What do you think?
Rate this book
Punisher War Journal (1988) #1-19
Punisher War Journal by Carl Potts & Jim Lee
Collects Punisher War Journal (1988) #1-19, material from Punisher Annual #2.
Frank Castle doubles down on his war on crime, courtesy of two of the finest creators ever to take on the character. If you're a mob boss, hitman or hired goon, one day you're gonna end up in Punisher's War Journal. And it won't be long before he crosses you off. As Frank continues his relentless mission, he'll lock horns with old foe Daredevil, team up with Spider-Man and meet a feisty new sparring partner — get ready for Punisher vs. Wolverine as only Jim Lee could draw it! ACTS OF VENGEANCE sees Frank take on new foe Bushwhacker as Doctor Doom and Kingpin scheme behind the scenes. Plus: Punisher honors his family, gets a pimped-out new Battle Van and hunts Africa's answer to the Loch Ness Monster!
Frank Castle doubles down on his war on crime, courtesy of two of the finest creators ever to take on the character. If you're a mob boss, hitman or hired goon, one day you're gonna end up in Punisher's War Journal. And it won't be long before he crosses you off. As Frank continues his relentless mission, he'll lock horns with old foe Daredevil, team up with Spider-Man and meet a feisty new sparring partner — get ready for Punisher vs. Wolverine as only Jim Lee could draw it! ACTS OF VENGEANCE sees Frank take on new foe Bushwhacker as Doctor Doom and Kingpin scheme behind the scenes. Plus: Punisher honors his family, gets a pimped-out new Battle Van and hunts Africa's answer to the Loch Ness Monster!
500 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1990
23 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Carl Potts
156 books12 followersCreative Director, Writer, Artist & Editor with experience in visual arts, entertainment, marketing, interactive and education.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 16, 2018
A still more than good late 80s Punisher run that launched for good in fieri comics superstar artist Jim Lee just before his iconic work on X-Men.
There are some brutal killings here that probably escaped Comics Authority Code vigilant censorship eye, just look at the family wiped out by Damage, and I think the issues with the Daredevil, Wolverine and Spidey "Team Ups" inspired a lot Garth Ennis for his Punisher Max run.
The Sniper and Bushwacker/Acts of Vengeance storylines are still two of fan favourite of mine after something like 30 years... totally forgot Frank Castle once studied for priesthood before starting his crusade against crime!
Almost 5 stars but the Shadowmasters storyline, a spot for their 4 issues miniseries, and their try to make Punisher "greatest ninja ever" was just too much meh for me :/
November 2, 2025
The beginning of this collection starts from the beginning of the Punisher, really.
It’s a new story that connects to what happened on that ill fated day…
The next story I read had Microchip suggest a break for Frank that ends up being not so relaxing.
And involves a dinosaur??
The last few issues I read involved various other characters and that was cool. Unfortunately, I was starting to lose interest in the repetitive nature of Punisher comics.
It’s a new story that connects to what happened on that ill fated day…
The next story I read had Microchip suggest a break for Frank that ends up being not so relaxing.
And involves a dinosaur??
The last few issues I read involved various other characters and that was cool. Unfortunately, I was starting to lose interest in the repetitive nature of Punisher comics.
March 12, 2018
This book suffers, and I mean suffers badly, from being a punisher book written in the eighties in a post Ennis world. I don't have the nostalgic rose tinted glasses to make this book live up to standards I have from modern punisher books. As an artefact of comic history, sure it's a half decent read. I despise the infuriatingly boring Asian mysticism subplot. Plus wolverines cameo is a little bit of a let down. The artwork is also super dated so I guess if eighties comics are your jam, go nuts.
November 12, 2024
Really varied in the stories, when Punisher is more ‘realistic’ he’s really good, when he ventures into more superpowered stories he’s ludicrous. For instance this tome has two very similar stories with the Punisher fending off and defeating someone who is hunting him. The first one his villain is ‘Sniper’ a skilled sniper from his old command in Vietnam who is now turning his sights on Castle, a solid suspenseful tale, another nemesis is that Bushwacker a gun who can turn his arm into a gun loaded with ammo, has been hired by the kingpin to kill the punisher, it’s such a ridiculous story with no real interest or suspense.
January 13, 2018
This collects the first 19 issues of the original Punisher War Journal from the late 80s and early 90s. It features a little more dialogue than I am use to from Punisher books nowadays, but that is fine here as I love his dynamic with Micro. This is my first time reading these War Journal issues and I am glad they keep the running joke alive from the regular main Punisher book also being published at the time that Punisher is constantly getting his trademark Battle Van lost in the line of duty. Some things comically do not hold up today that I have not seen in a Punisher book in many years like with this line of War Journal's focus on Castle using the latest and greatest tech gadgets.
That aside I still dug this run of Punisher books. When it comes to the original late 80s to mid 90s Punisher books I will lean toward's Baron's work on the primary Punisher book instead. However, there is still some great arcs here, including a nice standoff with Wolverine in Africa, Punisher bailing Micro out of a jam in Maui and I dug artist Jim Lee's take on the Punisher here. I started reading this trade while I was watching the Netflix series. I went on to be stunned to see some of the minor periphery characters and plot points from the opening arc of this War Journal trade are featured to set up the overall story arc and characters in the Netflix series.
That aside I still dug this run of Punisher books. When it comes to the original late 80s to mid 90s Punisher books I will lean toward's Baron's work on the primary Punisher book instead. However, there is still some great arcs here, including a nice standoff with Wolverine in Africa, Punisher bailing Micro out of a jam in Maui and I dug artist Jim Lee's take on the Punisher here. I started reading this trade while I was watching the Netflix series. I went on to be stunned to see some of the minor periphery characters and plot points from the opening arc of this War Journal trade are featured to set up the overall story arc and characters in the Netflix series.
July 4, 2019
Era la seconda testata dedicata a Frank Castle, ma la preferivo. Questo volume raccoglie le prime 19 storie e l'annual e sono ancora oggi molto leggibili, sia come testi che come disegni. C'è Sniper, vecchio compagno del Viet-Nam ora avversario, ci sono i criminali comuni, ammazzati a dozzine. C'è un cross-over con Devil e poi l'Uomo Ragno comprimario, la Vedova Nera e il bello scontro con Bushwacker. Ma soprattutto c'è l'avventura africana con Wolverine, sulle tracce dei dinosauri e dei cacciatori di frodo che uccidono i ghepardi reali. Questa doppia avventura in particolare, quando la lessi la prima volta, in b/n, non mi aveva colpito molto, ma dopo oltre 20 anni devo dire che invece è una gran bella storia anche se qualche pagina in più non avrebbe guastato.
Disegni di un Jim Lee giovane ma più bravo di quello che è diventato in seguito.
Carl Potts alle sceneggiature è egregio, l'avventura è sempre stata il suo forte.
Disegni di un Jim Lee giovane ma più bravo di quello che è diventato in seguito.
Carl Potts alle sceneggiature è egregio, l'avventura è sempre stata il suo forte.
September 28, 2023
The bronze age of comic books is strange because while it has the quirkiness of 40-60s era comics, it also has much heavier exposition and storylines of modern comics. I think the biggest issue is that side stories can’t account for the heavier plot elements, which makes them seem neglected or parodied. It also lost its pacing when switching to the 3 issue arc format in the middle of Frank’s personal character arc.
Overall, this was a good read. It has a good amount of mature themes and superhero team ups, even if some (see: Wolverine) are corny.
I especially enjoyed the end panels, which had poetry and weapon explanations on them. You can tell how much authors care about their work.
It also feels weird because of how society has changed, as a lot of terms used in this book are… not acceptable today. It is a product of it’s time, I suppose.
4/5 stars, -1 for pacing and -1 for dated racism and ableism but +1 for unique storytelling
Overall, this was a good read. It has a good amount of mature themes and superhero team ups, even if some (see: Wolverine) are corny.
I especially enjoyed the end panels, which had poetry and weapon explanations on them. You can tell how much authors care about their work.
It also feels weird because of how society has changed, as a lot of terms used in this book are… not acceptable today. It is a product of it’s time, I suppose.
4/5 stars, -1 for pacing and -1 for dated racism and ableism but +1 for unique storytelling
October 31, 2017
Jim Lee is a god. Even his early work shows the detail and style he is now known for.
This War Journal Collection has awesome artwork, but the story and dialog were rather weak. It seems 25 Years has taken the bloom of the rose for what I recalled was one of favorite Punisher storylines back in the 90’s.
This War Journal Collection has awesome artwork, but the story and dialog were rather weak. It seems 25 Years has taken the bloom of the rose for what I recalled was one of favorite Punisher storylines back in the 90’s.
January 12, 2020
The complete inspiration
Nicely assembled compilations of the early Punisher work and extra material. Really cool to see the old “art for repro” posters and original art from the auction house. Was intrigued to see the themes that made it from these comics to the great Netflix show of modern times.
Nicely assembled compilations of the early Punisher work and extra material. Really cool to see the old “art for repro” posters and original art from the auction house. Was intrigued to see the themes that made it from these comics to the great Netflix show of modern times.
February 10, 2024
aÇÃO tipica dos anos 90
dialogos fracos e tramas pouco complexas, tudo era mais simples
não que isso seja ruim, sofreu com a ação do tempo e se sustenta totalmente na arte do JIM LEE
da época que o Justiceiro ainda era visto como um herói, e não agia como um psicopata.
o arco jogos de guerra é o ponto alto da fase, o crossover com o Wolverine funcionou bem melhor quando eu li em 1995
dialogos fracos e tramas pouco complexas, tudo era mais simples
não que isso seja ruim, sofreu com a ação do tempo e se sustenta totalmente na arte do JIM LEE
da época que o Justiceiro ainda era visto como um herói, e não agia como um psicopata.
o arco jogos de guerra é o ponto alto da fase, o crossover com o Wolverine funcionou bem melhor quando eu li em 1995
November 22, 2018
Typischer Punisher der 80er-viel Action, Story kann im Hintergrund bleiben. Auf jeden Fall unterhaltsam. Hat aber absolut nichts mit der Netflix-Serie zu tun, obwohl einige Charaktere aus dem War Journal-Run entnommen wurden.
November 13, 2021
Been a fascinating read throughout. Beginning with the death of his family to battling gang members and drug dealers, the Punisher seeks vengeance against evil-doers. With cameo appearances of Daredevil, Wolverine, Spider-Man, and the Kingpin, it has become a Marvel-ous read.
August 13, 2019
A good read for Punisher fans, with rough parts due to it feeling a lot dated at times. I would've loved it if I had read it back in the day, but I still enjoyed most of the book.
October 9, 2021
One of my faves for sure! A few cool stories of The Punisher, with some cool cameos, the art is amazing and it made me like him even more.
August 10, 2024
2 stars for Carl Potts’ writing, 4 stars for Jim Lee’s art
June 28, 2020
Fun, classic Punisher.
August 10, 2016
Běh na dlouhou trať. Ale špatné to nebylo. Jim Lee tehdy sice ještě nebyl nic moc, ale nějak se držel. Některé sešity hrozně ukecané, některé trochu nudnější, ale vesměs to byly spíš příjemné záležitosti.
Celkem mě ale párkrát zarazilo nelogické chování některých postav - tak třeba Wolverine se chová jako fanatický PETAř a chce zabít Punishera jen proto, že v sebeobraně zabil gorilu a pak mu nedělá problém zabít jinou zvěř a pak ji jen tak nechat ležet.
Padouch Bushwacker zase nechá Franka žít, když ho může zabít jen proto, že způsob, jakým se o jeho zabití pokoušel byl "málo umělecký" a během jejich dalšího souboje se místo boje zaobírá tím, že mu dala kopačky jeho stará.
Takže v některých případech divné, ale příběhově lepší průměr.
Celkem mě ale párkrát zarazilo nelogické chování některých postav - tak třeba Wolverine se chová jako fanatický PETAř a chce zabít Punishera jen proto, že v sebeobraně zabil gorilu a pak mu nedělá problém zabít jinou zvěř a pak ji jen tak nechat ležet.
Padouch Bushwacker zase nechá Franka žít, když ho může zabít jen proto, že způsob, jakým se o jeho zabití pokoušel byl "málo umělecký" a během jejich dalšího souboje se místo boje zaobírá tím, že mu dala kopačky jeho stará.
Takže v některých případech divné, ale příběhově lepší průměr.
November 11, 2016
A blast from the past! "BUDDA, BUDDA, BUDDA"
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews