Fans of war stories and the strategy that comes with them will be pleased by some specific details of attacks in Vietnam, which led to a rather tense jet fighter interaction with ground missiles. Seeing the war through his eyes makes this less of an idealized American POV of the war and a more realistic one.
Overall, this story is quite slow but reads better in trade paperback. A long scene between Frank and a superior takes four pages to convey something rather simple early on, for instance.
What isn’t from a bygone era is the art by Jacen Burrows and Guillermo Ortego with colors by Nolan Woodard. The art is bright and modern looking and suits the slower tempo of Ennis’ script. At times, you can imagine Steve Dillon drawing this book with close-ups of characters’ faces as they speak truths. The gore in a final brutal act is well drawn and grisly. Your stomach may even turn as you read it.
Get Fury is a thoughtful and gritty addition to Marvel’s war-focused narratives, offering a nuanced look at two iconic characters in a morally complex historical context. While the pacing may test readers’ patience, the payoff is a compelling and well-drawn story that balances brutal action with introspection.
Once you finish the first issue of Get Fury, you get the feeling that this is a classic comic feel from a bygone era. The issue opens with an unfamiliar older man who reveals he’s been fighting wars since he was twelve. He faced both Nick Fury and Frank Castle during the war and happily shared a tale with us with no ire or hate. History buffs will note that he’s based on the actual North Vietnamese general Letrong Giap.
After the opening, the story firmly focuses on Frank Castle’s hard-edged and non-nonsense approach to war while Nick Fury is captured behind enemy lines. Ennis defies your expectations a bit when a giant soldier refuses to give up his puppy, and Castle backs him up even when it’s against orders. Speaking of orders, we learn early on Frank’s been set on a mission that’s off the books and directly endangers Fury. Go figure.
Get Fury #2
The story opens up in the second issue, as Ennis moves away from our two main characters to explore the CIA operative and general who sent Frank on his mission. You see, it appears there’s more to their little plot to kill Nick Fury, and it’s a juicy one. By delving into their plot, Ennis reveals the corruption of the U.S. government and the likelihood this isn’t a fight between heroes but an eventual team-up!
Grounding the story is an old Vietnamese man recounting this tale to an unseen interviewer. Fans of war stories and the strategy that comes with them will be pleased by some specific details of attacks in Vietnam, which led to a rather tense jet fighter interaction with ground missiles. Seeing the war through his eyes makes this less of an idealized American POV of the war and a more realistic one.
Overall, this story is quite slow but reads better in trade paperback. A long scene between Frank and a superior takes four pages to convey something rather simple early on, for instance.
What isn’t from a bygone era is the art by Jacen Burrows and Guillermo Ortego with colors by Nolan Woodard. The art is bright and modern looking and suits the slower tempo of Ennis’ script. At times, you can imagine Steve Dillon drawing this book with close-ups of characters’ faces as they speak truths. The gore in a final brutal act is well drawn and grisly. Your stomach may even turn as you read it.
Get Fury is a thoughtful and gritty addition to Marvel’s war-focused narratives, offering a nuanced look at two iconic characters in a morally complex historical context. While the pacing may test readers’ patience, the payoff is a compelling and well-drawn story that balances brutal action with introspection.
March 17, 2025
It was a fun, quick, read. Typical Ennis who sometimes is brutal just for shock value but also knows how to entertain and keep a story moving.
What I always appreciate about his stories is they have a solid logic to them and there is a clear arc and satisfying conclusion. I don't really like his take on Nick Fury who seems to be painted as a government stooge who has no problem covering up things for his government even if they are wrong. He even seems a little incompetent as written by Ennis. Frank Castle (the man who will become the Punisher one day in the future) seems to have more of a moral compass guiding his actions. He is also "they guy who gets things done".
SPOILERS AHEAD
My reflections on this particular story is - it all hinges on a lot of off screen action/exposition AND Frank Castle only survives because the writer wants him to - not because he had a good plan. Let me explain those two points.
First - Frank is asked to single handedly go into the middle of Vietnam territory (from my understanding - their key city) to kill or rescue Nick Fury who was taken prisoner and has too many secrets in his head. Unbeknownst to Frank - the CIA guys in charge really want to kill Nick because they think he killed some of their guys who were smuggling heroin into the USA (in order to help fund the war). So the pick up team is going to kill Nick before the rescue is complete. But then one of the agents think "actually it was probably not Nick who did that but Frank Castle - because Fury goes along with all the illegal crap to protect his country" so the order to kill Nick Fury is reversed at the last minute and they are rescued. All of this is done between talking heads and all this back and forth and changing of mind is done, not because of some event, but because a thought occurred to one of the CIA guys after the first order had been sent. Not very dramatic. And felt a little forced.
Second - Frank and his bosses know Frank will be in the middle of a heavily patrolled city but there is no plan for him to get around? He decides to pose as a Russian but never learns any phrases in Russian? So obviously that was a last minute idea. I mean - how did they think Frank would succeed?
Anyhoo - yeah the story felt rushed. I do prefer Ennis when he writes Punisher only tales. His tales with Fury always feel weaker to me. But I still enjoyed reading this.
What I always appreciate about his stories is they have a solid logic to them and there is a clear arc and satisfying conclusion. I don't really like his take on Nick Fury who seems to be painted as a government stooge who has no problem covering up things for his government even if they are wrong. He even seems a little incompetent as written by Ennis. Frank Castle (the man who will become the Punisher one day in the future) seems to have more of a moral compass guiding his actions. He is also "they guy who gets things done".
SPOILERS AHEAD
My reflections on this particular story is - it all hinges on a lot of off screen action/exposition AND Frank Castle only survives because the writer wants him to - not because he had a good plan. Let me explain those two points.
First - Frank is asked to single handedly go into the middle of Vietnam territory (from my understanding - their key city) to kill or rescue Nick Fury who was taken prisoner and has too many secrets in his head. Unbeknownst to Frank - the CIA guys in charge really want to kill Nick because they think he killed some of their guys who were smuggling heroin into the USA (in order to help fund the war). So the pick up team is going to kill Nick before the rescue is complete. But then one of the agents think "actually it was probably not Nick who did that but Frank Castle - because Fury goes along with all the illegal crap to protect his country" so the order to kill Nick Fury is reversed at the last minute and they are rescued. All of this is done between talking heads and all this back and forth and changing of mind is done, not because of some event, but because a thought occurred to one of the CIA guys after the first order had been sent. Not very dramatic. And felt a little forced.
Second - Frank and his bosses know Frank will be in the middle of a heavily patrolled city but there is no plan for him to get around? He decides to pose as a Russian but never learns any phrases in Russian? So obviously that was a last minute idea. I mean - how did they think Frank would succeed?
Anyhoo - yeah the story felt rushed. I do prefer Ennis when he writes Punisher only tales. His tales with Fury always feel weaker to me. But I still enjoyed reading this.
September 27, 2025
When you pick up an Ennis book, you're gonna get one of three things
1. A mean spirited shallow attempt at satire in the superhero genre that is not nearly as smart as it thinks it is
2. A boring history story that goes nowhere and was clearly written by a dude who is just really into war and Asian culture (he's a Vietnam weeb)
3. Torture porn (sometimes literally) where the characters are raped, beaten, forced to watch their loved ones get raped and beaten and then everyone dies because isn't that what life is all about (again, shallow edgy nonsense)
Get Fury manages to do all three with the addition of a plot that could be so simple and so effective, but instead is hamstrung by its poor execution so intensely that I literally had to make a map and write notes just to figure out what Ennis was trying to say with these plot developments.
This story is so overly complicated and done entirely in a "tell, don't show" way and I feel the need to tell you this because the plot that is described on the back cover is only present for less than a third of the entire book. From there Ennis adds shallow and opaque twist after shallow and opaque twist until you get to the end where Nick Fury and Frank Castle get saved out of nowhere with no set up and then we get treated to a tew pages of pure text with no illustrations (it's not like this is a comic book). Which is a damned shame since the art by Jacen Burrows was easily the best part.
I know I may be harsh but so many people still sing the praises of this dude who clearly hates what he's doing and just wants to write history and romance books. Just do it Ennis, we won't mourn the loss of all your rape scenes.
Between the art and some genuinely good moments shared between characters (between the overly complicated plot and nonsense) all that barely edges this up to two stars for me.
Only read if you love Vietnamese history and Ennis' specific brand of shallow edginess
1. A mean spirited shallow attempt at satire in the superhero genre that is not nearly as smart as it thinks it is
2. A boring history story that goes nowhere and was clearly written by a dude who is just really into war and Asian culture (he's a Vietnam weeb)
3. Torture porn (sometimes literally) where the characters are raped, beaten, forced to watch their loved ones get raped and beaten and then everyone dies because isn't that what life is all about (again, shallow edgy nonsense)
Get Fury manages to do all three with the addition of a plot that could be so simple and so effective, but instead is hamstrung by its poor execution so intensely that I literally had to make a map and write notes just to figure out what Ennis was trying to say with these plot developments.
This story is so overly complicated and done entirely in a "tell, don't show" way and I feel the need to tell you this because the plot that is described on the back cover is only present for less than a third of the entire book. From there Ennis adds shallow and opaque twist after shallow and opaque twist until you get to the end where Nick Fury and Frank Castle get saved out of nowhere with no set up and then we get treated to a tew pages of pure text with no illustrations (it's not like this is a comic book). Which is a damned shame since the art by Jacen Burrows was easily the best part.
I know I may be harsh but so many people still sing the praises of this dude who clearly hates what he's doing and just wants to write history and romance books. Just do it Ennis, we won't mourn the loss of all your rape scenes.
Between the art and some genuinely good moments shared between characters (between the overly complicated plot and nonsense) all that barely edges this up to two stars for me.
Only read if you love Vietnamese history and Ennis' specific brand of shallow edginess
January 28, 2025
It’s the height of the Vietnam war and Nick Fury has gotten himself captured by the Vietcong. Fury being Fury, he knows all about the CIA’s massive drug-smuggling operation and they can’t afford for that knowledge to potentially leak. The CIA needs a mindless, efficient killing machine to take him out, just in case - who else but Frank Castle? Time for him to… Get Fury!
Garth Ennis is writing a Marvel MAX comic which can only mean that it’s either a Punisher or Fury book and this time it’s both. Joining him is his longtime collaborator Jacen Burrows, and I wish I could say Get Fury is as good as their last book, Punisher: Soviet, but it is unfortunately not.
Burrows’ art is good - as you’d expect for an Ennis MAX comic, there are some very gory pages and Burrows delivers - and the occasional scene is fun, like seeing Frank do his thang in Da Nang (that is, brutally slaughtering people).
But, boy, is this a boring read. The CIA plot is convoluted and never interesting, Fury is largely absent, Frank is there but kind of a non-entity until he rumbles into action. Frank has always been in the background of a lot of Ennis’ Punisher stories but other compelling characters usually take the spotlight and none did in this tale. They were all so very forgettable.
There isn’t much else to say about this one - a very weak book despite the top tier talent on the cover. Time to get bored if you pick up Get Fury!
Garth Ennis is writing a Marvel MAX comic which can only mean that it’s either a Punisher or Fury book and this time it’s both. Joining him is his longtime collaborator Jacen Burrows, and I wish I could say Get Fury is as good as their last book, Punisher: Soviet, but it is unfortunately not.
Burrows’ art is good - as you’d expect for an Ennis MAX comic, there are some very gory pages and Burrows delivers - and the occasional scene is fun, like seeing Frank do his thang in Da Nang (that is, brutally slaughtering people).
But, boy, is this a boring read. The CIA plot is convoluted and never interesting, Fury is largely absent, Frank is there but kind of a non-entity until he rumbles into action. Frank has always been in the background of a lot of Ennis’ Punisher stories but other compelling characters usually take the spotlight and none did in this tale. They were all so very forgettable.
There isn’t much else to say about this one - a very weak book despite the top tier talent on the cover. Time to get bored if you pick up Get Fury!
March 29, 2025
During the Vietnam War, Nick Fury was captured by the enemy. Frank Castle is sent not to save him but to eliminate him because Fury has knowledge about a ring of narcotrafficants linking the US army to the NVC. As Castle makes his way to Fury, the powers that be question whether Castle and Fury are truly aware of what is going on and, if they know, if they are truly going to reveal it. As they ponder, Fury must suffer under torture while Castle leaves a trail of blood in his wake.
This is a classic Gareth Ennis story that gives us a look at Fury and Castle during the Vietnam War. It does not bring much to their character's development, and some scenes are excessively violent. The Punisher's stories are often violent, but I felt this one was one step further in its graphic aspect. Regardless, despite not being a memorable story, it was still an entertaining one.
This is a classic Gareth Ennis story that gives us a look at Fury and Castle during the Vietnam War. It does not bring much to their character's development, and some scenes are excessively violent. The Punisher's stories are often violent, but I felt this one was one step further in its graphic aspect. Regardless, despite not being a memorable story, it was still an entertaining one.
July 27, 2025
Now that was a comic!
Ennis crafted a wonderful piece of art using Marvel characters and the backdrop of the Vietnam war. And by god, did he deliver a masterpiece!... Marvel should focus on some more adult oriented comics because this was a gem. Get all that politics and feminism stuff out of the way, and dive in head first into the grime and dirty parts of real life. Those woke writers at Marvel can go to indiegogo or Kickstarter, and see how well their woke stories sell. This was a great comic that shows that life isn't always pretty. Or ends in a fairy tale. Deep thoughts.
Ennis crafted a wonderful piece of art using Marvel characters and the backdrop of the Vietnam war. And by god, did he deliver a masterpiece!... Marvel should focus on some more adult oriented comics because this was a gem. Get all that politics and feminism stuff out of the way, and dive in head first into the grime and dirty parts of real life. Those woke writers at Marvel can go to indiegogo or Kickstarter, and see how well their woke stories sell. This was a great comic that shows that life isn't always pretty. Or ends in a fairy tale. Deep thoughts.
December 2, 2024
Maybe there has been way too long gap between story lines with this Garth's pre-Fury/pre-Punisher thing. Clearly there is strong history behind this one and yes, I do have those previous stories on my archive but I did not pick them up and re-read those.
So, maybe it was because of that I did not fully enjoy this one. Or maybe this was just a thing with too much talking and not enough story. If this was told in three issues, this would have been tighter and faster. That would have better.
Nice bits there were so it was not totally waste of time.
So, maybe it was because of that I did not fully enjoy this one. Or maybe this was just a thing with too much talking and not enough story. If this was told in three issues, this would have been tighter and faster. That would have better.
Nice bits there were so it was not totally waste of time.
May 25, 2025
Garth Ennis returns to write another Punisher in Vietnam tale. This one has Frank Castle going behind enemy lines to get Nick Fury out after he's been captured by the Viet Cong and sent to the Hanoi Hilton. It's appropriately violent given that's it's a Max book. The story is needlessly complicated though and told third hand in parts, given it a told, not shown feeling.
Read
January 6, 2025Someday I will learn that for all that Ennis is quite talented, I don't actually enjoy his stuff and I should stop trying to.
February 3, 2025
Great story, lazy ending.
February 10, 2025
Kinda wonder if this’ll be the last chapter of the Max saga or not.
I do kinda want to see a story where Ennis gives Punisher a real ending.
I do kinda want to see a story where Ennis gives Punisher a real ending.
February 16, 2025
This book has put me down the Garth Ennis rabbit hole. Great story, great art. I love this version of Nick Fury. Looking forward to more punisher stories.
April 19, 2025
They’d some story leaps that fill unearned.
July 9, 2025
A different kind of comic, it was interesting seeing these two wartime characters interacting during such an explosive time.
July 11, 2025
I think I'm just not an Ennis girlie at all tbh, but as far as war stories go, it was solid.
December 2, 2025
This is a lot of fun! It is great to see Ennis take these characters and handle them realistically!
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