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Punisher: The Platoon #1-6
Punisher: The Platoon
Collects Punisher: The Platoon #1-6.
Before the Punisher was born in Vietnam, Frank Castle had already become a dark legend of the battlefield. Stories about him were told in whispers, if at all. Now the legendary creative team of Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov brings the first of those stories to light: the tale of Frank Castle’s first command, and his first kill. During the Tet Offensive, death surrounded Lt. Castle’s platoon on all sides. How far would Frank go to protect his men? Especially when the danger came from the indifference of his commanders? And while Castle was engaged in the grind of war, a kindred spirit on the enemy’s side watched…and waited. It’s a seemingly hopeless mission. It’s Lt. Castle’s first platoon. It’s the answer to the question: What made the Punisher?
Before the Punisher was born in Vietnam, Frank Castle had already become a dark legend of the battlefield. Stories about him were told in whispers, if at all. Now the legendary creative team of Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov brings the first of those stories to light: the tale of Frank Castle’s first command, and his first kill. During the Tet Offensive, death surrounded Lt. Castle’s platoon on all sides. How far would Frank go to protect his men? Especially when the danger came from the indifference of his commanders? And while Castle was engaged in the grind of war, a kindred spirit on the enemy’s side watched…and waited. It’s a seemingly hopeless mission. It’s Lt. Castle’s first platoon. It’s the answer to the question: What made the Punisher?
134 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 18, 2018
14 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
About the author
Garth Ennis
2,623 books3,170 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 86 reviews
May 9, 2018
After nearly a decade away from his signature Marvel character, Garth Ennis is back with a new story about Frank Castle’s first command in Punisher: The Platoon. And, though it’s always worth reading any Ennis/Punisher book, Platoon wasn’t as great a reunion comic as I’d hoped.
The current version of The Punisher is a veteran of an unspecified war, so as not to date him; Ennis’ Punisher is firmly the original version of the character whose war was Vietnam. If you haven’t read Ennis’ Punisher before, his thesis on the character is that The Punisher was “born” during Vietnam, caged when he returned to civilian life and then given an excuse to run amok after Frank’s family were killed by mobsters during a picnic at the park. The Punisher: Born explored that origin, which was basically the final chapter of Frank Castle; Platoon is the beginning of that story, leading up to Born.
And yet, while the premise supposedly explores the possibility of whether the war made Frank into the killing machine he became or whether he could’ve possibly been someone else, really the main characters are in the subtitle: the platoon, the soldiers who served under him.
Ennis’ forte is unquestionably war comics. War Stories is his best series, closely followed by Battlefields and it’s no surprise that his best work for Marvel has been on The Punisher and Nick Fury, two characters with military backgrounds. Ennis sets aside his juvenile humour when writing these stories and the deep respect and fascination he has for the subject of military history shines through in the enormous level of detail lavished throughout these scripts.
Platoon is thoroughly-researched and Ennis paints a convincing picture of army life, from defending remote hills, having to illegally barter for reliable equipment, and the tension between the various military divisions. I completely believe that while the characters are fictional, their experiences and views are reflective of the real men who lived that war. Ennis is also careful to write equally human Vietnamese characters in the Vietcong officer, Letrong Giap, and the fierce soldier who sets her sights on Frank, Ly Quang. This isn’t some one-sided flag-waving nationalistic rubbish, Ennis is going for as objective a view of the conflict as he can.
And this is where I always feel like a shallow piece of shit for critiquing any book that’s about serious real-life, world-changing events: I was kinda bored reading it. The various characters of Platoon, while realistic, weren’t terribly interesting. There isn’t really a story – Frank and his platoon have a few skirmishes and that’s it. That said, when Frank gets into gear, he’s utterly compelling and that final episode in the swamp was really something. Also, rather than his usual portrayal as a haunted husk of a man, Frank here is at least semi-human, heroically winning the respect of his men through selfless action, determined to bring every one of them home, willing to listen to them, and thus bring the best out of them. He remains a tragic figure though: the sad irony being that he brought every man under his command home but ultimately left himself behind.
It’s well put-together but there’s nothing here you won’t have already seen or read in any other Vietnam movie or book. Despite the Punisher perspective, it’s fairly indistinct as another generic ‘Nam story. War is hell, nobody can truly know what it was really like, etc. The premise is kind of irrelevant too – does it matter when during Vietnam, or after, Frank decided to put on the skull tee? He still ended up The Punisher. The same goes for Goran Parlov’s art: it’s detailed, accurate and skilful but also looks fairly unmemorable.
Though he continues to crank out meaninglessly provocative drivel like A Train Called Love or bad one-joke books like Jimmy’s Bastards, The Punisher: Platoon shows that Ennis can still write worthwhile comics when he puts his mind to it. But he’s also been able to tell similar stories before and be as entertaining as he is informative and insightful which, unfortunately, he doesn’t fully achieve in Platoon.
The current version of The Punisher is a veteran of an unspecified war, so as not to date him; Ennis’ Punisher is firmly the original version of the character whose war was Vietnam. If you haven’t read Ennis’ Punisher before, his thesis on the character is that The Punisher was “born” during Vietnam, caged when he returned to civilian life and then given an excuse to run amok after Frank’s family were killed by mobsters during a picnic at the park. The Punisher: Born explored that origin, which was basically the final chapter of Frank Castle; Platoon is the beginning of that story, leading up to Born.
And yet, while the premise supposedly explores the possibility of whether the war made Frank into the killing machine he became or whether he could’ve possibly been someone else, really the main characters are in the subtitle: the platoon, the soldiers who served under him.
Ennis’ forte is unquestionably war comics. War Stories is his best series, closely followed by Battlefields and it’s no surprise that his best work for Marvel has been on The Punisher and Nick Fury, two characters with military backgrounds. Ennis sets aside his juvenile humour when writing these stories and the deep respect and fascination he has for the subject of military history shines through in the enormous level of detail lavished throughout these scripts.
Platoon is thoroughly-researched and Ennis paints a convincing picture of army life, from defending remote hills, having to illegally barter for reliable equipment, and the tension between the various military divisions. I completely believe that while the characters are fictional, their experiences and views are reflective of the real men who lived that war. Ennis is also careful to write equally human Vietnamese characters in the Vietcong officer, Letrong Giap, and the fierce soldier who sets her sights on Frank, Ly Quang. This isn’t some one-sided flag-waving nationalistic rubbish, Ennis is going for as objective a view of the conflict as he can.
And this is where I always feel like a shallow piece of shit for critiquing any book that’s about serious real-life, world-changing events: I was kinda bored reading it. The various characters of Platoon, while realistic, weren’t terribly interesting. There isn’t really a story – Frank and his platoon have a few skirmishes and that’s it. That said, when Frank gets into gear, he’s utterly compelling and that final episode in the swamp was really something. Also, rather than his usual portrayal as a haunted husk of a man, Frank here is at least semi-human, heroically winning the respect of his men through selfless action, determined to bring every one of them home, willing to listen to them, and thus bring the best out of them. He remains a tragic figure though: the sad irony being that he brought every man under his command home but ultimately left himself behind.
It’s well put-together but there’s nothing here you won’t have already seen or read in any other Vietnam movie or book. Despite the Punisher perspective, it’s fairly indistinct as another generic ‘Nam story. War is hell, nobody can truly know what it was really like, etc. The premise is kind of irrelevant too – does it matter when during Vietnam, or after, Frank decided to put on the skull tee? He still ended up The Punisher. The same goes for Goran Parlov’s art: it’s detailed, accurate and skilful but also looks fairly unmemorable.
Though he continues to crank out meaninglessly provocative drivel like A Train Called Love or bad one-joke books like Jimmy’s Bastards, The Punisher: Platoon shows that Ennis can still write worthwhile comics when he puts his mind to it. But he’s also been able to tell similar stories before and be as entertaining as he is informative and insightful which, unfortunately, he doesn’t fully achieve in Platoon.
December 27, 2018
This isn't so much a Punisher origin story as it is a Vietnam War comic. And that's okay, because it's a damn fine war comic. Ennis captures both the American and Vietnam side of the war, presenting us with stories not only from Castle's platoon but those he was fighting as well. The story is told as a reunion of Frank's platoon, retelling about their time under his leadership and how he kept them all alive. Ennis really get into the heads of these men as they relate their admiration of Frank Castle. He really has you rooting for Castle and his men throughout the book to make it home safely.
March 21, 2022
A very good prequel. Before he became the Punisher Frank Castle was a a soldier forged in the jungles on Vietnam.
This is the story of Frank's first command. Frank has always been driven by is duty, how dar will he go to get his men home safe. While on the present a writer is interviewing the survivors from under Frank's command. To try and understand where the Punisher was actually born. As well as trying to find a reason in the Vietnam war.
Another book that lives to the MAX label. Thought I don't like overuse of swearing to make something a MAX book. Here is fits the characters perfectly. The action is brutal befitting a war book. Not my favourite artwork but a good first look a Frank Castle.
This is the story of Frank's first command. Frank has always been driven by is duty, how dar will he go to get his men home safe. While on the present a writer is interviewing the survivors from under Frank's command. To try and understand where the Punisher was actually born. As well as trying to find a reason in the Vietnam war.
Another book that lives to the MAX label. Thought I don't like overuse of swearing to make something a MAX book. Here is fits the characters perfectly. The action is brutal befitting a war book. Not my favourite artwork but a good first look a Frank Castle.
July 16, 2018
I'll read any war comic Garth Ennis writes. I'll read any Punisher comic Garth Ennis writes. I was hoping to be blown away by a Punisher origin story set during the Vietnam War, but I'll settle for a solid war tale with quite a few remarkable moments.
January 20, 2019
Garth Ennis really writes a good Punisher story. This was an interesting look at Castles first tour in Vietnam. People may be familiar with the Garth Ennis "Born" series where it looks at Castle during the end of his multiple tours in Nam, this is a prequel of sorts. A fresh faced 2nd Lt Castle learns about war.
It is centered around the Battle of Khe Sanh. It's a good look at the tactical side of Castle and what made him an excellent Marine. Not at all the bad ass he will later become, you get to see Castle grow throughout the story. It is a good story told from the viewpoint of both the Americans, Castle's squadmates, and the North Vietnamese. I really enjoyed it. Just one quibble though and I get Ennis is a liberal..but umm Communists are not cuddly freedom fighters. They are killers. Roughly 200K were wiped out by the Communists after "liberation". So please stop with the Noble Communist unless next you'll try to sell me the Noble Nazi.
It is centered around the Battle of Khe Sanh. It's a good look at the tactical side of Castle and what made him an excellent Marine. Not at all the bad ass he will later become, you get to see Castle grow throughout the story. It is a good story told from the viewpoint of both the Americans, Castle's squadmates, and the North Vietnamese. I really enjoyed it. Just one quibble though and I get Ennis is a liberal..but umm Communists are not cuddly freedom fighters. They are killers. Roughly 200K were wiped out by the Communists after "liberation". So please stop with the Noble Communist unless next you'll try to sell me the Noble Nazi.
September 11, 2020
3.5 stars. Dark and often pretty brutal, yet not in an over-the-top way. I quite liked this more serious, understated side of Ennis/Frank Castle.
Best line (though it’s neither serious nor understated): “Just the thought of it turned your blood to wet shit.”
I definitely gotta remember to use that in daily conversation!
Best line (though it’s neither serious nor understated): “Just the thought of it turned your blood to wet shit.”
I definitely gotta remember to use that in daily conversation!
May 4, 2020
WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE AHEAD. IF THAT OFFENDS YOU DON’T READ THIS REVIEW.
“It Was a War”
“More’n that it was our asses on the line. Takes a sledgehammer to crush a bug? You got my okay to use the sledgehammer.”
Damn... why doesn’t Marvel publish more stuff like this?
What’s it about?
Basically this is about how The Punisher’s combat experience during Vietnam started.
Pros:
The story is very interesting. This is a war story and most people who like comics with those themes will agree that Ennis is a fucking master at them!
This book has interesting characters.
As you can expect from war stories, Garth Ennis and Punisher this story is full of great action. It did admittedly take a teensy bit to pick it’s pace up but once it gets intense it is intense as hell for the rest of the comic.
The narrative is very well written.
Ennis writes this dialogue very well. He writes it in a way that feels like you’re reading about actual people in an intense, stressful scenario.
There’s some emotional stuff in this.
Ennis is great at historical accuracy.
I’m glad Marvel didn’t fuck around with censoring the hell out of everything like they usually do. I hope Marvel does this with their more mature storylines in general.
Why not 5 stars?
This book, being a prequel that doesn’t really have anything more to it or any twists on anything, is predictable.
Mixed thoughts:
The art. It works in the more intense, action focused scenes but not very well elsewhere IMO. I especially don’t care for the faces.
Overall:
This book is very good.
With a great story, well written characters, fantastic dialogue, lots of intensity and zero censorship I wish Marvel would do more stuff like this.
Okay so it is predictable and the art is sometimes iffy but for the most part it is really fucking good.
Highly recommended!
4/5
“It Was a War”
“More’n that it was our asses on the line. Takes a sledgehammer to crush a bug? You got my okay to use the sledgehammer.”
Damn... why doesn’t Marvel publish more stuff like this?
What’s it about?
Basically this is about how The Punisher’s combat experience during Vietnam started.
Pros:
The story is very interesting. This is a war story and most people who like comics with those themes will agree that Ennis is a fucking master at them!
This book has interesting characters.
As you can expect from war stories, Garth Ennis and Punisher this story is full of great action. It did admittedly take a teensy bit to pick it’s pace up but once it gets intense it is intense as hell for the rest of the comic.
The narrative is very well written.
Ennis writes this dialogue very well. He writes it in a way that feels like you’re reading about actual people in an intense, stressful scenario.
There’s some emotional stuff in this.
Ennis is great at historical accuracy.
I’m glad Marvel didn’t fuck around with censoring the hell out of everything like they usually do. I hope Marvel does this with their more mature storylines in general.
Why not 5 stars?
This book, being a prequel that doesn’t really have anything more to it or any twists on anything, is predictable.
Mixed thoughts:
The art. It works in the more intense, action focused scenes but not very well elsewhere IMO. I especially don’t care for the faces.
Overall:
This book is very good.
With a great story, well written characters, fantastic dialogue, lots of intensity and zero censorship I wish Marvel would do more stuff like this.
Okay so it is predictable and the art is sometimes iffy but for the most part it is really fucking good.
Highly recommended!
4/5
June 27, 2019
Ennis nails it again.
December 12, 2024
The Punisher max original Ennis run is iconic- I always compare it to something like Crank or Smokin Aces with a twist of brutal realism. He fights gangs, international criminals and corrupt officials. It is almost always extremely violent and over the top. This is a much slower and calmer read, a man finding himself amidst the brutal war that many felt was for nothing at all… killing for nothing. He did find that he loves to support those who trust him and depend on him… I can see this same Frank in the earlier max series when he is helping women escape trafficking or little kids get through a gang infested city, the punisher does care about people but when people do bad (as they often do) he doesn’t think twice about blowing their head smoove off. The duality of man.
June 30, 2025
With the creative team behind it I would have expected this to pop up on my radar before now. Ennis and Parlov make an amazing team. Ennis is without question a hall of fame comic book writer but I will admit his best known works The Boys and Preacher aren't my favourites from him. I like it when he is forced to reign in the violence a little and ground the story a bit more. I find his Punisher stories do that.
Now, as others have noted, this is better thought of as a 'Nam war story rather than a Punisher story. But I loved the fact we get Frank Castle before the tragedy and he isn't anything other than a stoic, level headed Lieutenant (Ell Tee) trying to get his platoon home safely. It's just a great war story and we get to see who Frank was before he turned into the Punisher.
I loved the narrative style of it being told to a reporter by four of the surviving members of the Platoon and the story gripped me from beginning to end. I will admit the "end" didn't have much wow (there was this female VN soldier who had her heart set on killing Frank - that was a key through line to the story) to it but I was okay with that because it felt more realistic that way. However, it does lessen the impact of the overall story.
Some quibbles I had - while one of the guys narrating the story had a clear personality the other three felt interchangeable. And since Ennis doesn't go out of his way to name them it was hard to track who they were when we flash backed to the past. Parlov did his best to make them recognizable but it was very hard for me to keep track of who was who in the platoon. Since this story's main point was "Frank kept us all alive" it would have been nice to have a bit more emotional connection to a few of them.
Also - there were times I was getting lost in what was happening (in terms of the military strategy/offensive). I don't mind the writer making me work for keeping up but I, personally, needed a few more explanations (at times) to understand what was happening.
Overall - a VERY entertaining read from a writer who was made for writing Punisher and an artist who is supremely talented. As I said - I was surprised I hadn't heard of this mini-series before but I am glad I got a chance to read it.
REREAD 2 YEARS LATER: Still holds up. Still very enjoyable. I agree with all my points from 3 years ago and still feel the resolution of the "Vietnam female soldier who wanted to kill Frank was "anti-climatic". It was realistic in how it was resolved (not all fights get a 20 page back and forth) but felt rushed and felt it was being set up for a more satisfying conclusion, that never materialized.
Now, as others have noted, this is better thought of as a 'Nam war story rather than a Punisher story. But I loved the fact we get Frank Castle before the tragedy and he isn't anything other than a stoic, level headed Lieutenant (Ell Tee) trying to get his platoon home safely. It's just a great war story and we get to see who Frank was before he turned into the Punisher.
I loved the narrative style of it being told to a reporter by four of the surviving members of the Platoon and the story gripped me from beginning to end. I will admit the "end" didn't have much wow (there was this female VN soldier who had her heart set on killing Frank - that was a key through line to the story) to it but I was okay with that because it felt more realistic that way. However, it does lessen the impact of the overall story.
Some quibbles I had - while one of the guys narrating the story had a clear personality the other three felt interchangeable. And since Ennis doesn't go out of his way to name them it was hard to track who they were when we flash backed to the past. Parlov did his best to make them recognizable but it was very hard for me to keep track of who was who in the platoon. Since this story's main point was "Frank kept us all alive" it would have been nice to have a bit more emotional connection to a few of them.
Also - there were times I was getting lost in what was happening (in terms of the military strategy/offensive). I don't mind the writer making me work for keeping up but I, personally, needed a few more explanations (at times) to understand what was happening.
Overall - a VERY entertaining read from a writer who was made for writing Punisher and an artist who is supremely talented. As I said - I was surprised I hadn't heard of this mini-series before but I am glad I got a chance to read it.
REREAD 2 YEARS LATER: Still holds up. Still very enjoyable. I agree with all my points from 3 years ago and still feel the resolution of the "Vietnam female soldier who wanted to kill Frank was "anti-climatic". It was realistic in how it was resolved (not all fights get a 20 page back and forth) but felt rushed and felt it was being set up for a more satisfying conclusion, that never materialized.
July 11, 2018
Without much interest as a Punisher story- it adds next to nothing to the lore and Born covered everything already- but a damn fine Nam story.
As the cover says it's a platoon story. Conscripts in a war far from home, not knowing what they're fighting for but each other. Frank Castle is their officer. Could be named John Doe, it would still be as good.
The attempt at showing the other side is a mixed bag. Crazy Ly didn't impress me much but the NV colonel is really great and actually hilarious with his tongue-in-cheek humor.
Great respect for details, tactics, dialogues; Ennis likes military stuff and it shows.
Artwise it's Goran Parlov and Jordie Bellaire: they do their stuff and they do it well.
As the cover says it's a platoon story. Conscripts in a war far from home, not knowing what they're fighting for but each other. Frank Castle is their officer. Could be named John Doe, it would still be as good.
The attempt at showing the other side is a mixed bag. Crazy Ly didn't impress me much but the NV colonel is really great and actually hilarious with his tongue-in-cheek humor.
Great respect for details, tactics, dialogues; Ennis likes military stuff and it shows.
Artwise it's Goran Parlov and Jordie Bellaire: they do their stuff and they do it well.
March 3, 2018
This was more a Viet Nam war story than a Punisher story, but still a very good read. We get a glimpse of the Punisher in Nam, but a more realistic view than we've seen before. Fans of the Punisher and/or fans of war comics should check this one out.
July 30, 2019
I have so much respect for anyone who even attempts to write the Punisher after Ennis' work on the character.
September 27, 2018
Well this was as great as I was expecting. Its written by Ennis. And if its two things that I love when Ennis writes its: 1. The Punisher, and 2. War. So another war comic about the Punisher? Damn I am in.
This is a prequel of sorts to "Born", which if you haven't read and your Ennis fan, do yourself a favor and pick it up its amazing, which takes us back to Frank's first tour in Vietnam. And what I really enjoyed about this is that while the spirit of the Punisher is ever present, it never overtakes the story of this platoon. Ultimately, the story is summed up by one of the platoon members towards the end of the book: "imagine what kind of guy he was supposed to be".
Frank Castle was always a guy who looked out for his own. Whether its this platoon of guys fighting in the jungle, or his own family back home. And I think Ennis shows us that Frank is essentially, a protector. Which of course leads us down the path of what happens when he cant protect those he loves, what does it turn him into. But here, we see that while there is darkness in him from the start, he would use it to protect those he has to at any cost necessary.
A great, subtle exploration of Frank Castle before his Punisher days. Also, the art is great. It fits the story perfectly. Its gruff enough to carry the really gritty parts of the story, but clean enough to let the moments of light really shine. Really great art.
If you're a fan of the Punisher or Ennis, check this out.
This is a prequel of sorts to "Born", which if you haven't read and your Ennis fan, do yourself a favor and pick it up its amazing, which takes us back to Frank's first tour in Vietnam. And what I really enjoyed about this is that while the spirit of the Punisher is ever present, it never overtakes the story of this platoon. Ultimately, the story is summed up by one of the platoon members towards the end of the book: "imagine what kind of guy he was supposed to be".
Frank Castle was always a guy who looked out for his own. Whether its this platoon of guys fighting in the jungle, or his own family back home. And I think Ennis shows us that Frank is essentially, a protector. Which of course leads us down the path of what happens when he cant protect those he loves, what does it turn him into. But here, we see that while there is darkness in him from the start, he would use it to protect those he has to at any cost necessary.
A great, subtle exploration of Frank Castle before his Punisher days. Also, the art is great. It fits the story perfectly. Its gruff enough to carry the really gritty parts of the story, but clean enough to let the moments of light really shine. Really great art.
If you're a fan of the Punisher or Ennis, check this out.
January 1, 2024
3.9/5.0
Garth Ennis just really knows how to capture the essence of Frank Castle stories. Some of this felt really slow for my own liking, but the overall story itself is brilliant!
Garth Ennis just really knows how to capture the essence of Frank Castle stories. Some of this felt really slow for my own liking, but the overall story itself is brilliant!
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January 14, 2021An edited review of this book will come sooner or later, this last one was pretty bad.
March 25, 2025
Amazing writing. Gritty, yet thought-provoking. I remember Ennis including human behavior for his WW2 enemies. He does the same for the Vietcong. Sure, there are zealots out there. And blood-thirsty maniacs. But most of those soldiers were regular men who followed orders.
A writer named Michael Goodwin gathers several soldiers from Frank Castle's first platoon to find out what happened before his war on crime. From the get-go, Frank tries to show he means business, while respecting his squad's opinions. When his sergeant Dryden suspects that a village is being ignored by patrols because it contains snipers, Frank orders an arial bombing to clear the place out. His platoon is impressed. Meanwhile a female sniper named Ly Quang has put Frank is her sights in the wake of seeing her comrades killed by his bombing run. Her personal vendetta is put on hold by her commanding office, a calculated man named Letrong Giap.
A writer named Michael Goodwin gathers several soldiers from Frank Castle's first platoon to find out what happened before his war on crime. From the get-go, Frank tries to show he means business, while respecting his squad's opinions. When his sergeant Dryden suspects that a village is being ignored by patrols because it contains snipers, Frank orders an arial bombing to clear the place out. His platoon is impressed. Meanwhile a female sniper named Ly Quang has put Frank is her sights in the wake of seeing her comrades killed by his bombing run. Her personal vendetta is put on hold by her commanding office, a calculated man named Letrong Giap.
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March 12, 2018I presume the Netflix Punisher was part of the reason Marvel brought back Ennis, the definitive Frank Castle writer, and reunited him with frequent collaborator Parlov for this miniseries. Problem is, it was also part of the reason I couldn't get on with the show; I was getting regular reminders of what Frank's meant to be, the sheer implacable presence of the man, as opposed to that gawky little emo bod on the screen. This takes us back before Born and Valley Forge to Castle's first tour in Vietnam, back before he was the Punisher, but when he was still a very smart and very dangerous customer with whom one does not fuck. And in parallel with his first combat experience, we see a similarly driven Viet Cong soldier's rise. Inevitably, the two of them are going to end up colliding, and we already know who walks away, but the details are everything. This is the real thing.
July 10, 2021
Achei que este seria mais um daqueles maravilhosos quadrinhos de guerra de Garth Ennis, mas me decepcionei um tanto. O melhor mesmo neste encadernado é a arte e a narrativa de Goran Parlov, que consegue fazer uma coisa que poucos quadrinistas encarregados de quadrinhos de super-heróis consegue: dar uma cara (mesmo que caricata) para cada um dos personagens que desenha.
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July 21, 2019No knowledge of “The Punisher” is required to read and enjoy this fantastic short Vietnam war tale. Writer Garth Ennis has an impressive grasp of the history and politics, and artist Goran Parlov’s storytelling and drawings are first-rate. Highly recommended.
November 6, 2024
Interesting but barely a punisher story. Also, the military lingo and banter was a bit much. Ennis gets too into it
May 15, 2018
Not your typical punisher story. The Punisher's hard for me to get into most of the time, but this was great!
May 9, 2018
Pues resulta que el bueno de Garth tenía ganas de contar otra historia de Vietnam y embaucó a Marvel con el cuento de que era una historia de Punisher (o, siendo más precisos, de Frank Castle). The Platoon recrea el que sería el primer 'tour' de Castle en el país asiático, cuando -joven teniente de veintipocos años- queda a cargo del pelotón del título en los tempranos días de la guerra. La historia la cuenta un cuarteto de veteranos compañeros de Castle en esa oportunidad -se la cuentan a un escritor que escribe un libro sobre Punisher y, en una decisión rara, jamás le muestran la cara al escritor por lo que me pasé esperando se revelara que fuera alguien siniestro o algo así (lo que nunca pasa)- más el aporte del último comandante vietnamita vivo que asistiera a la contienda desde el lado de enfrente. A groso modo, se puede dividir el trabajo de Ennis en dos grandes grupos: el serio y contundente (Punisher MAX, las historias de guerra) y el pavo, asquerosote e irreverente (prácticamente todo lo demás). Acá se encuentra, firme y convencido, en el primer grupo y entrega una miniserie sencilla pero muy concreta, que deja muy buen sabor de boca luego de leída. Gran parte de este resultado lo debe al inmenso trabajo de Parlov -quien ya acompañara a Ennis antes con el mismo personaje- que se manda una narración diáfana, límpida y contundente, tanto cuando narra largos diálogos como tiroteos en plena selva húmeda. No esperen, eso sí, una historia de Punisher porque no la hay. Lo que hay, es una historia de guerra como las que tanto le gustan al guionista irlandés.
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August 9, 2021I figured Ennis said all he wanted to say about Frank Castle, but it turns there’s one more place he felt the need to go: Frank’s first command in Vietnam. Good thing, too, because this is a terrific addition to Punisher MAX. Ennis takes us back before Born and Valley Forge, when Frank is already pretty intimidating, but not quite the brute force he would become. Here, Lieutenant Castle leads his platoon through Vietnam with the singular goal of bringing them all home alive. So this is a character piece like Born, getting into the mind of Frank Castle the soldier. And like that book, it’s narrated by men under his command who offer their perspective on just what this guy was all about. Ennis contrasts their experience with that of a hardened N.V.A. recruit, whose inevitable meeting with Frank… well, you can probably guess what happens. But it’s all in the writing, the dialogue, the art, the moments. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of Ennis’ war stories like this.
August 26, 2018
So this is supposed to be the origin story of Frank Castle and his first kill.
We're shown a gathering of a few men that Castle served with in Vietnam, and a reporter who's writing a book about it. They rehash the events of a young Lietuenant being assigned to their platoon who's willing to listen to his Sergeant and take notes. He puts the safety of his men first, stays out of a brothel because he's a family man, and seems to be genuinely born for war.
While the subject is interesting, and the artwork outstanding, this just didn't really work for me. The origins of the Punisher are the death of his wife and child. The idea that that tragedy wasn't really what set him off, but rather killing a young woman who survived Mei Lei, and attempted to kill Castle and one of his men doesn't hold water for me.
Nonetheless, I'll continue with the Punisher.
We're shown a gathering of a few men that Castle served with in Vietnam, and a reporter who's writing a book about it. They rehash the events of a young Lietuenant being assigned to their platoon who's willing to listen to his Sergeant and take notes. He puts the safety of his men first, stays out of a brothel because he's a family man, and seems to be genuinely born for war.
While the subject is interesting, and the artwork outstanding, this just didn't really work for me. The origins of the Punisher are the death of his wife and child. The idea that that tragedy wasn't really what set him off, but rather killing a young woman who survived Mei Lei, and attempted to kill Castle and one of his men doesn't hold water for me.
Nonetheless, I'll continue with the Punisher.
June 27, 2018
Excelente, aunque algo corto. Sabe a poco.
May 2, 2020
Autorowi chyba było za mało historii Punishera, a już na pewno za mało jego genezy, więc raz jeszcze zdecydował się na spółę z Parlovem dopowiedzieć pewne rzeczy do końca. Tym razem autor zabierze nas jeszcze wcześniej. Do czasów pierwszej tury Castle'a w Wietnamie, gdzie wszystko miało się tak naprawdę zacząć... Wojna, wojna jest piekłem. To wydaje się krzyczeć prawie każda strona.
Frank w oczach dowództwa był obiecującym narybkiem, wrzuconym od razu na głęboka wodę, bowiem dostał pod komendę cały pluton. Obserwując jednego z sierżantów stara się utrzymać przy życiu swoich żołnierzy i trzeba przyznać, że gość ma zdolności dowódcze. Pod jego rozkazami mają oni jakiekolwiek szanse na przeżycie. A przeciwnik nie jest byle jaki. Nie jest bezimienny jak w historii "Born". Ma postać dowódcy, niejakiego Letrong Giap'a, równie dobrego taktyka jak sam Frank. Warto jeszcze zwrócić uwagę na jedną bojowniczkę o wolność, zjawiskową Ly Quang. Jest ona przykładem tego, co się stanie w przyszłości z Frankiem. Tyle, że ma do tego cholernie dobry powód...
Całość ma też nieco inną podstawę, bowiem osią wydarzeń jest rozmowa byłych kombatantów wojny w Wietnamie, a których zebrał niejaki Goodwin w celu uzupełnienia losów Punishera w kolejnej książce. To oni wspominają poszczególne wydarzenia i pokazują Franka w innym świetle. Jako człowieka, który uratował im tyłki. Bo tak rzeczywiście było. Jako jedyny dbał o zaopatrzenie swojego oddziału, choć w nieco przewrotny sposób, bo za "nowe" karabiny sprzedawał kałasze wroga. Miał też żelazną dyscyplinę.
Mamy tutaj masę walk, ale nie ma epatowania przemocą i makabrą jak wcześniej. Owszem, miejscami jest krwawo, ale wydawało mi się, iż nie są one tak drastyczne jak by można było je ukazać. W sumie dobrze, bo nacisk położono tu na narrację i atmosferę. A te są pierwszorzędne. To też jedno z tych opowiadań, które jednak kończą się szczęśliwie. Cóż, przynajmniej dla większości.
Standardowo nie mam zarzutów do Parlova. Świetna kreska. A wygląd postaci jest tutaj zaskakująco przyjazny i bez większych udziwnień. Przemiana Franka też następuje tu powoli i w zasadzie jest moim zdaniem nie zbyt widoczna. Widać to zwłaszcza podczas rozmowy towarzyszącej wizycie w wietnamskim miasteczku, ku rozrywce żołnierzy. Frank jest ostrzegany, aby nie popadł w to około wojenne szaleństwo, ale po ukazanych wydarzeniach nie za bardzo wierzę w taką zmianę... Cóż, może kiedyś jeszcze dane nam będzie zerknąć na drugą turę Punishera w Wietnamie i tam zobaczymy coś co uzasadni ten głód wojny...
Frank w oczach dowództwa był obiecującym narybkiem, wrzuconym od razu na głęboka wodę, bowiem dostał pod komendę cały pluton. Obserwując jednego z sierżantów stara się utrzymać przy życiu swoich żołnierzy i trzeba przyznać, że gość ma zdolności dowódcze. Pod jego rozkazami mają oni jakiekolwiek szanse na przeżycie. A przeciwnik nie jest byle jaki. Nie jest bezimienny jak w historii "Born". Ma postać dowódcy, niejakiego Letrong Giap'a, równie dobrego taktyka jak sam Frank. Warto jeszcze zwrócić uwagę na jedną bojowniczkę o wolność, zjawiskową Ly Quang. Jest ona przykładem tego, co się stanie w przyszłości z Frankiem. Tyle, że ma do tego cholernie dobry powód...
Całość ma też nieco inną podstawę, bowiem osią wydarzeń jest rozmowa byłych kombatantów wojny w Wietnamie, a których zebrał niejaki Goodwin w celu uzupełnienia losów Punishera w kolejnej książce. To oni wspominają poszczególne wydarzenia i pokazują Franka w innym świetle. Jako człowieka, który uratował im tyłki. Bo tak rzeczywiście było. Jako jedyny dbał o zaopatrzenie swojego oddziału, choć w nieco przewrotny sposób, bo za "nowe" karabiny sprzedawał kałasze wroga. Miał też żelazną dyscyplinę.
Mamy tutaj masę walk, ale nie ma epatowania przemocą i makabrą jak wcześniej. Owszem, miejscami jest krwawo, ale wydawało mi się, iż nie są one tak drastyczne jak by można było je ukazać. W sumie dobrze, bo nacisk położono tu na narrację i atmosferę. A te są pierwszorzędne. To też jedno z tych opowiadań, które jednak kończą się szczęśliwie. Cóż, przynajmniej dla większości.
Standardowo nie mam zarzutów do Parlova. Świetna kreska. A wygląd postaci jest tutaj zaskakująco przyjazny i bez większych udziwnień. Przemiana Franka też następuje tu powoli i w zasadzie jest moim zdaniem nie zbyt widoczna. Widać to zwłaszcza podczas rozmowy towarzyszącej wizycie w wietnamskim miasteczku, ku rozrywce żołnierzy. Frank jest ostrzegany, aby nie popadł w to około wojenne szaleństwo, ale po ukazanych wydarzeniach nie za bardzo wierzę w taką zmianę... Cóż, może kiedyś jeszcze dane nam będzie zerknąć na drugą turę Punishera w Wietnamie i tam zobaczymy coś co uzasadni ten głód wojny...
March 27, 2018
Ennis and Parlov returning to this world means a lot to me. Ennis has written most of the greatest Punisher stories ever and Parlov has illustrated some of those. Then they did Fury: My World Gone By, a book that complimented Punisher Max. So with the Punisher TV show coming out it only made sense to have this duo put out another story. It came out before the TV show aired and ended months later. The show was forgettable rubbish, but Punisher: The Platoon is a story that like the duos many others, will stay with me for years to come. Also like their other stories in this world, it'll most likely reward me in new ways when I eventually re-read it.
The story of the Platoon is a sort of sequel to one they did called Valley Forge, Valley Forge and is also a companion piece to Fury: My World Gone By, and it'll mean more if you have read those volumes, but it's not necessary. The Platoon is a standalone tale about Frank Castle's first tour on Vietnam and revolves around some of the still living members of the platoon as they talk to a writer.
It's dark, gory and believable. It captures that war and some of its problems in an affronting and realistic manner. The art and words perfectly capture how hopeless and terrible the war was and I loved it. There is an emotional power to this story that will stick with me for a long time and even if your not a Punisher fan, you should read it. Highest recommend.
The story of the Platoon is a sort of sequel to one they did called Valley Forge, Valley Forge and is also a companion piece to Fury: My World Gone By, and it'll mean more if you have read those volumes, but it's not necessary. The Platoon is a standalone tale about Frank Castle's first tour on Vietnam and revolves around some of the still living members of the platoon as they talk to a writer.
It's dark, gory and believable. It captures that war and some of its problems in an affronting and realistic manner. The art and words perfectly capture how hopeless and terrible the war was and I loved it. There is an emotional power to this story that will stick with me for a long time and even if your not a Punisher fan, you should read it. Highest recommend.
April 3, 2020
Garth Ennis is, to me, the definitive Punisher writer. His runs on WELCOME BACK, FRANK and the MAX series have shaped the view of The Punisher in the public psyche, being the inspirations for every piece of Punisher television and film media over the past 15 years. His BORN miniseries showed us the root of Frank Castle's descent into becoming the Punisher with his final tour in Vietnam and his defense of Firebase Valley Forge.
With THE PLATOON, Ennis takes us back even further, showing us a fresh butterbar Frank Castle arriving in Vietnam and taking charge of a ragtag Marine platoon. Told through flashbacks from the point of view of the veterans who have survived into old age and are being interviewed by a journalist, we see how Castle quickly takes to combat and becomes an effective leader, doing whatever it takes to bring his men home from the war.
While Ennis has made his anti-capitalist and anti-war views well known, he prefers to get his message across through the storyline rather through preachy diatribes. It's clear Ennis did his research, as the veterans speak authentically, both in the war scenes and in the modern day. The action is kinetic, exhilarating, and harrowing, capturing as best as possible the chaos of war in print.
I highly recommend it to fans of The Punisher. Very well written.
With THE PLATOON, Ennis takes us back even further, showing us a fresh butterbar Frank Castle arriving in Vietnam and taking charge of a ragtag Marine platoon. Told through flashbacks from the point of view of the veterans who have survived into old age and are being interviewed by a journalist, we see how Castle quickly takes to combat and becomes an effective leader, doing whatever it takes to bring his men home from the war.
While Ennis has made his anti-capitalist and anti-war views well known, he prefers to get his message across through the storyline rather through preachy diatribes. It's clear Ennis did his research, as the veterans speak authentically, both in the war scenes and in the modern day. The action is kinetic, exhilarating, and harrowing, capturing as best as possible the chaos of war in print.
I highly recommend it to fans of The Punisher. Very well written.
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