Punisher #62

The first issue for this team was pretty soild. Obviously some problems, and no where near the quality of Ennis. But I have faith in this title and hopefully this is just as good as #61

i like this author's take so far, and am enjoying the art (I wasn't a fan of Parlov), so I'm definitely on board.

last issue was pretty good but I used to LOVE the covers on the ennis issues but still a solid story

Last issue was awesome IMHO. So dark. Hoping they maintain on #62.

I really enjoyed this arc's first issue, but I had to drop it due to monetary concerns. Besides, I've enjoyed War Journal so much that it's really the only Punisher book I need.

@TheNextChampion - #61 was better than any Ennis I've ever read. I just can't see why his work is held in such high regards. His work strikes me as mediocre at best. Perhaps you could tell me what you think makes his Punisher work so good in your opinion? Not being jerk. I would sincerely like to know. I'm not trying to belittle your opinion. Being a huge Millar fan, I can't afford to since a lot of folks have the same opinion of him that I have of Ennis.

@J4K3: I just think he knows how to write Frank Castle, which is kinda important for a Punisher book. Too many times I've seen people try to write a Punisher book with nothing but violence. Sure this MAX series has had a ton of that, but I think Ennis tried to bring many stories that were written like a prose writer would write. Every story was unqiue in my eyes, and made me realise why I liked the Punisher in the first place

I can see why some people didnt like it, I mean when you boil down to it; it is the same old Punisher in the end. But I was entertained for all 60 issues of his run, which has never happenend before with me with any writer. Hell Kirkman bored me a bit with Walking Dead (but now that's a great series again). I guess what I'm saying is: War Journal-Poor, MAX-Great. War Journal has all the problems Punisher comics always have, while MAX barely had much to complain about.

What are the "problems" with other Punisher books? For me, MAX was nothing but an excuse for blood and ways to say "fuck" a lot. Sure, than can be enjoyable, but Ennis's work felt more like shock-value than real stories. I believe he captured the origin rather well, but after that he lost me. All arcs since then have needed excess violence and gore to be entertaining.

Matt Fraction's Punisher, however, has really focused on the character that is Frank Castle and how people perceive him, and also how he perceives himself. If you've actually read any of WAR JOURNAL, you'll have seen the end of the latest arc "Jigsaw," which deals with the end of the character Jigsaw and the realization that Castle's original reason for becoming the Punisher is now little more than an excuse. It was truly a moving tale, something I can't say for any part of Ennis' run.

In semi-short, MAX seems to focus on shock-value moments that are handled by the Punisher - entertaining for those who like it. War Journal actually focuses on the Punisher himself in an entertaining manner without needing the violence and gore that MAX requires, leaving room for powerful storytelling and relatable moments of emotion in which Frank Castle is a hero and not just a murderer.

@J4K3: No offense, but I doubt how tie-in issues of Civil War, Death of Cap, WWH, and soon Secret Invasion shows so much insight to Frank. Even the issues I read that werent tie-ins werent even that written well...Hell some didnt have Castle to begin with! Some were about that dorky guy who is ugly no matter what artist goes in this. Not even Rick Remender has made that series enjoyable.

Totally with TheNextChampion on this one.  Ennis gave Frank a voice.  It mostly cold and resolute, but there were moments of heartbreaking sorrow.

Also, the realistic storylines found in the MAX title blow away anything found in WJ.  The arc about human trafficking and prostitution was amazing and gritty and just goddamn depressing.

The ending of #62 here was a great gut punch.  Wonder how Frank's gonna deal with it.

@TheNextChampion - The Civil War, Death of Cap, and WWH stories all showed a different part of who Frank Castle is. "Jigsaw" just showed even more. It's okay that you didn't see that. It's obvious that I'm not seeing something with Ennis. The argument is pointless anyway, because the Punisher of the MAX series is not the same Punisher of War Journal. They're not even in the same universe. MAX captures the gritty real-life-ish Punisher, whereas War Journal is about the Punisher of the Marvel Universe, the character who has been around for quite some time now. War Journal is about the Frank Castle that matters.

@SunnyvaleTrash - If utterly depressing realism is your thing, then great. As for Ennis giving Castle a voice, I must've not heard it. Fraction's Castle, however, never fails to catch me.

Lately this is creeping up to be my favorite monthly book from Marvel.