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The Punisher: One-Shots
The Punisher: Assassin's Guild
Marvel Graphic Novel (MGN) was a series of graphic novel trade paperbacks published from 1982 to 1993 by Marvel Comics.The books were published in an oversized format, 8.5" x 11", similar to French albums. In response, DC Comics established a competitor line known as DC Graphic Novel.
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
109 people want to read
About the author
Jo Duffy
495 books10 followersAlso published under the name Mary Jo Duffy and/or Mary-Jo Duffy.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 11, 2021
"Some people might call what I just did 'a murder.' But that doesn't matter. It was what they deserved - case closed." -- Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher, page 8
Taut and predictably violent late 80's-era graphic novel with our fiercely antiheroic vigilante uneasily and unusually teaming with the lethal organization of the subtitle. They join forces to track down a slick but repulsive defense attorney who takes highly unethical or illegal steps to clear various pesky obstacles for his wealthy but clearly guilty clients in New York City. The quality of the illustrations were just all over the place - sometimes it was great (such as the action scenes), but then there's the crude cover art which makes it look like the Punisher is joined in a shoot-out by two senior citizen Asian ladies . . . but those characters were actually a teenage boy and a twenty-something woman (!). It's admittedly no classic - one brief scene where a teenage girl is physically threatened with implied rape and robbery at her birthday party was completely tasteless and just wrong - but a sometimes decent little time capsule of a story that both figuratively and literally takes no prisoners.
Taut and predictably violent late 80's-era graphic novel with our fiercely antiheroic vigilante uneasily and unusually teaming with the lethal organization of the subtitle. They join forces to track down a slick but repulsive defense attorney who takes highly unethical or illegal steps to clear various pesky obstacles for his wealthy but clearly guilty clients in New York City. The quality of the illustrations were just all over the place - sometimes it was great (such as the action scenes), but then there's the crude cover art which makes it look like the Punisher is joined in a shoot-out by two senior citizen Asian ladies . . . but those characters were actually a teenage boy and a twenty-something woman (!). It's admittedly no classic - one brief scene where a teenage girl is physically threatened with implied rape and robbery at her birthday party was completely tasteless and just wrong - but a sometimes decent little time capsule of a story that both figuratively and literally takes no prisoners.
August 5, 2024
3,5*
The Punisher as portrayed by Jo Duffy doesn't always fit in with the myth as we know him today, but the basics are there and the story reads well.
But the real star of this book is the late Jorge Zaffino. It was with this book that I discovered him at the time. His realistic, gritty style was - and still is - one of the best interpretations of Castle and of a dark, violent New York.
The Punisher as portrayed by Jo Duffy doesn't always fit in with the myth as we know him today, but the basics are there and the story reads well.
But the real star of this book is the late Jorge Zaffino. It was with this book that I discovered him at the time. His realistic, gritty style was - and still is - one of the best interpretations of Castle and of a dark, violent New York.
January 29, 2021
3.2/5
Frank Castle's hypocrisy shines bright when he discovers an assassin's guild operating out of a Chinese restaurant. The assassins focus on criminal targets, same as Frank, but for some reason he doesn't like that because they accept money for doing it? Makes little sense to me. Reminds me of Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, where Batman is suddenly pissed about this Batwoman going around, pretty much fighting the crime the way he would--although at least in his case, he had some kind of right to be agitated, being that she was using his moniker to fight crime her way. Here, however, these assassins have nothing to do with Frank, so for him to want to shut down their operation is more than a tad hypocritical.
The villain is a white collar nobody running a small corrupt criminal lawyer firm. Not much is developed on it, so there isn't much to say about it. The story's main focus is on Frank's dynamic relationship with Meiko, a member of this assassin's guild he's uncovered. Their relationship comes and goes, not quite one-note, but dangerously close to it.
Despite the slightly underwhelming writing, the artwork is pretty great, a step above Kingdom Gone (which Zaffino also illustrated), and three steps above Bloodlines. Not sure why Zaffino's art is worse in KG considering that one came two years later. Maybe it was his overuse of shadows in the jungle setting that put me off a bit in that one, but here, he's got plenty of light sources to utilize, and he uses them well. Not a great Punisher story, but a decent way to pass your time.
Frank Castle's hypocrisy shines bright when he discovers an assassin's guild operating out of a Chinese restaurant. The assassins focus on criminal targets, same as Frank, but for some reason he doesn't like that because they accept money for doing it? Makes little sense to me. Reminds me of Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, where Batman is suddenly pissed about this Batwoman going around, pretty much fighting the crime the way he would--although at least in his case, he had some kind of right to be agitated, being that she was using his moniker to fight crime her way. Here, however, these assassins have nothing to do with Frank, so for him to want to shut down their operation is more than a tad hypocritical.
The villain is a white collar nobody running a small corrupt criminal lawyer firm. Not much is developed on it, so there isn't much to say about it. The story's main focus is on Frank's dynamic relationship with Meiko, a member of this assassin's guild he's uncovered. Their relationship comes and goes, not quite one-note, but dangerously close to it.
Despite the slightly underwhelming writing, the artwork is pretty great, a step above Kingdom Gone (which Zaffino also illustrated), and three steps above Bloodlines. Not sure why Zaffino's art is worse in KG considering that one came two years later. Maybe it was his overuse of shadows in the jungle setting that put me off a bit in that one, but here, he's got plenty of light sources to utilize, and he uses them well. Not a great Punisher story, but a decent way to pass your time.
November 24, 2017
Frank Castle se carga a una organización criminal en New York ayudado por una banda de asesinos asiáticos. Buen guión, bien violento y con el excelente arte de Jorge Zaffino
June 3, 2019
This story is based on the premise that there is an assassin’s guild being run out of an oriental restaurant. All of the assassins are oriental, and they openly talk about it being a career profession followed by their ancestors before them. When a potential client appears and lays down their money, there is a conference and the members conduct a negative auction to determine who will do the task.
The Punisher becomes aware of the group and he openly courts one of the female assassins in a deadly game. He is immediately recognized when he goes into the restaurant, so there is no subterfuge on his part. After a suitable interval that includes sexual adventures, the Punisher and the guild agree to join forces to take down the leader of a criminal enterprise that is very heavily guarded.
Two of the assassins’ team with the Punisher to form an assault unit to move through the heavily guarded building and kill the kingpin. As is always the case with the punisher, the action is brutal and unforgiving, there are no wounded left behind when the Punisher and the assassins do their work.
One of the most interesting aspects of this story is that the two groups know of each other and have a natural enmity, yet they work together. The reader wonders throughout the story whether the ending will include a climactic battle between the Punisher and the members of the assassin’s guild. All are professional killers of the highest caliber.
The Punisher becomes aware of the group and he openly courts one of the female assassins in a deadly game. He is immediately recognized when he goes into the restaurant, so there is no subterfuge on his part. After a suitable interval that includes sexual adventures, the Punisher and the guild agree to join forces to take down the leader of a criminal enterprise that is very heavily guarded.
Two of the assassins’ team with the Punisher to form an assault unit to move through the heavily guarded building and kill the kingpin. As is always the case with the punisher, the action is brutal and unforgiving, there are no wounded left behind when the Punisher and the assassins do their work.
One of the most interesting aspects of this story is that the two groups know of each other and have a natural enmity, yet they work together. The reader wonders throughout the story whether the ending will include a climactic battle between the Punisher and the members of the assassin’s guild. All are professional killers of the highest caliber.
January 31, 2021
Frank Castle sets aside his scruples and teams up with an assassin’s guild in order to take out a bigger fish. The art is rough which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I felt like the story suffered the most in the “silent” moments that were meant to rely on facial expressions. I enjoyed the questioning of the Punisher’s code and of the compromises he makes in his war on crime juxtaposed to that of the guild, but the climactic dilemma was too contrived to be very effective.
June 13, 2025
2.5
Jeg har lest verre Punisher-historier, og så klart bedre.
Punisher må slå seg sammen med en leiemorder-gjeng. Man får også øyeblikk der Punisher er romanitisk (noe som ikkd passer i det hele tatt).
Tegningene varierer i kvalitet. Action-scenene var rimelig bra tegna, det andre ikke fullt så.
Jeg har lest verre Punisher-historier, og så klart bedre.
Punisher må slå seg sammen med en leiemorder-gjeng. Man får også øyeblikk der Punisher er romanitisk (noe som ikkd passer i det hele tatt).
Tegningene varierer i kvalitet. Action-scenene var rimelig bra tegna, det andre ikke fullt så.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2018
a great dark tale and art !!!!
January 17, 2019
Eh, it’s a Punisher story from the late 80s, so it ages as well as you expect it too. I know it’s not an official rule or anything, but jeez, there should never be any romance in a Punisher story.
July 25, 2022
I thought the story was very good and would give it 4 stars, but I didn't enjoy the artwork so much - only 2 1/2 stars for that.
November 13, 2022
A fun little read, nothing too substantial. But it has some good Punisher moments.
June 28, 2025
punisher awful
at going undercover
stick to shooting, pal!
at going undercover
stick to shooting, pal!
March 2, 2019
What a disappointment.
Let’s talk about the good first. The art is gorgeous. The coloring is gorgeous. Every page is beautiful.
The problem is that it’s wasted on the dumbest, most bullshit punisher story I’ve ever read.
Frank allies himself with an assassin’s guild to take out a badguy. We barely get to know the badguy, and what he did isn’t even that bad (he hires lawyers for criminals.) Frank would never do this.
Castle also has a very thin and undeveloped relationship with an assassin. Ummm... ok.
The entire story was a waste of time. This would get literally zero stars if not for the stunning art.
Never, ever read this.
Let’s talk about the good first. The art is gorgeous. The coloring is gorgeous. Every page is beautiful.
The problem is that it’s wasted on the dumbest, most bullshit punisher story I’ve ever read.
Frank allies himself with an assassin’s guild to take out a badguy. We barely get to know the badguy, and what he did isn’t even that bad (he hires lawyers for criminals.) Frank would never do this.
Castle also has a very thin and undeveloped relationship with an assassin. Ummm... ok.
The entire story was a waste of time. This would get literally zero stars if not for the stunning art.
Never, ever read this.
January 8, 2025
I read this book years ago and gave it 2 stars- I remember that i wasn’t impressed and it didn’t click at all with me.
Just re-read it as part of my reread of the circle of blood epic collection and my thoughts have totally flipped on this book. Story was more than decent, cast,of characters were good and excellent (different) art. Really liked it and as I was reading it I was scratching my head as to why I had thought of it so poorly first time around.
Highly recommended
Just re-read it as part of my reread of the circle of blood epic collection and my thoughts have totally flipped on this book. Story was more than decent, cast,of characters were good and excellent (different) art. Really liked it and as I was reading it I was scratching my head as to why I had thought of it so poorly first time around.
Highly recommended
February 10, 2016
Good Punisher story. Nice art and plot. Recommended
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews