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The Punisher: One-Shots
The Punisher: Intruder
The Punisher tries to eradicate an extremist pseudo-military organization whose goals are the same as his. but whose methods are devastatingly different. Plus: more on the Punisher's past as Frank Castle!
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 23, 2021
"I'm an American, but I don't hide behind a mantle of patriotism. I'm just an honest citizen who's had it with the bull$&%# super-secret intelligence agencies spying on ordinary folks, pushing coke, and blowing away cabinet appointees." -- The Punisher, explaining his stance to the villain
Culled (I believe) from The Punisher War Journal series from oh-so long ago, this brief graphic novel lacked enough action to make it interesting. When it did 'cut to the chase' - the story culminates with a standard aerial dogfight . . . and one of these sleek military jets is piloted by the Punisher (???!!!!) - it just seemed a little too ridiculous or far-fetched of a situation for our usually taciturn vigilante antihero. So we have Top Gun filtered through a James Bond-type scenario (the bad guy has a 'secret' but obvious stronghold in the southwestern U.S. desert) and it just doesn't work. However, the one thing that was memorable was a truly 'gotcha!' of an ending, but it was too little too late.
Culled (I believe) from The Punisher War Journal series from oh-so long ago, this brief graphic novel lacked enough action to make it interesting. When it did 'cut to the chase' - the story culminates with a standard aerial dogfight . . . and one of these sleek military jets is piloted by the Punisher (???!!!!) - it just seemed a little too ridiculous or far-fetched of a situation for our usually taciturn vigilante antihero. So we have Top Gun filtered through a James Bond-type scenario (the bad guy has a 'secret' but obvious stronghold in the southwestern U.S. desert) and it just doesn't work. However, the one thing that was memorable was a truly 'gotcha!' of an ending, but it was too little too late.
June 30, 2021
The third Punisher of these old large size hardcovers I've got, and of the those three this one had the best story. It's still at its core a basic revenge flick, but this time with the tired old trope of justifying it with the rescue of a child. There's some character development revealing Frank Castle's past in which he studied for the priesthood (and he tells us so at least 3 times), although any examination of the actual claims made by Christianity are completely ignored, favoring instead fairly standard nice-guy priestly platitudes. In the meantime we get the usual series of action scenes including a shoot-em-up between fighter jets, and Castle confronting a corrupt government sanctioned organization. The artwork is good, with a blocky style using heavy line-work. My copy has the alternate cover (see the paperback version here in GR) and Frank's facial expression is hilariously bad.
Look at that shit. That is some serious Trump-fuckery going on. Fortunately the interior artwork is much better.
Yet another entry in the ranks of "it's fine if you like that kind of thing".
I almost forgot - I did like the ending because
Look at that shit. That is some serious Trump-fuckery going on. Fortunately the interior artwork is much better.
Yet another entry in the ranks of "it's fine if you like that kind of thing".
I almost forgot - I did like the ending because
March 14, 2016
Good Punisher story. Nice art. Recommended
March 7, 2013
SPOILERS
I picked this up after listening to the Comic Book Men podcast where they talk about the Punisher and bring special attention to this book for one bizarre scene.
Set in the late 80s, Frank Castle the Punisher is doing recon on a drug baron when a group of military personnel bust into the house next door, killing innocent people. Castle takes this innocent family's newly orphaned daughter to safety and goes after the killers for punishment.
His search leads him to a secret military base in a mountain in the desert lead by a corrupt military official who's turning himself into a drug baron himself and taking out certain members of the government for his own nefarious aims.
The book feels very 80s with its talk of the threat of communism and the war on drugs, as well as the tech Microchip uses (unfortunately this annoying sidekick hasn't been taken out yet). The plot doesn't really hold together really well, some Koreans are involved and deeply concerned about the spread of drugs while the military commander is concerned with taking huge shipments of drugs while taking out senators... for a short 64 page book there's a lot of weird storylines that don't really go anywhere.
But as I said, I bought this because of a podcast and they talked about a scene where Castle is caught and tortured by an evil Korean by putting a plastic bag of urine over his head. Yeah it's as bizarre as that, and the scene is played out in all its glory in this book. Was it worth it? I think so.
While Garth Ennis' (and more recently Jason Aaron's) take on the Punisher is far, far superior to the depiction of the character in this book, it's an enjoyable enough story, more for that torture scene and it's campy value than anything else.
I picked this up after listening to the Comic Book Men podcast where they talk about the Punisher and bring special attention to this book for one bizarre scene.
Set in the late 80s, Frank Castle the Punisher is doing recon on a drug baron when a group of military personnel bust into the house next door, killing innocent people. Castle takes this innocent family's newly orphaned daughter to safety and goes after the killers for punishment.
His search leads him to a secret military base in a mountain in the desert lead by a corrupt military official who's turning himself into a drug baron himself and taking out certain members of the government for his own nefarious aims.
The book feels very 80s with its talk of the threat of communism and the war on drugs, as well as the tech Microchip uses (unfortunately this annoying sidekick hasn't been taken out yet). The plot doesn't really hold together really well, some Koreans are involved and deeply concerned about the spread of drugs while the military commander is concerned with taking huge shipments of drugs while taking out senators... for a short 64 page book there's a lot of weird storylines that don't really go anywhere.
But as I said, I bought this because of a podcast and they talked about a scene where Castle is caught and tortured by an evil Korean by putting a plastic bag of urine over his head. Yeah it's as bizarre as that, and the scene is played out in all its glory in this book. Was it worth it? I think so.
While Garth Ennis' (and more recently Jason Aaron's) take on the Punisher is far, far superior to the depiction of the character in this book, it's an enjoyable enough story, more for that torture scene and it's campy value than anything else.
July 13, 2018
Three stars says it well. While there are some interesting subplots happening, the main story defies belief and leaves itself under-developed and too simply resolved. Punisher fans may enjoy it, others will not.
July 5, 2025
punisher has to
breathe inside a bag of pee
wonders about god
breathe inside a bag of pee
wonders about god
August 21, 2023
A pretty good Punisher story, but is there anything that overshadows the Punisher, strapped to a chair, drowning in a bag of pee that's put over his head?
If you read the things I do here on Goodreads, you might think I'm making that up. It DOES sound like something I would make up because, haha, nobody would go that far.
This book absolutely goes that far.
I've decided to start putting "The Punisher is problematic" right up there with "I can't believe Ms. Marvel is dead!" and "Bruce Wayne could do more with his money than be Batman," in the "Tell me you don't read comics without telling me" Hall of Fame.
Punisher spends very little time in the comics blowing away street level drug dealers. Take Intruder: He's hunting down a HUGE drug operation that killed an entire family because they fucked up.
If I can make a Breaking Bad analogy, Punisher kills the Gus Frings of the world, not the Jesse Pinkmans.
Pinkmen?
It's totally fine to not be a Punisher fan, and it's totally fine to have your own opinion on the books, such as Punisher being something you don't enjoy reading.
But if you're using the word "problematic" with the Punisher, without the modifier "personally," you can save it.
A) That essay has been written. Many times.
B) I see that as a significant portion of the point of MANY Punisher books: Is killing criminals an okay thing to do?
C) Punisher is a very different kind of hero.
Punisher is one of the few Marvel characters that is not meant to be seen as a model for young people. While a lot of comic book heroes would be described as "heroic," or "swashbuckling," or "adventurous," words commonly used to describe Punisher are more in the realm of "dangerous," "insane," and "monstrous."
And it's that last one that really interests me (although "swashbuckling" is probably an underused term on dating apps).
Punisher is always described as big, intimidating, scary, and kind of awful. Like, NOBODY is happy to see Punisher coming. Nobody is like, "Gee, glad you swung into action on this one, Frankie!"
Criminals are like, "Fuck, Punisher is here."
Cops are like, "Fuck, Punisher is here."
Other heroes are like, "Fuck, Punisher is here."
Punisher is generally depicted as having a "base" that's a shithole warehouse with a bare mattress on the floor.
His name is PUNISHER. He doesn't want to stop crimes, he doesn't want to create a world of peace. His goal is to punish people who do bad things.
Saying that Punisher is problematic is like saying Patrick Bateman from American Psycho is problematic. Yeah, duh. You read the blurb on the back, then?
It's easy. It's lazy.
But the real issue I take with it is that it treats fictions with real-world rules.
Something being an issue in the real world, like billionaires not doing smart things that help people, do not apply to Batman.
Treating fiction with real-world rules always results in handwringing that commits the ultimate internet sin: It's boring.
If you're saying Punisher is being problematic, you're being boring on the internet.
If you read the things I do here on Goodreads, you might think I'm making that up. It DOES sound like something I would make up because, haha, nobody would go that far.
This book absolutely goes that far.
I've decided to start putting "The Punisher is problematic" right up there with "I can't believe Ms. Marvel is dead!" and "Bruce Wayne could do more with his money than be Batman," in the "Tell me you don't read comics without telling me" Hall of Fame.
Punisher spends very little time in the comics blowing away street level drug dealers. Take Intruder: He's hunting down a HUGE drug operation that killed an entire family because they fucked up.
If I can make a Breaking Bad analogy, Punisher kills the Gus Frings of the world, not the Jesse Pinkmans.
Pinkmen?
It's totally fine to not be a Punisher fan, and it's totally fine to have your own opinion on the books, such as Punisher being something you don't enjoy reading.
But if you're using the word "problematic" with the Punisher, without the modifier "personally," you can save it.
A) That essay has been written. Many times.
B) I see that as a significant portion of the point of MANY Punisher books: Is killing criminals an okay thing to do?
C) Punisher is a very different kind of hero.
Punisher is one of the few Marvel characters that is not meant to be seen as a model for young people. While a lot of comic book heroes would be described as "heroic," or "swashbuckling," or "adventurous," words commonly used to describe Punisher are more in the realm of "dangerous," "insane," and "monstrous."
And it's that last one that really interests me (although "swashbuckling" is probably an underused term on dating apps).
Punisher is always described as big, intimidating, scary, and kind of awful. Like, NOBODY is happy to see Punisher coming. Nobody is like, "Gee, glad you swung into action on this one, Frankie!"
Criminals are like, "Fuck, Punisher is here."
Cops are like, "Fuck, Punisher is here."
Other heroes are like, "Fuck, Punisher is here."
Punisher is generally depicted as having a "base" that's a shithole warehouse with a bare mattress on the floor.
His name is PUNISHER. He doesn't want to stop crimes, he doesn't want to create a world of peace. His goal is to punish people who do bad things.
Saying that Punisher is problematic is like saying Patrick Bateman from American Psycho is problematic. Yeah, duh. You read the blurb on the back, then?
It's easy. It's lazy.
But the real issue I take with it is that it treats fictions with real-world rules.
Something being an issue in the real world, like billionaires not doing smart things that help people, do not apply to Batman.
Treating fiction with real-world rules always results in handwringing that commits the ultimate internet sin: It's boring.
If you're saying Punisher is being problematic, you're being boring on the internet.
January 23, 2008
I loved this graphic novel when I was a kid. Dark and violent. Good.
November 26, 2017
Muy mal. Ni el guion ni el arte alcanzan a salvar una historia sin ningún sentido
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews