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Foolkiller MAX #1
Foolkiller MAX: Fool's Paradise
Los Angeles Times best-selling author Gregg Hurwitz (The Crime Writer) and Lan Medina bring you a gritty, no-holds barred crime thriller Move over Frank Castle, there's a new vigilante in town. When the Foolkiller strikes, the punishment fits the crime. It's a display for all to see, the truth in all its brutal glory, our hidden secrets gutted and turned inside out for the front pages. A vigilante artist, a madman performer, the Foolkiller has been brutally introduced to the human joke, and he wants to make sure fools everywhere take note. What he reveals may not be what you want to see. Or what you want to admit. But he makes one thing certain: If you're a fool, you cannot hide. Collects Foolkiller #1-5.
120 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 2008
62 people want to read
About the author
Gregg Hurwitz
301 books7,037 followersGregg Hurwitz is the critically acclaimed, New York Times and internationally bestselling author of 20 novels, including OUT OF THE DARK (2019). His novels have been shortlisted for numerous literary awards, graced top ten lists, and have been published in 30 languages.
He is also a New York Times Bestselling comic book writer, having penned stories for Marvel (Wolverine, Punisher) and DC (Batman, Penguin). Additionally, he’s written screenplays for or sold spec scripts to many of the major studios, and written, developed, and produced television for various networks. Gregg resides in Los Angeles.
He is also a New York Times Bestselling comic book writer, having penned stories for Marvel (Wolverine, Punisher) and DC (Batman, Penguin). Additionally, he’s written screenplays for or sold spec scripts to many of the major studios, and written, developed, and produced television for various networks. Gregg resides in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 17, 2014
The Foolkiller kills fools. With a walking stick.
THIS got published? The whole character sounded like a joke or parody of The Punisher and I thought it’d be a laugh riot, so it’s disappointing that it’s not and it wasn’t (ok, I chuckled a couple times at the absurdity of some of the scenes!).
Foolkiller is a former exec who made millions before making a series of unlikely choices that kills his ma. His dad dies in an even more unlikely situation which he too feels responsible for. This leads to him becoming a vigilante who kills fools with a walking stick/sword, and having a big black dog as a sidekick.
THIS got published?!
The story here is of a corrupt gambling website that collects heavily on its debts while rigging the odds. One of their collectors fails to pay up so they go after his family, killing them all except for his daughter in hospital with heart problems.
Because of how bizarre all of that sounds, it should’ve been a way more fun read than it was. This is usually a criticism of DC’s books but this Marvel comic was too dark and gritty, even for a MAX title. It took itself too seriously for what it is and it became boring with its unrelenting grimness.
There's lots of blood and gore if you look for that sort of thing, and the bad guys are all super-evil so you don't feel anything for them when Foolkiller tortures, then executes them. It’s a belated kind of heroism though; even though it tries to replicate the same approach Garth Ennis perfected in his Punisher MAX series, you don’t like Foolkiller like you do the Punisher.
That’s mostly because the Foolkiller is kind of dull as a hero, hacking and slashing his way through the baddies with his stick/sword and dog in a repetitious tedium. There are only so many times you can see before you completely lose interest. Frank Castle he ain’t!
Clearly Gregg Hurwitz didn’t want Foolkiller to appear as a joke (even though it’s hard to view him any other way!) but still, easing off of the seriousness just a little bit could’ve made all the difference for the character and the book as a whole.
This was my first Foolkiller book (yup, there are more!) but, having not enjoyed this one, I don’t think I’ll be seeking out any more - I’d be a fool if I did!
THIS got published? The whole character sounded like a joke or parody of The Punisher and I thought it’d be a laugh riot, so it’s disappointing that it’s not and it wasn’t (ok, I chuckled a couple times at the absurdity of some of the scenes!).
Foolkiller is a former exec who made millions before making a series of unlikely choices that kills his ma. His dad dies in an even more unlikely situation which he too feels responsible for. This leads to him becoming a vigilante who kills fools with a walking stick/sword, and having a big black dog as a sidekick.
THIS got published?!
The story here is of a corrupt gambling website that collects heavily on its debts while rigging the odds. One of their collectors fails to pay up so they go after his family, killing them all except for his daughter in hospital with heart problems.
Because of how bizarre all of that sounds, it should’ve been a way more fun read than it was. This is usually a criticism of DC’s books but this Marvel comic was too dark and gritty, even for a MAX title. It took itself too seriously for what it is and it became boring with its unrelenting grimness.
There's lots of blood and gore if you look for that sort of thing, and the bad guys are all super-evil so you don't feel anything for them when Foolkiller tortures, then executes them. It’s a belated kind of heroism though; even though it tries to replicate the same approach Garth Ennis perfected in his Punisher MAX series, you don’t like Foolkiller like you do the Punisher.
That’s mostly because the Foolkiller is kind of dull as a hero, hacking and slashing his way through the baddies with his stick/sword and dog in a repetitious tedium. There are only so many times you can see before you completely lose interest. Frank Castle he ain’t!
Clearly Gregg Hurwitz didn’t want Foolkiller to appear as a joke (even though it’s hard to view him any other way!) but still, easing off of the seriousness just a little bit could’ve made all the difference for the character and the book as a whole.
This was my first Foolkiller book (yup, there are more!) but, having not enjoyed this one, I don’t think I’ll be seeking out any more - I’d be a fool if I did!
February 6, 2019
Rape and amputations are always a great way to start a comic. Right? Oh boy.
Yet another revenge flavoured yarn unfurls itself across a mere 5 issues. This M.O. is a little gorier than usual though. And this Cannibal Holocaust-like tale has its own weird calling cards (pun intended) which include the aforementioned, cane sword cane and Tarot deck. Oh boy.
Yet for all the kitsch here, there is a relatively well done back story (not matter how brief) in issue #2 that happily riffs off the typical vigilante schlock with a moderately effective degree of original content. Rocketing from a tragic childhood, a waxing and waning of fortunes encapsulates our newly minted FoolKiller. All enshrouded within a believable set of means and methods that clearly fall under the shadows of a more successful predecessor. Yet compared to the Punisher of whom he’s obviously derived, not even a mere candle can be held up against such a far better developed and infinitley more memorable character. Unsurprisingly enough, with little motivation for his vigilantism (or insignia for that matter) – FoolKiller feels far more a platonically molded replicant than a properly formed character.
With pastiches and references from within and without the comic world (he quotes Shakespeare and Swift. Hah!) FoolKiller is far more buoyed by the works of other than by the strength of its own character.
Yet another revenge flavoured yarn unfurls itself across a mere 5 issues. This M.O. is a little gorier than usual though. And this Cannibal Holocaust-like tale has its own weird calling cards (pun intended) which include the aforementioned, cane sword cane and Tarot deck. Oh boy.
Yet for all the kitsch here, there is a relatively well done back story (not matter how brief) in issue #2 that happily riffs off the typical vigilante schlock with a moderately effective degree of original content. Rocketing from a tragic childhood, a waxing and waning of fortunes encapsulates our newly minted FoolKiller. All enshrouded within a believable set of means and methods that clearly fall under the shadows of a more successful predecessor. Yet compared to the Punisher of whom he’s obviously derived, not even a mere candle can be held up against such a far better developed and infinitley more memorable character. Unsurprisingly enough, with little motivation for his vigilantism (or insignia for that matter) – FoolKiller feels far more a platonically molded replicant than a properly formed character.
With pastiches and references from within and without the comic world (he quotes Shakespeare and Swift. Hah!) FoolKiller is far more buoyed by the works of other than by the strength of its own character.
January 9, 2025
Foolkiller took a karate class and did some pushups and is now an unstoppable killing machine. No, this isn't a comedy book.
All of the characters are one-dimensional and really annoying (especially the girl who hates her dad. Some variation of "I hate you, dad" is literally all her vocabulary is composed of. Also, Foolkiller is obsessed with the word "fool" and any famous quotes with that word).
In Foolkiller's world, swords and knives are WAY deadlier than guns. If you and five of your friends have guns and someone a hundred yards away is walking toward you with a knife or sword, your whole group doesn't stand a chance. And if it's Foolkiller you are up against and you somehow manage to actually shoot him, your bullet will be miraculously directed toward his shoulder no matter where you are actually pointing your gun.
So, yeah, this is a really bad Punisher knockoff that makes about as much sense as the pope at a speed dating meetup. It is super gory, though, so that's something.
All of the characters are one-dimensional and really annoying (especially the girl who hates her dad. Some variation of "I hate you, dad" is literally all her vocabulary is composed of. Also, Foolkiller is obsessed with the word "fool" and any famous quotes with that word).
In Foolkiller's world, swords and knives are WAY deadlier than guns. If you and five of your friends have guns and someone a hundred yards away is walking toward you with a knife or sword, your whole group doesn't stand a chance. And if it's Foolkiller you are up against and you somehow manage to actually shoot him, your bullet will be miraculously directed toward his shoulder no matter where you are actually pointing your gun.
So, yeah, this is a really bad Punisher knockoff that makes about as much sense as the pope at a speed dating meetup. It is super gory, though, so that's something.
January 9, 2025
Really nice artwork with enough gore to satisfy the MAX imprint. But wow, uhh, this was pretty bad. Foolkiller is a Punisher ripoff with the skull shirt replaced for a jester's cap tattoo. He goes around brutally murdering gang members.
But our protagonist here is a guy who gambled and got booted from the NFL then got involved in gangs... his family gets brutally murdered because of it. I'm not sure, I feel bad for his family, but he's not really a protagonist I can get behind.
It's too serious for its own good. I could see something like this working with less pretension, bring in Garth Ennis or someone to edit the script.
But our protagonist here is a guy who gambled and got booted from the NFL then got involved in gangs... his family gets brutally murdered because of it. I'm not sure, I feel bad for his family, but he's not really a protagonist I can get behind.
It's too serious for its own good. I could see something like this working with less pretension, bring in Garth Ennis or someone to edit the script.
January 16, 2011
This was well written and well drawn, only downside is that it wasn't, well, original.
November 11, 2022
Reprints Foolkiller (MAX Series) #1-5 (December 2007-May 2008). Nate McBride is a small time enforcer and collector for a company with a legal face. When he steals $20,000 from his employers, he family pays…and if he doesn’t pay back the $20,000 his sick daughter Janie will die. Nate hears of a man named the Foolkiller who wanders the streets making those pay for their crimes…Nate needs a prayer, and the Foolkiller could be his only hope.
Written by Gregg Hurwitz, Fookiller: Fool’s Paradise is a Marvel Comics anti-hero comic book collection. The volume was released under the adult Marvel Comics imprint MAX. It features art by Lan Medina.
I was weirdly a fan of Foolkiller. I had sought out the character even before the 1990s relaunch of the character and was even interested in this entry…but the MAX stuff can go two ways. It can be adult and smart or it can simply be adult and violent/swear-y. Foolkiller is closer to the second one.
The series is pretty simple. Nate McBride needs help and the edgy and deadly Foolkiller provides that help. The Foolkiller character is less crazy in this volume and more ruthless. The “fool” detection method is less sculpted than the previous Foolkillers and it seems more like Trace simply kills who he wants (and needs) to kill. The word “fool” is dropped a lot, but it doesn’t carry much weight in the story.
Foolkiller is an unapologetic killer but being crazywas part of his hitch. The original Foolkiller (or more technically Foolkiller II) attracted me simply because he was from Noblesville, Indiana (home state)…and was institutionalized there. The 2000s Foolkiller loses his originality and it hurts the overall product. Plus, it never feels like there is much of a threat to him.
The other problem is that the story is very predictable. As soon as they started talking about the daughter’s condition, you knew how it was going to end…and there weren’t really any twists or turns. It would have been nice if it played out differently.
Foolkiller: Fool’s Paradise is a rather bland read. The character is dumbed down and the plot feels like a Punisher comic without Frank’s self-doubt and melancholy. Foolkiller (since he is technically a secondary character in his own comic) doesn’t get to have much insight or direction beyond his origin issue. It is just a ho-hum ride. Foolkiller: Fool’s Paradise was followed by Foolkiller: White Angels.
Written by Gregg Hurwitz, Fookiller: Fool’s Paradise is a Marvel Comics anti-hero comic book collection. The volume was released under the adult Marvel Comics imprint MAX. It features art by Lan Medina.
I was weirdly a fan of Foolkiller. I had sought out the character even before the 1990s relaunch of the character and was even interested in this entry…but the MAX stuff can go two ways. It can be adult and smart or it can simply be adult and violent/swear-y. Foolkiller is closer to the second one.
The series is pretty simple. Nate McBride needs help and the edgy and deadly Foolkiller provides that help. The Foolkiller character is less crazy in this volume and more ruthless. The “fool” detection method is less sculpted than the previous Foolkillers and it seems more like Trace simply kills who he wants (and needs) to kill. The word “fool” is dropped a lot, but it doesn’t carry much weight in the story.
Foolkiller is an unapologetic killer but being crazywas part of his hitch. The original Foolkiller (or more technically Foolkiller II) attracted me simply because he was from Noblesville, Indiana (home state)…and was institutionalized there. The 2000s Foolkiller loses his originality and it hurts the overall product. Plus, it never feels like there is much of a threat to him.
The other problem is that the story is very predictable. As soon as they started talking about the daughter’s condition, you knew how it was going to end…and there weren’t really any twists or turns. It would have been nice if it played out differently.
Foolkiller: Fool’s Paradise is a rather bland read. The character is dumbed down and the plot feels like a Punisher comic without Frank’s self-doubt and melancholy. Foolkiller (since he is technically a secondary character in his own comic) doesn’t get to have much insight or direction beyond his origin issue. It is just a ho-hum ride. Foolkiller: Fool’s Paradise was followed by Foolkiller: White Angels.
February 6, 2011
If you like the modern Punisher MAX story, then you'll like this book. Although, if I were the Punisher, I'd kick Foolkiller's ass for trying to steal my schtick.
June 23, 2012
Like Punisher and the Joker had a hate child.
November 20, 2013
Even under the Max imprint ... I thought this was pretty dark for Marvel.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews