The Punisher, Vol. 1: Black and White

The Punisher (2014) (Collected Editions)

by Nathan Edmondson, Mitchell Thomas Gerads (Illustrator)

For years the Punisher waged war on crime in New York, but a lead on a major source of drugs, weapons and more has set his sights due west! Frank Castle is in the City of Angels, taking on the powerful Dos Sols gang - but when he discovers their newest weapon, it's bad news...for him! Now the Punisher must duke it out with A.I.M., even as the Dos Sols' takeover of LA begins and war breaks out in the streets! Will the city burn, or can Frank fight fire with fi re? And even if Frank can overcome A.I.M. and the Dos Sols, can he escape the tightening noose of the Howling Commandos?

Collects The Punisher #1-6.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Crime, Fiction, Comic Book, Superheroes

134 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 20, 2014

About the author

Comic book and screenwriter Nathan Edmondson is a native of Augusta, GA. His Eisner-nominated book Who Is Jake Ellis? will soon be a major motion picture from 20th Century Fox, and The Activity film will come soon from Paramount Pictures. NPR has listed his work among the “Top 6 Comics to Draw You In” and USA Today and CNN are among those who have listed him in their Top 10 lists.

Nathan currently lives near Los Angeles, USA.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son made me read this.
I'm not really a fan of Punisher titles (too violent, too bleak), but my teenager loves this shit. Probably because it's violent and bleak.



This is one of those titles that (I think) mostly appeals to guys. Yes, there are lots of chicks who read this (I assume), but its target audience has lots of testosterone. And call me crazy, but I've noticed that guys have a much different idea of revenge than girls.
From personal experience? The Hubs & sons seem to gravitate toward the Revenge Fantasy stuff that's hyper violent, and puts the bad guy/enemy out of commission quickly and brutally.
Boom! Done.



Whereas, my girls & I tend to gravitate towards Revenge Fantasies that (while still brutal) play the long game.
10 years from now your life will be in shambles, bitch!
And then I'll be coming after you in earnest...

Honestly, I'm not saying that one is worse, but I'd personally rather have a guy pissed at me.

Whatever. My point is that Frank Castle is the character that even my non-violent guy friends like. I don't get it, but...



So. He's after some bad dudes selling drugs (which just doesn't get me all that pissed. Sorry.) in Los Angeles. The cast of characters includes Frank's friend/connection in the armed forces who sells him military grade weapons, his friend/police officer who starts to think his way makes sense, and this wounded coyote (b/c he needs an animal, child, or prostitute to make him seem slightly human).



His villains are the best thing about this book, imho.
Electro, Domino, and the Howling Commandos!
Plus, the random drug lord dudes...



Everyone is coming at him, and with the elite Howling Commandos on his trail, it's only a matter of time before it all catches up to him.
Dum, dum, dummm...



Recommended for Punisher Fans.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

More than any comic I read, I probably go into a volume of the Punisher with the lowest of expectations. Why? He’s a vigilante. He’s angry. He kills bad guys in a variety of clever and not so clever ways (Bang! You’re dead!). It’s not a difficult formula to screw up or so you would assume.

Years ago, Playstation magazine used to provide a disc that would allow you to preview and play games that were soon to be on sale. One of the games included on this particular disc was a first person shooter based on The Punisher. How exciting? Right? My then youngish son was, “Dad, it’s the Punisher, from the comics. This’ll be great.” Well, the game play consisted of Frank Castle infiltrating a mob stronghold and going from room to room shooting his way through. For the survivors of this mayhem, you had the option of either knocking them out or shooting them in the back of the head, gangland style, then going floor to floor until you got to the top of the twelve story building. Rinse and repeat. Being the responsible and selfish parent that I am, I kept playing, going from room to room, upping the body count to the dozens, until my son said, “Dad, this game is terrible. Let’s play Mario Cart.”

Pfft and le sigh! But the kid was right, another sucky superhero video game masquerading as a sucky first person shooter. *

In this volume, the Punisher is in Los Angeles, trying to avert some sort of villainous catastrophe, because the Avengers don’t have the time. The bad guys even bring in Electro, who’s gone from wearing that goofy zappy star costume to having blue skin just like in the crappy movie. He gets to knock out the Punisher a few times; each time, it’s an excuse to run a view panels of the notorious picnic massacre scene of his family as a reminder to readers as to why he’s really angry and tres edgy.

So the Punisher gets knocked out twice, shot a few times, breaks a bunch of ribs, dislocates his shoulder, shoots a dozen or so bad guys and saves a coyote puppy. Plus explosions. Boom and Meh. Pretty standard fare.

There’s also a group of soldiers calling themselves the Howling Commandos (that's sacrilege!!) who are hunting Castle down and a very cool, but short appearance by Domino, my other imaginary superhero girlfriend.

*The joys of playing a crappy Hulk game I’ll leave for my next Hulk review.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was leery about this arc of The Punisher changing authors and storylines, but I feel that it was pretty successful in keeping the tone I liked with the Rucka run, without it being an exact copy. I didn't veer into the realm of ultra-violence either (what I was really nervous about). Edmondson continues to write Castle as a driven man who isn't afraid of using violence, but with his own rigid code of morality. I did miss Rachel Cole-Alves though.

Castle has set his operations up on the West Coast, and targeted a series of violent gangs who have declared a war against the city of Los Angeles. Castle adopts a wounded coyote (which was a nice touch). He also has a set of allies who help him out (in the ways he needs it). There are a few fun cameos I really appreciated. They don't step outside of the tone of the series, so that's good.

The artwork is well-done, different from the last run, but I still enjoyed it. They capture the grim nature of Castle and convey his dead seriousness about his vocation. I have to say I kind of have a soft spot for the Punisher that has been restored after the travesty of the movie Punisher: War Zone.

I have to say that I am satisfied and will keep reading the new Punisher series.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually pretty fun.

Frank is on a new mission to kill baddies, nothing new there. However, he meets a Super villain on his hunt and let's just say this one has a certain spark to him that Frank might not be able to handle. On top of that you got a rag tag group of Mercs after Frank and this time the Punisher might have met his match.

What works here is Frank is actually pretty funny. Brooding but not always, with a lot of good lines and actually shows he cares at points. The art is on point, with some really cool gun fights and use of coloring here. I also enjoyed the pacing as it was super quick paced. I mean it's not a work of art but for pure entertainment, this is one of the better Punisher comics I read.

A 3.5 out of 5. I'll round it to a 4.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

This year’s Marvel NOW! relaunches have been pretty amazing - She-Hulk, Ghost Rider, Ms. Marvel, Loki, Magneto and Silver Surfer are all brilliant new titles with fresh takes on old characters. Unfortunately The Punisher isn’t one of them. That’s not to say Nathan Edmondson and Mitch Gerads’ story of Frank Castle in LA sucks but it’s definitely not up there with the others I mentioned.

How’s this for an original plotline: Frank hunts down drug dealers! If mob guys are Frank’s #1 target, drug dealers are a close second and feature in a ton of Punisher comics. But wait, these ones want to blow up Los Angeles with a bioweapon for some reason! And Electro’s in this because… oh, and the Howling Commandoes are after Frank because…

You get the idea - this first story arc is pretty much all setup with no payoff. The many plot threads Edmondson establishes don’t go anywhere, at least not for now, leading to a pretty disappointing reading experience.

Take Electro, a character whose MO is that he doesn’t have an MO. Like in the (piss-awful) Amazing Spider-Man 2 movie, Electro shows up for no reason and goes after the hero for no reason! Lots of crackly blue colours on the page that look pretty but he doesn’t seem to have any motivation to do anything he’s doing. But let’s be honest - he’s not here for things only boffins care about like “motivation”, he’s here because he’s in a new movie and Marvel want you to know who he is.

Ditto the Howling Commandoes who show up to shoot guns at Frank and little else. Invested in this plot yet? So what about the main villain, the non-descript Mexican drug baron dude who wants the bioweapon to blow up LA? What do you think - does he succeed? And anyway, why does he want to blow up LA with a bioweapon?! We never find out. Oh, character motivation, where art thou?!

I appreciated that Edmondson didn’t take too long to establish Frank’s character as I think pretty much everyone reading this has read a Punisher comic before and/or knows his backstory: former military dude whose family is killed by the mob and decides to wage unending war against all bad guys now and forever. A few panels of silent flashback are all Edmondson does while his military past is glossed over in passing. By the way, the Vietnam-era Frank is long gone, killed off by Jason Aaron in his outstanding Punisher MAX series, replaced with a 40-ish Frank who’s a vet of an un-named war, conveniently making him ageless.

It’s an interesting move to make Frank and the Punisher two separate people to the outside world. Previously everyone knew Frank Castle was the Punisher - dude never wore a mask so of course people would know - whereas this Punisher wears a skull mask so his identity is secret, maybe the only aspect of his character that has anything in common with other Marvel superheroes. And the fact that the LAPD (not to mention the public!) actually like the Punisher was a realistic element to throw in - he does help them out when they’re getting shot at and he’s doing their job for them, taking the bad guys off the streets, albeit far more brutally.

Like Edmondson’s other Marvel book, Black Widow, the formerly cold main character gets a pet: Natasha got a cat, Frank gets a coyote! To humanise them, right? I guess it works, though how a wild animal gets domesticated so quickly is a tad unrealistic. Not only does he get a pet but I noticed Frank smiling - or not grimacing, to be more accurate - which was a surprise. His image really is getting rehabilitated!

Unlike Black Widow though where Phil Noto’s fantastic art made up for Edmondson’s pretty ok script (which remains pretty ok here too), Mitch Gerads’ art isn’t as remarkable. It’s certainly not bad, it just lacks the wow factor that makes you sit up and really pay attention. I did like the way he switched perspectives in the first chapter, I think it was the second page, where Frank and the dealers fall into the water and Frank’s talking about not knowing which way was up and swims downwards which turns out to be up and immediately draws the reader into the page - but for the most part, while the book doesn’t look bad, there weren’t many images that stayed with me.

The first Marvel NOW! Punisher book is just an ok Punisher story. It’s essentially the right character and Edmondon’s added a few small, interesting new elements to establish this is his take, but it’s also a pretty average Punisher story, undistinguished from the majority that’ve gone before though safely below the heights of the Ennis and Aaron runs.

I would’ve preferred a more self-contained story for a first book rather than what feels like a lot of setup for the next volume or two, but it could’ve been a lot worse and it’s certainly readable and entertaining at times. While not of the same quality as the other 2014 Marvel NOW! releases, it’s worth a look if you’re a Punisher fan but don’t expect the same kind of fresh take on Frank that Silver Surfer and Ms Marvel received.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Nathan Edmondson is writing some really good stuff right now...Jake Ellis, Black Widow, and now the Punisher.
Punisher is one of those guys like Wolverine who is really hard to get right on, because if you miss, it just won't work.

A big tweak here that allows Frank to change a bit but in a useful way I'd to switch. From NY to LA. Luckily, that doesn't mean that it's all sunshine beaches and boobs. It's called Black and White for a reason. It's the costume, which is modern combat rather than black jumpsuit with White Shitkickers. It's also the covers, which also have a bit of green/teal to them, and they are great, by Mitch Gerads who also does the art for the whole book. I loved the covers, and I was quite fond of the art as well. It has something in common with David Aja's Hawkguy style, especially the colour palette, but Gerads is not as rough? I liked Aja's rough, but Gerads is a little more fully drawn in, line work and such I suppose I'd say? But there's something similar about the two, and that's meant as a compliment to Gerads, who I don't think I've come across before.

Frank also has a very cool Skull balaclava, or really lame depending on your POV...I liked it, as it gives him just a bit more anonymity I suppose, which accounts for how Frank can operate in a new town and still eat at a diner. He's got a military contact here, Tuggs, who keeps him outfitted, a supply Sgt. I think, which makes sense as opposed to just having some dude. Of course, Frank also gets a pet, like Clint in Hawkguy, but Frank has to be tougher, so it's a goddamned Coyote! This Frank is still driven, focused, and on a mission, but Edmondson writes him having just the slightest hint of a personality as well, which is welcome. He chats with the diner cook and a female cop who eats there as well, and shows something resembling a sense of humour, a nice twist.

The monologuing/thought boxes cover the theory of the Punisher, who exists to take on criminals too big for the police but too small for the Superheroes, which I think is a good wheelhouse. He also discusses the shock that affects you after a major trauma, and how you need to push through it, but afterwards, you won't want to die; you want to live to make those evil ones pay. Also mentioning that after that sort of pain, nothing else can hurt you to that level ever again, which gives you a valuable weapon like numbness, which I can personally relate to. (Sadly, it is true for me, and I worry I am desensitized to things after the trauma that I survived, but it also does make you strong in a different way.)

The final ethos of Frank is a paraphrased version of the famous Edmund Burke quotation: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." I think it works perfectly here, and for the Punisher in general, making him less psychotic or sociopathic as he has been in other and earlier incarnations, even if it is Frank's self-justification, it works, and I think is readily acceptable to those who sympathize with him or his cause.

Plot wise, there's a Cartel that takes a new sort of chemical weapon from AIM, and plans to unleash it on LA. Frank is going to stop them, even if he doesn't know what the weapon actually is. There's also the appearance of a familiar supervillain who's in league with AIM and the Cartel, and has a particular dislike of Frank. In addition to that, Frank has the new Howling Commandoes on his tail, who have orders to execute with extreme prejudice! There's more going on here, and even the Commandoes note that. We even have another character appear briefly, but in a crucial moment/role, though this character isn't happy about it. We leave Frank in a precarious spot, a very solid cliffhanger that makes me want to get my library to order Vol. 2 NOW!

[Benji Glaab · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5🌟
Punisher is looking for a change of scenery and squares off against Cartel drug lords as opposed to his usual mafia helpings. There are a few other story threads in here like a special ops team that is targeting Frank, a beat cop that has unknowingly befriended the Punisher, and Aim is up to no good with Supervilains and baddie tech that is above Frank's usual dealings.

Overall fairly standard Punisher fare this is a series. I felt a little bored at times and the art could use some more polish and wasn't really to my liking. I missed when it came out but I'm getting access on Hoopla and I consider myself something of a Punisher completionist.

[Matěj Komiksumec · Rating 3 out of 5]

Přečteno čistě na základě toho, že to kreslil Mitch Gerads který patří mezi moje nejoblíbenější kreslíře současnosti. A z tohohle hlediska jde o zajímavý pohled když jsem nedávno přečetl jeho Sheriff of Babylon. Mitch je tady takový zvláštní a barvou mi přišel jako úplně jiný, přitom sám Frank Castle jako by v pár částech z oka vypadl Mister Miraclovi. Z hlediska příběhu nejde o nic velkolepého, jediný co mě tu fakt bavilo byli akční pasáže který fungovali moc dobře ale já zkrátka nemám rád Punishera.
Potěšil mě hezký detail, Frank nosí masku a to ho dělá dost cool.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let the West Coast Punishment begin!

I thought this was a great Punisher arc, with solid writing and a really appealing visual style.

Frank is the guy who steps in when the crooks are too big time for the cops, but too small time for the "Supers". His methods are ruthless, his attacks are lethal. That's just how he operates, no quarter given nor asked. So when it's time to take down a Mexican drug cartel that's operating out of La-La Land, the bullets, grenades, and yes, bazooka rockets start flying with abandon.

Too small quibbles keep me from giving this a straight-up 5/5, though.

First, the inclusion of a proper super-villain to me detracted a lot from the "street-level" feel of a a lot of the action.

Second, one group of people targeting Frank never really "clicked" for me, their presence seemed to that of random bad-asses without any clear motivation (I'm hoping this is cleared up in vol. 2).

PS The Skull balaclava is awesome. I will wrestle anyone who says otherwise.

[coty ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

the police are ineffective. want me to call captain america? so he can run around the streets whacking some guys with his shield? and then give a speech about it?

frank mocks the avengers and adopts a coyote, what more could you want? (3 stars for the story, an extra because i love the art)

[Judah Radd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just more of that good Punisher we’ve all come to love.

Badass shootouts, righteous murder, one liners, brooding, and lot’s of punishing. Also, brooding.

I dug it. I especially enjoyed the random inclusion of a supervillain and a mutants. They seemed out of place in the grounded Punisher world of drug dealers and stuff... but that made their presence all the more fun.

I really like the aesthetic, especially with Frank’s badass, super tactical special forces style gettup. It makes sense for him to wear that while killing people by the dozens.

I loved the art here. Mitch Gerads definitely knows how to do military style combat. Everything looked and felt perfect.

This series rules, but maybe I’m just a sucker for the Punisher. Naaa... it rules.

[Des Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is California flavored Punisher. So get your head around that before opening this baby. The style is different, the dialogue is less Eastwood, and more prime-time, and we're dealing with cartels, not mafia. A lot of Rucka's ideas come across with street level villains being real dark badasses, but Ennis' timeless take on the character is pretty distant at this point, and that might make it hard for some die-hards to swallow. Gerards' art is amazing here, and a great fit to both the setting and Edmunson's scripting. The plot has the perfect number of moving pieces to create a consistent intrigue, distracting us from the generally all-purpose Frank story. (i.e. killing various organized crime because reasons) There are some really charming human elements that harken back to the great Punisher volumes past, such as Loot, Officer Sam, and bacon maple donuts, that make this book very readable, and a totally serviceable torchbearer to the Punisher legacy.

Marvel Now has been a pretty satisfying relaunch, and its nice to see The Punisher handled by someone well suited to his types of stories.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I dont fear death, Electro. That's a weakness of MEN. I'm the PUNISHER."

Another great Punisher tale! This one has Frank in L.A. battling drug cartels, who bring in Electro as an enforcer. I've always liked stories where the Punisher battled super villains rather than just run of the mill criminals, so this one I especially enjoyed. He also has a mercenary force on his tail, the Howling Commandos, and this volume ends on quite the cliffhanger. Great story and art that fits well, I'm sure any Punisher fan will enjoy this volume!

[Jonathan Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Punisher gets a different look and feel

I've enjoyed the Punisher in his most recent incarnation- the Max series.

They start with a human bad guy, and the character is so bad that you have to stay until the end, so that the Punisher can bring vengeance.

In this series, the bad guys can have superpowers, and there can be multiple bad guys.

And the Punisher has friends - sort of. He talks at diners with people at least.

But it's great and still the Punisher. Just a great series, and I highly recommend it.

[Kenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edmundsen and Gerads have brought Punisher back to the top in my books.
He is doing what the superheroes cannot do but a fine line exist in his world between hard core, bloody reality and the fantasy world of superheroes. Frank has to manage both and manage both he does. Fighting a drug gang with Electro helping through A.I.M. and amoral black ops team targetting him is just an ordinary day with Frank Castle.
Pulse pounding and electrifying( pun intended, indeed)

[Michael Emond · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to check out this under the radar (for me at least) Punisher series which should get a little more hype. If you like The Punisher (and I realize not everyone does) this is a very solid story and excellent art by Mitch Gerads.

Let's talk about the art first. Mitch has blossomed on the scene with writer Tom King as "an artist to pay attention to" in that he has his own style and it is amazing. This is an earlier effort and not as polished as some of his current work but the genius is still in full display. My only nit pick is that the face he draws for Frank Castle (Mr. Punisher to you) is not the hard jaw killer I am used to. He looks more like a BBQ dad face than a killer.

What about the story? Garth Ennis (IMO) is still the gold standard for Punisher stories but Nathan writes an excellent story with some nice twists and turns and some amazing character moments with Frank (and his army buddy and a coyote; a diner cook and a female cop). The big downer is that this volume ends in a cliffhanger. I think the three volumes should (and could) be put together as a deluxe hardcover - I don't like reading a 6 issue collection and the story isn't finished yet.

You can also ask yourself - did Domino need to be air dropped into the story so abruptly to serve one convenient purpose? That felt very forced. Also, having a new bunch called the Howling Commando go after Frank while he is trying to save a city from Electro and a drug lord felt like over-kill..literally. I don't mind Frank being shot a bit BUT it does feel like we have seen that scene 100 times before (in Ennis' stories especially).

So while the story could use a bit of tweaking there was a lot more good than bad and I am looking forward to volume 2 to see if Frank survives that cliff hanger!

[Eric Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every New York hero in the Marvel Universe must spend a chunk of time "super-heroing" on the West Coast. This is Frank's time. He is in L.A. to take on the Dos Sols gang. Something big is going down, and they've brought in a new secret weapon to not only take over the city, but to end The Punisher.

The art is rough but fits the book. The storytelling is decent, with some new ideas mixed in with a ton of reoccurring Punisher themes. It ends a bit wonky, but if you were reading it in the monthly issues, it probably didn't feel that way.

Overall, it scratched my Punisher itch.

[David Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this version of Frank Castle, the Punisher. Loved the art and the storyline. But aggh, I got to get ahold of Volume II, this left me hanging. This also makes me want to go back and re-read some of the old Executioner books from the 70's. My digital library has several of the first 10 books or so. Time to re-read #2. Castle did a good job fighting Electro, but now has a new threat in the Howling Commandos. Very well done.

[Anthony Wendel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first punisher comic I read in a long while but I have to say it was very intriguing. It offered a very interesting look into the use of a major villain acting as more of a bodyguard to protect a gang instead of being the usual bombastic flashy individiual. Villains acting low key and just being used as destructive tools for real world crime is a frightening prospect.

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good new series

The Punisher is back to fighting super villains and that's ok. I prefer the Max version myself but this new volume blends the grit of that series with the superhero version of old. I'm definitely going to catch up with the rest from here on out.

[Jesse A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent. Fine art and a decent, not outstanding, story.

[JCUZZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Badass

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as Punisher books go, this one wasn't bad. It delves a bit more into the man behind the skull than some of the other Punisher stories I've read. In this one he is going after some drug dealers in L.A. At the same time, there is a group of mercenaries targeting the Punisher. These different plot points cross path at ties, but didn't really come together in a satisfying way.

I like Frank Castle's relationship with the female police officer the most. It gives a perspective of grudging respect for what he does as the Punisher in a system that feels ineffective by letting criminals go. And in a way his brand of justice might appeal to some people. The one thing this book really nailed is that Frank is a smart guy. It's easy to view the Punisher as someone who just goes in guns blazing trying to kill as many bad guys as possible. Here he is tactical and shows foresight. His military experience is shown and used effectively for the story.

The art's not bad. It isn't as bombastic as some of the other Marvel titles. Given the nature of Punisher's battle against crime, it makes sense that the art is a bit more subdued.

[Zack! Empire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this much more than the previous Punisher book I read. I guess this was more in line with how I feel the punisher operates. It was also cool to see him doing normal things like going out to eat. Guess even the Punisher gets a need for greasy breakfast food and coffee.
The art was pretty good in this one. It doesn't seem like the kind of art that would usually be in a Punisher book, but it works well. There were some parts where the art was kind of weak though. There's one panel of Domino in particular where her head looks too big and one of her hands has all the fingers broken, or so it seems. Overall the art was good but there were a few parts that took me right out.
The storyline isn't that original but I'm guessing its hard to come up with new ideas for a character like Punisher. He's kind of a one trick pony. You really have to give him a good villian and this generic gangster doesn't cut it. Cool to see him fight Electro though. That seems a bit out of his comfort zone, but he must run into super villains sometimes, so its cool to see he has plans for that.
Overall not a book that blew me away but still a good series. I think ill keep an eye on future collections.

[Joe Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nathan Edmondson - writer
Mitch Gerads - illustrator

In this volume Edmondson gives us that rarest of treats - a fresh take on an old, well-worn character. This is not Garth Ennis' dark and ultra-violent killing machine, nor is it Jason Aaron's monstrous, ultimately tragic soldier-gone-bad. This is a new beast altogether; a man who has come to grips with the tragedy that shaped him and understands his true nature.

The art by Mitch Gerads is excellent. Reminiscent of the same kind of pastel, watercolor style as Gabriel Aja, Gerads makes a big impact with his graceful and unexpected layouts.

Old fans will love what Edmondson and Gerads are doing with Frank, and new fans will find this an intriguing jumping-on point. All in all, this is an excellent volume that left me excited for volume 2.

Highly recommended. 5/5

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frank Castle is TORTURE MAN! The clock's counting down. Can Frank torture fast enough to save the city?

When he's not torturing, the Punisher is mindlessly killing people. Sure, you could say you know that's what you're signing up for, but ... Rucka was actually able to do something interesting with this characters. It's a darned shame to see him reverting to mindless form.

There are some bright points, mostly in the supporting cast of a police officer, some obligatory buddy, and a coyote. The coyote's cool. She should be the star of the comic. And the action-adventure picks up a little bit toward the end.

But, for the most part this is a miss. Not sure I care enough to see the resolution to the cliffhanger on the last page.

[Joey Heflich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Closer to what I look for in a Punisher book than what Rucka or Remeneder did, but at the same time, just not the level of sequential art storytelling I got used to in the MAX books. Probably because I still don't like the idea of Frank as a younger, less bitter version of the Frank I love. But there's some great moments scattered throughout the series so far, not to mention the new costume and funny t-shirts. It's good, but it's not great. It's Frank, but it's not my Frank. (This is all horribly subjective and maybe even a little cruel, so yeah, you should check this out if you like The Punisher.)

[Luiz Fernando · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

It's hard to write about a volume that is part of a larger series, a bigger plot. But this reincarnation of the Punisher is too straight-forward, and the bad guys plan doesn't make much sense. The characters, including Frank Castle to some extent, are bidimentional, and the story morals is kinda juvenile. Maybe it will get better with time.

[Juan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good THE PUNISHER shoot- 'em up story

I liked the Easter eggs of Hawkeye and other marvel characters from this universe of The Punisher. Aso liked that it has art style and scenes of fictional military/war style kind similar to Tom Clancy's and Metal Gear Solid.

This volume it reminds me of Max Comics: Wolverine - Volume 1 with seriousness, violence, and bleak fighting scenes

[Jordan Lahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the more grounded, commando style approach to the Punisher. Looking forward to exploring the larger plot Frank is caught up in.