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The Punisher MAX: The Complete Collection
The Punisher MAX: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1
Collects Born #1-4, Punisher (2004) #1-12.
Experience the gritty and uncompromising PUNISHER MAX from the very beginning! When a mob hit killed his beloved wife and children, Frank Castle became the Punisher — an unstoppable one-man army waging war on every piece of criminal scum plaguing New York's streets. But do the Punisher's origins trace back even further? In 1971 Vietnam, Captain Castle's platoon faces a Viet Cong attack — and to survive, he must make a grim choice. Then, Punisher's old partner, Microchip, long thought to be a casualty of Castle's war, resurfaces with a startling offer! Will the Punisher play patsy for the CIA? If not, will they let him walk away? And in a story ripped from the headlines, Castle must take on rival Irish gangs when a bomb goes off in Hell's Kitchen!
Experience the gritty and uncompromising PUNISHER MAX from the very beginning! When a mob hit killed his beloved wife and children, Frank Castle became the Punisher — an unstoppable one-man army waging war on every piece of criminal scum plaguing New York's streets. But do the Punisher's origins trace back even further? In 1971 Vietnam, Captain Castle's platoon faces a Viet Cong attack — and to survive, he must make a grim choice. Then, Punisher's old partner, Microchip, long thought to be a casualty of Castle's war, resurfaces with a startling offer! Will the Punisher play patsy for the CIA? If not, will they let him walk away? And in a story ripped from the headlines, Castle must take on rival Irish gangs when a bomb goes off in Hell's Kitchen!
389 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 26, 2016
362 people are currently reading
956 people want to read
About the author
Garth Ennis
2,622 books3,174 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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
June 30, 2021
Garth Ennis' for mature readers hard edged take on the Punisher covering his early years and arcs The Punisher MAX, Vol. 1: In the Beginning' and 'The Punisher MAX, Vol. 2: Kitchen Irish'.
Not too dissimilar than the main title in my opinion, albeit with more profanity and more detailed violence. A fair bit of work is done on the supporting cast, in a way to maintain the Punisher legend of what you see is essentially what you get? 6 out of 12. I read the online comic books Born #1-4, The Tyger, The Cell and Punisher MAX #1-12.
Not too dissimilar than the main title in my opinion, albeit with more profanity and more detailed violence. A fair bit of work is done on the supporting cast, in a way to maintain the Punisher legend of what you see is essentially what you get? 6 out of 12. I read the online comic books Born #1-4, The Tyger, The Cell and Punisher MAX #1-12.
July 18, 2019
Guns don’t kill people, Garth Ennis kills people.
Being an Ennis Punisher book, the kill count is not only high but stomach-churningly creative as well. And this gives rise to a fair warning that some of the pics used in this review aren’t for you young’uns. I’ll spoiler those.
See? Creative. *urp*
Ennis presents Frank Castle at different times of his life so, in this volume you have a selection of the seven ages of man, Punisher-style – Kapow, Blammo and Boom!!!
Ennis enters the way back machine and ends up in Vietnam to see the tipping point for Frank Castle.
Shades of the movie, Platoon , something in Frank snaps…
…and it’s “hello, darkness my old friend” from here on out.
The second tale finds Castle a little older and a lot crustier, but he still gets sandbagged by his old friend Micro...
...who, after capturing and hog-tying him, makes him an offer…
This tale involves the CIA and (surprise) mobsters and (surprise) a hefty body count.
Not to be out done, the last story arc has Castle going after Irish (surprise) mobsters, who are looking for the treasure of a dead Irish mob boss.
For sheer mayhem, this one pushes the envelope a wee bit more…
…with a little bit of character analysis…
…and not a little philosophical, as Ennis explores what makes Frank tick.
Tick. Get it? *sigh*
Bottom Line - It’s hard to believe my library actually had this and yet, doesn’t have any Power Girl in stock. Ennis does The Punisher like nobody else and brings to it a visceral energy that others have often imitated and never achieved. This one trades in some of the goofiness of Ennis’ previous Punisher run for something darker and more introspective. It’s also out of normal Punisher continuity; Ennis said at the time of publishing that he didn’t give a fig about this version of the Punisher co-existing in the Marvel universe, so no team-ups with Spidey and no panels of Wolverine getting the Canuckles shotgunned.
May 3, 2020
“The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted.”
–D. H. Lawrence
Rating breakdown:
Born: 4 stars
In the Beginning: 3 stars
Kitchen Irish: 3.5 stars
I didn’t have quite as much fun with this book as I did bingeing on the new Netflix Punisher series this weekend, but overall it's a pretty damn entertaining ride, so long as you're okay with a fair amount of suspension of disbelief. If you enjoy a good old-fashioned anti-hero who is “not so much a man as a collection of slabs of meat, first physically and spiritually disassembled, then nailed back together with cold black iron,” over the top action and plenty of ultraviolence, I’d suggest trying this graphic novel on for size. Ultimate badassery abounds, vengeance is wreaked swiftly and thoroughly, and they even remembered to take into account the older M60 jamming issues!:
Good shit.
January 17, 2018
I've always been fascinated by the character of The Punisher. Have you ever been frustrated when the more popular heroes keep capturing the bad guys over and over even though they must know they will escape again and hurt more innocent people? Sometimes wonder why they don't stop them in a way that they can't hurt anyone else? Well, the Punisher is the hero for you! An angry Vietnam vet named Frank Castle gets some guns and makes it his mission to PERMANENTLY do away with the bad guys.
I've been wanting to read good Punisher stories before the Marvel series premieres this month, and this Garth Ennis run with the character is one of the most well-received. First, Ennis opens with Born, the tragic and haunting miniseries that gives us a peek at Frank's final Vietnam days, showing us that there might've been something within Frank already, even before the Mob killed his family; demons in his nature that were simply simply let loose after personal tragedy. It's a near masterpiece. In the next two stories in this first volume, Ennis does a great job here at resetting the Punisher world. He focuses more on the Punisher as a symbol and legend. Frank Castle has been punishing for over 20 years and has built up a bit of a reputation, and whether it's dealing with a CIA conspiracy or Irish gangs in Hell's Kitchen, we see Frank Castle mostly through the supporting characters' eyes.
The books collected here are:
The Punisher MAX: Born ★★★★★
The Punisher MAX, Vol. 1: In the Beginning ★★★★
The Punisher MAX, Vol. 2: Kitchen Irish ★★★
I've been wanting to read good Punisher stories before the Marvel series premieres this month, and this Garth Ennis run with the character is one of the most well-received. First, Ennis opens with Born, the tragic and haunting miniseries that gives us a peek at Frank's final Vietnam days, showing us that there might've been something within Frank already, even before the Mob killed his family; demons in his nature that were simply simply let loose after personal tragedy. It's a near masterpiece. In the next two stories in this first volume, Ennis does a great job here at resetting the Punisher world. He focuses more on the Punisher as a symbol and legend. Frank Castle has been punishing for over 20 years and has built up a bit of a reputation, and whether it's dealing with a CIA conspiracy or Irish gangs in Hell's Kitchen, we see Frank Castle mostly through the supporting characters' eyes.
The books collected here are:
The Punisher MAX: Born ★★★★★
The Punisher MAX, Vol. 1: In the Beginning ★★★★
The Punisher MAX, Vol. 2: Kitchen Irish ★★★
January 20, 2018
The Punisher Complete collection is a must read for any Punisher fan. It is a collection of the delightfully vulgar and violent Garth Ennis run on the Punisher.
The first story is the superlative "Born". It tells the tale of Capt. Castle, USMC, in Vietnam. It is dark, violent and grim. It is one of the finest "pre-origin" origin tales out there. We see the darkness and the violence that is Frank Castle. It is obvious why he manifests as the psychopathic killer that is the bane of the criminal community. One of the best Punisher tales around.
The second arc is called "In the Beginning". It is a crazy story filled with crazy Mafia types, a return of Microchip, rogue CIA and , of course, the Punisher himself. It is Ennis' trademark blend of over the top violence, vulgar prose and twisted humor. It works very well for this Punisher story. The Punisher takes down a Mafia birthday party and slaughters the heads of some of the families present. This causes an "outsider" to be brought in to deal with the Punisher-except this solution may well be worse than the problem. Equal parts violent, vulgar and darkly humorous this is trademark Ennis and it works superbly for the Punisher tale he tells.
The Third arc is "Kitchen Irish". This time the same mix of previously mentioned elements combine into a tale about two British operatives working with Frank to bring to justice some IRA terrorists that set off a bomb in Hells Kitchen. A really interesting and dark tale that works well with the addition of the British operatives working next to Frank.
All three story arcs are Ennis at the peak of his Punisher writing skills. I would highly recommend this to any Punisher fan. Goood artwork, darkly funny stories and a great deal of violence truly make the Punisher shine.
The first story is the superlative "Born". It tells the tale of Capt. Castle, USMC, in Vietnam. It is dark, violent and grim. It is one of the finest "pre-origin" origin tales out there. We see the darkness and the violence that is Frank Castle. It is obvious why he manifests as the psychopathic killer that is the bane of the criminal community. One of the best Punisher tales around.
The second arc is called "In the Beginning". It is a crazy story filled with crazy Mafia types, a return of Microchip, rogue CIA and , of course, the Punisher himself. It is Ennis' trademark blend of over the top violence, vulgar prose and twisted humor. It works very well for this Punisher story. The Punisher takes down a Mafia birthday party and slaughters the heads of some of the families present. This causes an "outsider" to be brought in to deal with the Punisher-except this solution may well be worse than the problem. Equal parts violent, vulgar and darkly humorous this is trademark Ennis and it works superbly for the Punisher tale he tells.
The Third arc is "Kitchen Irish". This time the same mix of previously mentioned elements combine into a tale about two British operatives working with Frank to bring to justice some IRA terrorists that set off a bomb in Hells Kitchen. A really interesting and dark tale that works well with the addition of the British operatives working next to Frank.
All three story arcs are Ennis at the peak of his Punisher writing skills. I would highly recommend this to any Punisher fan. Goood artwork, darkly funny stories and a great deal of violence truly make the Punisher shine.
August 24, 2016
*This is a review for Ennis' entire Punisher MAX series. I won't cover future volumes individually, because of time restraints*
Some comics writers, when tasked to write a popular character for either of the big two (Marvel, DC), deliver such a powerful iteration of that character that other interpretations instantly become either redundant or just plain silly. This is most certainly the case with Garth Ennis' epic Punisher MAX series (2003-2008). Needless to say, I was as merry as a pig in shit when Marvel announced it was going to reprint the whole thing in affordable softcover collections. To me, it is still the most potent version of Frank Castle (aka The Punisher) ever devised.
Ennis, from the very beginning (after the origin story "Born"), did one thing absolutely right with this run. Here, Castle is a Vietnam vet in his fifties, still operating in modern New York, and hard as nails after decades of wreaking violent retribution on anyone he deems deserving of it. See, in order for the character to be kept young (and to them, popular), Marvel editorial had a rather annoying habit of "updating" the war Castle was involved in. Completely wrong choice. Vietnam is very distinct in its feel and impact. Castle's involvement with it is absolutely key to his psychology.
Adding to that, Ennis greatly expanded the world of Frank Castle. The first 6 issues ("In the Beginning") is basically a sort of send-off for the opponents Castle had to deal with on a regular basis: the Italian mob. After that story arc, Castle encounters warring Irish factions, goes abroad on a special mission for Fury to thwart a corrupt Russian general, and takes an East-European human trafficking ring to task (in what is probably the finest story arc, "The Slavers"), among many others.
Variety, tight plotting, recurring, well-written supporting characters (The Punisher being a very dour, not exactly talkative individual, needs a strong supporting cast to keep it interesting) and, above all, a great understanding of the character is what makes this series truly phenomenal. The brutal, R-rated violence doesn't hurt of course. It's how The Punisher should be done, after all. It fits perfectly.
If you read only one Punisher run in your entire life, accept no substitute. Get this one. Now's the perfect opportunity.
Some comics writers, when tasked to write a popular character for either of the big two (Marvel, DC), deliver such a powerful iteration of that character that other interpretations instantly become either redundant or just plain silly. This is most certainly the case with Garth Ennis' epic Punisher MAX series (2003-2008). Needless to say, I was as merry as a pig in shit when Marvel announced it was going to reprint the whole thing in affordable softcover collections. To me, it is still the most potent version of Frank Castle (aka The Punisher) ever devised.
Ennis, from the very beginning (after the origin story "Born"), did one thing absolutely right with this run. Here, Castle is a Vietnam vet in his fifties, still operating in modern New York, and hard as nails after decades of wreaking violent retribution on anyone he deems deserving of it. See, in order for the character to be kept young (and to them, popular), Marvel editorial had a rather annoying habit of "updating" the war Castle was involved in. Completely wrong choice. Vietnam is very distinct in its feel and impact. Castle's involvement with it is absolutely key to his psychology.
Adding to that, Ennis greatly expanded the world of Frank Castle. The first 6 issues ("In the Beginning") is basically a sort of send-off for the opponents Castle had to deal with on a regular basis: the Italian mob. After that story arc, Castle encounters warring Irish factions, goes abroad on a special mission for Fury to thwart a corrupt Russian general, and takes an East-European human trafficking ring to task (in what is probably the finest story arc, "The Slavers"), among many others.
Variety, tight plotting, recurring, well-written supporting characters (The Punisher being a very dour, not exactly talkative individual, needs a strong supporting cast to keep it interesting) and, above all, a great understanding of the character is what makes this series truly phenomenal. The brutal, R-rated violence doesn't hurt of course. It's how The Punisher should be done, after all. It fits perfectly.
If you read only one Punisher run in your entire life, accept no substitute. Get this one. Now's the perfect opportunity.
December 27, 2018
The last time I read any 'Punisher' (I was a fan of the regular monthly title and the The Punisher War Journal ) the first POTUS Bush was still in the White House and gas was about $1 a gallon.
How times have changed -- finally under Marvel's Max Comics division the character is now fully, appropriately and explicitly presented in all his crazed-but-calm vigilante-justice glory. Violence, language and other NC-17 content that would / could barely be implied in a mainstream comic circa '93 is presented in an up close and personal, blood and guts style in this outstanding edition.
The book is in three distinct sections - Frank Castle's time during his hellish third tour in Vietnam; shady CIA operatives attempting to recruit Castle during his particularly bloody war on NY and NJ-area mafioso; and then Castle, with assistance from an old British colleague, taking on NY's usually warring Irish-American criminal families / gangs that have now uneasily united for a common goal.
It may be 400+ pages but The Complete Collection: Volume One was addictive reading.
How times have changed -- finally under Marvel's Max Comics division the character is now fully, appropriately and explicitly presented in all his crazed-but-calm vigilante-justice glory. Violence, language and other NC-17 content that would / could barely be implied in a mainstream comic circa '93 is presented in an up close and personal, blood and guts style in this outstanding edition.
The book is in three distinct sections - Frank Castle's time during his hellish third tour in Vietnam; shady CIA operatives attempting to recruit Castle during his particularly bloody war on NY and NJ-area mafioso; and then Castle, with assistance from an old British colleague, taking on NY's usually warring Irish-American criminal families / gangs that have now uneasily united for a common goal.
It may be 400+ pages but The Complete Collection: Volume One was addictive reading.
January 4, 2026
That was freakin' awesome! 👍👍
August 1, 2016
Holy fuck is there a lot of blood, nudity, and the word "nigger" thrown around like it's nothing. Oh wait, it's by Garth Ennis. Oh but of course then!
Punisher is a character who will fuck your shit up, in anyway possible, and you will no doubt die. This book is broken into three parts. The origin of Frank, him dealing with past "friends" and then the Irish. To be honest, the Irish was probably my favorite. Because of how insane it was, and how much shit was happening at a good pace. The middle part was okay. I wasn't a huge fan of the art, made Frank the ugliest motherfucker to ever exist. The origin was fine, if you like military stories you'll like it more, I just found it "okay."
It's over the top for sure, so much cursing, but do you expect less with Punisher? Nope. So a 3/5 seems right. Wasn't amazed but entertained throughout.
Punisher is a character who will fuck your shit up, in anyway possible, and you will no doubt die. This book is broken into three parts. The origin of Frank, him dealing with past "friends" and then the Irish. To be honest, the Irish was probably my favorite. Because of how insane it was, and how much shit was happening at a good pace. The middle part was okay. I wasn't a huge fan of the art, made Frank the ugliest motherfucker to ever exist. The origin was fine, if you like military stories you'll like it more, I just found it "okay."
It's over the top for sure, so much cursing, but do you expect less with Punisher? Nope. So a 3/5 seems right. Wasn't amazed but entertained throughout.
February 4, 2018
Okay, well if you know who the Punisher is, and you know who Garth Ennis is, you can already appreciate how this book is a match made in heaven. Yes, it's violent and bloody and darkly humorous and all of the other things you’d expect from Ennis’ work. In lesser hands, this would become a tiresome gorefest. But Ennis knows just how to deploy his violence for maximum effect, and it's never without purpose.
We get three separate story arcs in this hefty volume. First up is “Born,” a story about Frank Castle in Vietnam before he became the Punisher, or, more to the point, about the beginning of the becoming.
Then comes “In the Beginning,” which was fun, but honestly the most forgettable of the three stories. It's good and all, with some fun characters--including someone from Frank’s past. But it's just … lacking something.
Finally we get “Kitchen Irish” which more than makes up for any of the previous tale’s shortcomings. It's a lovely tale of criminal rivalry and a dead man’s millions. You will probably see the ending coming a mile away, but it's still an entertaining ride.
The book is rounded out by a generous helping of sketches and pencils-to-finished-pages examples. It's nice to read a book by someone who seems to really get the Punisher and know what to do with him. Recommended!
We get three separate story arcs in this hefty volume. First up is “Born,” a story about Frank Castle in Vietnam before he became the Punisher, or, more to the point, about the beginning of the becoming.
Then comes “In the Beginning,” which was fun, but honestly the most forgettable of the three stories. It's good and all, with some fun characters--including someone from Frank’s past. But it's just … lacking something.
Finally we get “Kitchen Irish” which more than makes up for any of the previous tale’s shortcomings. It's a lovely tale of criminal rivalry and a dead man’s millions. You will probably see the ending coming a mile away, but it's still an entertaining ride.
The book is rounded out by a generous helping of sketches and pencils-to-finished-pages examples. It's nice to read a book by someone who seems to really get the Punisher and know what to do with him. Recommended!
April 4, 2025
Whoa.
Capt. Frank Castle, USMC, is basically a one man version of the full squad from Predator
This was, indeed, a shock to the system for me after growing up on the still-violent-but-comparatively-tame early '90s Punisher comics.
I will definitely continue reading these, even if at times it feels Ennis is channelling his favourite R-rated movies as opposed to building a character that fits and works in an altered Marvel-Universe continuity.
Capt. Frank Castle, USMC, is basically a one man version of the full squad from Predator
This was, indeed, a shock to the system for me after growing up on the still-violent-but-comparatively-tame early '90s Punisher comics.
I will definitely continue reading these, even if at times it feels Ennis is channelling his favourite R-rated movies as opposed to building a character that fits and works in an altered Marvel-Universe continuity.
February 3, 2023
The Punisher: The Complete Collection Vol. 1 collects Marvel Comics series Punisher: Born 1-4 and Punisher 1-12 written by Garth Ennis with art by Darrick Robertson, Lewis LaRosa, and Leandro Fernandez.
Garth Ennis’s run on The Punisher starts with a flashback arc set during Vietnam War where Captain Frank Castle first embraces his dark punisher alter ego. Garth then becomes the writer for the ongoing Punisher Max series that is a mature read with extremely graphic contact and themes. Frank Castle is kidnapped by the CIA to lead a secret task force to hunt down Osama bin Laden and other terrorists. Meanwhile, a trio of hired killers who had been kicked out of the mafia are on the hunt to torture and kill Frank.
I don’t believe I have ever read a Puncher comic other than a handful of event tie-ins (Civil War and the Death of Captain America come to mind). I also don’t find a lot of in between with Ennis’s work - I either love it or hate it. Punisher was very enjoyable. It’s a very gritty crime book and the art is strong throughout. I really liked that the stories are self contained to The Punisher’s world with no superheroes or supervillains (at least so far). Really looking forward to continue to read this series!
Garth Ennis’s run on The Punisher starts with a flashback arc set during Vietnam War where Captain Frank Castle first embraces his dark punisher alter ego. Garth then becomes the writer for the ongoing Punisher Max series that is a mature read with extremely graphic contact and themes. Frank Castle is kidnapped by the CIA to lead a secret task force to hunt down Osama bin Laden and other terrorists. Meanwhile, a trio of hired killers who had been kicked out of the mafia are on the hunt to torture and kill Frank.
I don’t believe I have ever read a Puncher comic other than a handful of event tie-ins (Civil War and the Death of Captain America come to mind). I also don’t find a lot of in between with Ennis’s work - I either love it or hate it. Punisher was very enjoyable. It’s a very gritty crime book and the art is strong throughout. I really liked that the stories are self contained to The Punisher’s world with no superheroes or supervillains (at least so far). Really looking forward to continue to read this series!
April 16, 2022
4 - 4.5 Stars
So, I never watched the TV show. I only watched the movie with Thomas Jane, many years ago. This graphic novel is not like the movie. It is much more violent and bloody. Actually, I think the violence is only exacerbated by the fact that the Punisher is a psychopath. Sociopath?? A combo?? He likes the violence. He lives for it. Is he punishing for what he lost, or because he needs an excuse???
P.S. This is not my book, it's my son's. Humph. 😒🤦♀️
So, I never watched the TV show. I only watched the movie with Thomas Jane, many years ago. This graphic novel is not like the movie. It is much more violent and bloody. Actually, I think the violence is only exacerbated by the fact that the Punisher is a psychopath. Sociopath?? A combo?? He likes the violence. He lives for it. Is he punishing for what he lost, or because he needs an excuse???
P.S. This is not my book, it's my son's. Humph. 😒🤦♀️
December 13, 2017
I was lucky to get to start reading this just in time for the Netflix The Punisher TV series to come out. Which is really good by the way!!
As was this book!! I gave it five fucking stars it was so awesome!!! This has to be the best book I've read all year! Well....second best.
I've been itching to read the whole collection of Garth Ennis' Punisher stories for a long time now. I mean, I've read a few of the monthly issues in the past, but this is my first time with a collected edition. I knew what it was gonna be like before reading it, an R-rated Punisher book. And true, this definitely is not The Punisher comics I read as a kid. But holy fucking shit, Ennis really pulls no punches with this book. F-word all over every page, even the C-word and a few racial slurs. And the amount of gore....yeah, let's just say I've never seen a splash page of a dude impaled on an iron fence with his face blown off by a shotgun blast before.
Garth Ennis' writing is beautiful (in a dark, gritty, and "in yer face" sort of way). I always thought there was something different about The Punisher. He's really not some spandex wearing superhero. He's more of a Death Wish meets Rambo type character. I once read somewhere that "...Wolverine and The Punisher are considered to be remnants of the Post-Vietnam War era.". And Garth Ennis said in the introduction that he saw that, "...born in the 1970's-that uncertain era when TV and movies reflected society's growing unease with itself." And He nailed it!
This book is split into three stories-BORN, IN THE BEGINNING, and KITCHEN IRISH. The first story, BORN was more of an origin story about Frank Castle in Vietnam and And I think that's interesting that Ennis . That's why he wears that skull on his chest. And it was important to tell that story.
The other two are Frank as the Punisher in the post 9/11 era taking on the Italian mob and the Irish mob. I liked how Ennis introduced a new cast of ghastly villains for The Punisher to battle.
And the artists did an awesome job!!!!!!!!!!! Pencilers, inkers, colorists, letterers.....my hats off to them! My favorite one was Darick Roberston. Not just cause I like his style, but because he almost made you feel like,"you are here, you are witnessing this firsthand". The other artists are great too but I'd like to see Robertson do another Punisher story or read some of his other stuff,
Like I said....FIVE STARS!!!!!!
I'll have to get Punisher Max: The Complete Collection, Vol. 2 and the rest of the Punisher/Garth Ennis books and read 'em all!
As was this book!! I gave it five fucking stars it was so awesome!!! This has to be the best book I've read all year! Well....second best.
I've been itching to read the whole collection of Garth Ennis' Punisher stories for a long time now. I mean, I've read a few of the monthly issues in the past, but this is my first time with a collected edition. I knew what it was gonna be like before reading it, an R-rated Punisher book. And true, this definitely is not The Punisher comics I read as a kid. But holy fucking shit, Ennis really pulls no punches with this book. F-word all over every page, even the C-word and a few racial slurs. And the amount of gore....yeah, let's just say I've never seen a splash page of a dude impaled on an iron fence with his face blown off by a shotgun blast before.
Garth Ennis' writing is beautiful (in a dark, gritty, and "in yer face" sort of way). I always thought there was something different about The Punisher. He's really not some spandex wearing superhero. He's more of a Death Wish meets Rambo type character. I once read somewhere that "...Wolverine and The Punisher are considered to be remnants of the Post-Vietnam War era.". And Garth Ennis said in the introduction that he saw that, "...born in the 1970's-that uncertain era when TV and movies reflected society's growing unease with itself." And He nailed it!
This book is split into three stories-BORN, IN THE BEGINNING, and KITCHEN IRISH. The first story, BORN was more of an origin story about Frank Castle in Vietnam and And I think that's interesting that Ennis . That's why he wears that skull on his chest. And it was important to tell that story.
The other two are Frank as the Punisher in the post 9/11 era taking on the Italian mob and the Irish mob. I liked how Ennis introduced a new cast of ghastly villains for The Punisher to battle.
And the artists did an awesome job!!!!!!!!!!! Pencilers, inkers, colorists, letterers.....my hats off to them! My favorite one was Darick Roberston. Not just cause I like his style, but because he almost made you feel like,"you are here, you are witnessing this firsthand". The other artists are great too but I'd like to see Robertson do another Punisher story or read some of his other stuff,
Like I said....FIVE STARS!!!!!!
I'll have to get Punisher Max: The Complete Collection, Vol. 2 and the rest of the Punisher/Garth Ennis books and read 'em all!
January 3, 2019
I've liked other volumes in the Punisher MAX run (specifically, Vol. 5: The Slavers) -- but I think I'm actually fairly hit-or-miss on Garth Ennis now, particularly on the heels of reading Greg Rucka's run. In comparison to Rucka's subtlety, the ultraviolence here is just so over-the-top and gratuitous and stomach-churning. And, of course, yes, I should expect that, considering it being the Punisher and it being a MAX series -- but now that I've experienced a different way to write this character, I prefer Rucka's take.
Vol 1 consists of three storylines:
BORN - Probably the best one. Frank's origins in the horrors of Vietnam, before he became the Punisher, but mostly seen from the POV of a young idealist in his platoon. I'm starting to think Frank's stories are actually best when he's being viewed from the outside, from someone trying to understand him. Steve is a young man who's frightened of Captain Castle, but starts seeing the man's askew form of sympathy, his code of honour in a nightmarish situation. I do not, however, like the weird almost semi-paranormal(??) take, in which it almost seems like Frank accepted a deal with a devil in order to become the Punisher. Maybe it's all a metaphor and it's really just his splintering psyche, but the way it was written, it actually seemed kind of literal?? idk, I'm tired.
IN THE BEGINNING - A welcome appearance by David Lieberman aka "Micro", who appeared in the Netflix Punisher series. An interesting cat-and-mouse game as he uses his knowledge of Frank to help the CIA capture the man and try to recruit him, even as other criminals are out for his head. It doesn't go well. I actually really liked this one quite a bit, mostly because even as Micro is betraying Frank, he's doing it because he cares for Frank and wants to help him, maybe even redeem him.
KITCHEN IRISH - Torture porn and bonkers violence as multiple Irish gangs in Hell's Kitchen are all unleashed on each other in pursuit of 10 million dollars, and Frank is, as always, caught in the middle. There were bits of this that I liked, particularly the tough-as-nails female mobsters Polly and Brenda -- but this one was just so ridiculously over-the-top that I couldn't deal and it really decreased my enjoyment. I don't care about 5 million violent mobster POVs! Just give me Frank barrelling through criminals but being soft to dogs and women, okay!!! (which this volume did not really have, so down its star rating goes.)
Vol 1 consists of three storylines:
BORN - Probably the best one. Frank's origins in the horrors of Vietnam, before he became the Punisher, but mostly seen from the POV of a young idealist in his platoon. I'm starting to think Frank's stories are actually best when he's being viewed from the outside, from someone trying to understand him. Steve is a young man who's frightened of Captain Castle, but starts seeing the man's askew form of sympathy, his code of honour in a nightmarish situation. I do not, however, like the weird almost semi-paranormal(??) take, in which it almost seems like Frank accepted a deal with a devil in order to become the Punisher. Maybe it's all a metaphor and it's really just his splintering psyche, but the way it was written, it actually seemed kind of literal?? idk, I'm tired.
IN THE BEGINNING - A welcome appearance by David Lieberman aka "Micro", who appeared in the Netflix Punisher series. An interesting cat-and-mouse game as he uses his knowledge of Frank to help the CIA capture the man and try to recruit him, even as other criminals are out for his head. It doesn't go well. I actually really liked this one quite a bit, mostly because even as Micro is betraying Frank, he's doing it because he cares for Frank and wants to help him, maybe even redeem him.
KITCHEN IRISH - Torture porn and bonkers violence as multiple Irish gangs in Hell's Kitchen are all unleashed on each other in pursuit of 10 million dollars, and Frank is, as always, caught in the middle. There were bits of this that I liked, particularly the tough-as-nails female mobsters Polly and Brenda -- but this one was just so ridiculously over-the-top that I couldn't deal and it really decreased my enjoyment. I don't care about 5 million violent mobster POVs! Just give me Frank barrelling through criminals but being soft to dogs and women, okay!!! (which this volume did not really have, so down its star rating goes.)
September 3, 2019
The "Born" mini series strongly earns the five stars but the followup twelve issues of Punisher Max are also great.
Born is Frank Castle in Vietnam. We see where the Punisher was born. How he made a deal to become what he is. How he liked it and how he wanted it. It's excellent, brutal, tragic for other characters. But just right for Frank I think. The art by Darick Robertson is excellent, showcasing exactly what it needs to. He has a skill for posture and facial expression. Looking at Castle is something else compared to another solider, but he gets the look of a young Castle just right, he looks older then he is but young.
The in the beginning story is a fantastic showcase of Frank as he exists in this world. Old, grizzled, one tough motherlover, scars to show age and an attitude that'd scare the devil. It deals with an ally of the past coming back into the fray, while showcasing what it is the MAX line of books can show. Unflinchingly brutal, dark humored with a high political drive. The first six issues go down easy. Lewis LaRosa handles the pencils well but has a very grim crime style to it.
Now the last six issues in the collection "Kitchen Irish" drawn by Leanardo Fernandez is the wekest of the three stories here but still class A Punisher. Politically charged in a long-term dispute between the Irish and British, and Frank wants to Punish them all because they bombed a restaurant too soon and killed lots of people. Three factions, one Punisher. Plus an ally or two from his vietnam days.
Why is this Punisher so good? The characterization. Frank never wavers and never doubts. He doesn't grandstand. He just does what he does. Damn everyone and everything else. Frank's not insane or disillusioned. He knows what he is. That and the dark humored storytelling.
5 stars. Some of the best Punisher around.
Born is Frank Castle in Vietnam. We see where the Punisher was born. How he made a deal to become what he is. How he liked it and how he wanted it. It's excellent, brutal, tragic for other characters. But just right for Frank I think. The art by Darick Robertson is excellent, showcasing exactly what it needs to. He has a skill for posture and facial expression. Looking at Castle is something else compared to another solider, but he gets the look of a young Castle just right, he looks older then he is but young.
The in the beginning story is a fantastic showcase of Frank as he exists in this world. Old, grizzled, one tough motherlover, scars to show age and an attitude that'd scare the devil. It deals with an ally of the past coming back into the fray, while showcasing what it is the MAX line of books can show. Unflinchingly brutal, dark humored with a high political drive. The first six issues go down easy. Lewis LaRosa handles the pencils well but has a very grim crime style to it.
Now the last six issues in the collection "Kitchen Irish" drawn by Leanardo Fernandez is the wekest of the three stories here but still class A Punisher. Politically charged in a long-term dispute between the Irish and British, and Frank wants to Punish them all because they bombed a restaurant too soon and killed lots of people. Three factions, one Punisher. Plus an ally or two from his vietnam days.
Why is this Punisher so good? The characterization. Frank never wavers and never doubts. He doesn't grandstand. He just does what he does. Damn everyone and everything else. Frank's not insane or disillusioned. He knows what he is. That and the dark humored storytelling.
5 stars. Some of the best Punisher around.
February 26, 2017
Hmm...This is a tough one to put my finger on.
Okay so the writings good, graphic as hell, but it's really solid. I'm just finding it really hard to enjoy Frank Castle as a person. Sure he's brutal and violent as f$@k, but after reading this entire volume I don't feel like I even know who he is as a character. In a lot of ways Punisher is a secondary character in this book. He doesn't get a lot of page time in this, as most of it focuses on what his enemies are doing in the background.
Now am I saying this ruined the story telling? Hell no! If it focused on Frank the whole time it would probably be bland as shit.
I was just expecting to like this a lot more than I did. Like I said it wasn't bad, but it took me 2 months to finish it. It just didn't hook me like I thought.
3.5 stars!
Okay so the writings good, graphic as hell, but it's really solid. I'm just finding it really hard to enjoy Frank Castle as a person. Sure he's brutal and violent as f$@k, but after reading this entire volume I don't feel like I even know who he is as a character. In a lot of ways Punisher is a secondary character in this book. He doesn't get a lot of page time in this, as most of it focuses on what his enemies are doing in the background.
Now am I saying this ruined the story telling? Hell no! If it focused on Frank the whole time it would probably be bland as shit.
I was just expecting to like this a lot more than I did. Like I said it wasn't bad, but it took me 2 months to finish it. It just didn't hook me like I thought.
3.5 stars!
April 26, 2016
Garth Ennis writing + Darick Robertson drawing = pure punisher mainlined directly to your brain.
5+/5 stars
Highly recommended for fans of ultra-violence, black-ops military action, and dark, grim noir.
Not recommended for the faint of heart or kindly old grandmas.
5+/5 stars
Highly recommended for fans of ultra-violence, black-ops military action, and dark, grim noir.
Not recommended for the faint of heart or kindly old grandmas.
January 8, 2017
I now understand why Ennis' run on the Punisher is considered the best one. Look forward to picking up the remaining volumes.
April 1, 2019
I hadn't read these stories before, so this was a great way to binge on them. The miniseries, Born, is not really an origin story. Frank Castle is most fully formed when we find him here, and the notion that he has to do some kind of deal with the devil to survive, felt like the least smart way to kick off a new series where the Punisher fights real bad buys rather than baddies in spandex. Maybe we're supposed to take it as a metaphor for Frank's Catholic guilt, but it still raises the unwelcome idea that he somehow believes the senseless murder of his wife and children was divine (or satanic) payback for his acts of violence in 'Nam.
The first 12 issues of the regular series abandon this premise fairly early on. The first arc has Micro leading a shady group to try and recruit Frank to go after Bin Laden. Frank declines. The second arc is a bit sillier with a bunch of Irish gangsters chasing a McGuffin and forgetting to be careful what they wish for.
Both stories trade on Ennis's love of blood and torture, but they are missing much of the dark wit that he's written into his other work. I'd still like to collect further editions of these series, but having read the first volume, they seem less essential.
The first 12 issues of the regular series abandon this premise fairly early on. The first arc has Micro leading a shady group to try and recruit Frank to go after Bin Laden. Frank declines. The second arc is a bit sillier with a bunch of Irish gangsters chasing a McGuffin and forgetting to be careful what they wish for.
Both stories trade on Ennis's love of blood and torture, but they are missing much of the dark wit that he's written into his other work. I'd still like to collect further editions of these series, but having read the first volume, they seem less essential.
August 27, 2023
favourite comic book volume I've ever read revolving around my favourite anti-hero. gritty, violent, dark, the MAX edition not having to restrict itself in order to be appealing to teenagers as well.
if you appreciate the character of Frank Castle, the Punisher, this expands on him incredibly (being the inspiration for the TV show and movie), showcases his inner thoughts more and his never-ending war against criminality.
if you are not familiar with him, it's still an incredible portrayal of the Punisher. it's easy to fall in love with the character for different reasons: his skillful abilities, his vision of how justice has to be served, the satisfaction of seeing the bad guys get their punishment without the whole "no kill rule" usually applied by comic book protagonists, or just because one can easily pity the Punisher and how his trauma and misfortune led him to a path of eternal war.
if you appreciate the character of Frank Castle, the Punisher, this expands on him incredibly (being the inspiration for the TV show and movie), showcases his inner thoughts more and his never-ending war against criminality.
if you are not familiar with him, it's still an incredible portrayal of the Punisher. it's easy to fall in love with the character for different reasons: his skillful abilities, his vision of how justice has to be served, the satisfaction of seeing the bad guys get their punishment without the whole "no kill rule" usually applied by comic book protagonists, or just because one can easily pity the Punisher and how his trauma and misfortune led him to a path of eternal war.
June 5, 2023
The opening miniseries "BORN" is 5/5, no notes! A masterpiece that you should read immediately. Excellent storytelling.
After that, we have "IN THE BEGINNING", which is a 3.5/5. My main problem was that I felt it dragged when the POV changed to the mafia while my main hook in the series called PUNISHER is, well, the Punisher! But still good and I enjoyed it.
And in the end we have "KITCHEN IRISH" which is where I got bored a lot. Again, not bad, but I didn't care all that much about the plot. The introduction was amazing but then meanders from there. 2.5/5 maybe 3/5, I don't know.
After that, we have "IN THE BEGINNING", which is a 3.5/5. My main problem was that I felt it dragged when the POV changed to the mafia while my main hook in the series called PUNISHER is, well, the Punisher! But still good and I enjoyed it.
And in the end we have "KITCHEN IRISH" which is where I got bored a lot. Again, not bad, but I didn't care all that much about the plot. The introduction was amazing but then meanders from there. 2.5/5 maybe 3/5, I don't know.
September 5, 2023
The Punisher eller straffaren som han hette i Sverige är en brutal karaktär som man älskar och Ennis är en fantastisk skrivare!
June 29, 2021
Yawn, but this sucks...
Frank Castle is really hard to pull off for most writers and so instead of character development, they go for murder porn and see how many ultra-violent ways they can cleverly have their Punisher kill the bad guys, and frankly (ar ar) it gets rather boring after a while. It's even worse here with Garth Ennis in the Marvel Max imprint because now he can blast brains, smash faces, and eviscerate the baddies' insides like never before. And Garth must think he's being extra edgy with all the f-bombs and the n-words, but it's just kind of lame, and I'm not sure who he thinks is interested, but I'm not. Ennis goes for the gross out or the profane as a cover for how thin and pointless everything is in his series.
However, based on all the glowing reviews, some folks apparently go for this schlock, and no doubt they think the opening story in Vietnam adds some depth to Frank's character, but it doesn't. It's just more lame bullshit piled high from Ennis who apparently doesn't know much of anything about that war, along with women, black people, New York City geography, the way real human beings talk, or even the Irish in America or the IRA. And really, all that collective ignorance just puzzles the bejesus out of me.
On the other hand, there was some dumbass IRA bomber who blew his face off and kept trying to tape it back together, and I found him mildly amusing because just like me he uses way too much tape. But that got old, too.
Maybe I'll go read some of the four and five-star reviews now to figure out exactly what I missed, but if there's anything more to this collection than shotguns to the face and disemboweled viscera spilling on the floor, I will be really surprised. As I said at the beginning, it's hard to develop Frank Castle into anything remotely human, but this may be the flattest and dullest I have ever seen him. Nineteen eighty-nine was a long time ago and I watched it on a pirated VHS in Kathmandu so I'm really going out on a limb here, but I'd say Ennis's version of Frank Castle here is even worse than Dolph Lundgren in that first Punisher movie. And that's bad.
Frank Castle is really hard to pull off for most writers and so instead of character development, they go for murder porn and see how many ultra-violent ways they can cleverly have their Punisher kill the bad guys, and frankly (ar ar) it gets rather boring after a while. It's even worse here with Garth Ennis in the Marvel Max imprint because now he can blast brains, smash faces, and eviscerate the baddies' insides like never before. And Garth must think he's being extra edgy with all the f-bombs and the n-words, but it's just kind of lame, and I'm not sure who he thinks is interested, but I'm not. Ennis goes for the gross out or the profane as a cover for how thin and pointless everything is in his series.
However, based on all the glowing reviews, some folks apparently go for this schlock, and no doubt they think the opening story in Vietnam adds some depth to Frank's character, but it doesn't. It's just more lame bullshit piled high from Ennis who apparently doesn't know much of anything about that war, along with women, black people, New York City geography, the way real human beings talk, or even the Irish in America or the IRA. And really, all that collective ignorance just puzzles the bejesus out of me.
On the other hand, there was some dumbass IRA bomber who blew his face off and kept trying to tape it back together, and I found him mildly amusing because just like me he uses way too much tape. But that got old, too.
Maybe I'll go read some of the four and five-star reviews now to figure out exactly what I missed, but if there's anything more to this collection than shotguns to the face and disemboweled viscera spilling on the floor, I will be really surprised. As I said at the beginning, it's hard to develop Frank Castle into anything remotely human, but this may be the flattest and dullest I have ever seen him. Nineteen eighty-nine was a long time ago and I watched it on a pirated VHS in Kathmandu so I'm really going out on a limb here, but I'd say Ennis's version of Frank Castle here is even worse than Dolph Lundgren in that first Punisher movie. And that's bad.
December 20, 2016
4 stars
October 22, 2025
Three stories kick off Ennis' R-rated Punisher gore fest that takes itself far more seriously than anything else I have ever read by this man, which really shows off his skill (to my surprise).
Overall, tons of violence and language; so if you have a weak stomach on either of those, be warned! There are plenty of anatomical anomalies on display as well as F and C bombs dropped. Still, I like how Frank is displayed in this as a traumatized character who borders on psychopathy to cope with his loss. As we see in the first story (Born), there are even implications that Frank was always messed up in the head and his family's death is merely what allowed him to fully be himself. That being said, let's jump in on the stories:
"Born": Here we get Frank's "secret origins" during the Vietnam War. I love how we are given a normal soldier as our main POV, allowing us to share his reactions to the horrors of war and the various ways his squadmates react to the trauma of war. Some turn to drugs, others to pure enjoyment of killing. Frank, naturally is one of those. Perhaps the most interesting thing is seeing how Frank with sometimes 'punish' American soldiers when they go against his moral code. A notable instance was Frank drowning one of his men after he raped an enemy combatant. Even before his 'origin', Frank punished and it was very fascinating to see. Still, the highlight of Born is it being a well done war drama, complete with tragic and shocking deaths and characters coping with trauma. Easily the best story in the volume.
"In the Beginning": This is the true start of MAX. We introduce some new characters I'm sure will be important later on and cut ties with the main continuity supporting characters. Some fun action and kills, particularly when Frank is fighting a surprisingly competent old dude. The overall best part of this was Frank and Micro's relationship. Twists and turns happen, showing just how uncompromising Frank is in his mission. The villains were also pure sadists, which made it fun seeing them confront Frank in a straight up carnage fest.
"Kitchen Irish": Easily the worst of the stories here. I wasn't nearly as invested in the characters, although it was fun seeing the global politics on display. I also liked the multitude of warring factions and the British agents' personal stakes in the matter. Still, I didn't find any of the villains compelling, despite them being the majority of the story.
In short, a brutal collection where Punisher does what he does best. If you love vengeance manifested, this will certainly wet your appetite like Agent O'Brian.
Overall, tons of violence and language; so if you have a weak stomach on either of those, be warned! There are plenty of anatomical anomalies on display as well as F and C bombs dropped. Still, I like how Frank is displayed in this as a traumatized character who borders on psychopathy to cope with his loss. As we see in the first story (Born), there are even implications that Frank was always messed up in the head and his family's death is merely what allowed him to fully be himself. That being said, let's jump in on the stories:
"Born": Here we get Frank's "secret origins" during the Vietnam War. I love how we are given a normal soldier as our main POV, allowing us to share his reactions to the horrors of war and the various ways his squadmates react to the trauma of war. Some turn to drugs, others to pure enjoyment of killing. Frank, naturally is one of those. Perhaps the most interesting thing is seeing how Frank with sometimes 'punish' American soldiers when they go against his moral code. A notable instance was Frank drowning one of his men after he raped an enemy combatant. Even before his 'origin', Frank punished and it was very fascinating to see. Still, the highlight of Born is it being a well done war drama, complete with tragic and shocking deaths and characters coping with trauma. Easily the best story in the volume.
"In the Beginning": This is the true start of MAX. We introduce some new characters I'm sure will be important later on and cut ties with the main continuity supporting characters. Some fun action and kills, particularly when Frank is fighting a surprisingly competent old dude. The overall best part of this was Frank and Micro's relationship. Twists and turns happen, showing just how uncompromising Frank is in his mission. The villains were also pure sadists, which made it fun seeing them confront Frank in a straight up carnage fest.
"Kitchen Irish": Easily the worst of the stories here. I wasn't nearly as invested in the characters, although it was fun seeing the global politics on display. I also liked the multitude of warring factions and the British agents' personal stakes in the matter. Still, I didn't find any of the villains compelling, despite them being the majority of the story.
In short, a brutal collection where Punisher does what he does best. If you love vengeance manifested, this will certainly wet your appetite like Agent O'Brian.
March 4, 2022
This does not pull any punches and really puts the graphic in graphic novel. Even with the Max title and explicit content warning on the front I wasn't expecting it to be so visceral. Not very familiar with the character but The Punisher aka Frank Castle is one that has always piqued my interest and it's really refreshing to see something that feels really unique and still so fitting for the character. Where I would see the punisher one way its clear Garth Ennis sees him another and really wanted to tell a story that asks the question of violence in both this story and the comic book industry as a whole. It's clear from the start that the punisher is a sociopath and not in line with what you'd expect from a typical hero even by this story's dark and gritty world's standards. I liked it and have always thought this was a character that never worked within the marvel universe but rather flourished on his own outside of it. Does not read like a marvel-or even general superhero- story and that's completely fine by me.
January 15, 2018
An entertaining read with great sketches and gritty dialog. The reader is taken along a sordid military experience in Vietnam, then into a war against the mafia, then onto a battle against Irish mobsters. With characters coming to life, the stories keep you turning pages. At times the contact is for a mature audience, and people with thick skins, the dialog reflects sinister mobsters. This work is highly recommended for fans of comics and action and adventure alike.
July 4, 2018
This was a bit of a let down for me. I expected more. The stories were good but not great and the art couldn’t carry the material. The sequences were confusing and inconsistent. I’m gonna pick up the next one on account of this being such a big punisher run but so far I’m not impressed. 3 stars(+1 star for effort).
November 13, 2019
Liked the first third of the book where he goes nuts in Vietnam. It was dark and brutal. The other two series included in the series seemed a little bit repetitive. Mafia and Irish gangs. Good stories but I think they have been done and better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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