The Punisher #1 (2014) Review

I was a huge fan of Greg Rucka's Punisher run. It took a character that was on the brink of falling into a pit of audience fatigue, and completely revived him making him a character that people once again were excited about. After the tragic cancellation and subsequent neglect that the series was handed, I wasn't sure if I was ready for a new Punisher series, especially one from an unfamiliar creative team. Unfortunately, after the first issue I'm still not sure if this series will be good for the character. As a debut it's solid, however I question Nathan Edmonson's understanding of the character who is represented so wildly different here than in the last run that I felt like I was reading a different character.

Now I'm not saying that new interpretations of characters is a bad thing - take Mark Waid's Daredevil for example - Waid took a previously dark and unhappy character and turned him into one of the most fun characters on the market. However, that series was a result of a status quo change in the Daredevil universe. Additionally Waid has gone on to explore the darker sides of Daredevil's life which are still present, if less prominent.

Here though, The Punisher has gone from a dark and brooding loner, to a social character whose conversation is so interesting he manages to get the potentially romantic attention of one woman after a short 2-minute conversation over breakfast. That's without mentioning that Frank Castle would never get romantically involved with another lady after his wife and children were viciously murdered - despite what Daniel Way's bland Thunderbolts run would suggest. Edmonson's inner monologues are more reminiscent of the Frank I know, but are used sparingly and not to great effect.

This lack of understanding is worrying but thankfully the story shows some promise, with the foundations of a supporting cast, and foe for Frank to face off with already settling. Meanwhile Mitch Gerads artwork is a mixed bag with some panels looking very nice indeed, and others looking messy.

Posted in: Comic Reviews, Comics, Marvel Comic Review