Customer Reviews

Essential Punisher, Vol. 2 (v. 2)

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The Punisher's earlier works, depicted in the first Essential volume, were all over the map in terms of the Punisher's portrayal. This volume depicts the character at his best, straddling the line betwixt the PG-rated version of the late 70s (when he was still using "mercy bullets") and the R-rated MAX version, (which often tries too hard to assure the audience that it's "grown up"). Here the action is fun and not just for shock value; and while the Punisher is an anti-hero, he retains a sense of decency that makes him a better fit in the Marvel universe.

Re-reading these earlier adventures, I was struck at how many of them would make great films, as the attention to action and story are equally balanced, especially in the earlier issues. I will say that the series went through some growing pains midway through this volume (the Kingpin storyline doesn't work on several levels), but would recover later in the series, so I'd recommend the next volume as well.

As for the art, I can't say that many of the artists were particularly to my tastes, esp. the Portacio-pencilled issues, which I guess were going for a "gritty" look but that I just found grating. But for me, stories take precedence over art, and there are some really good ones here.

I guess comparisons to the later Garth Ennis version of the character are inevitable. I don't want to knock Ennis--unarguably he's a skilled writer, if a bit more nihilistic for my taste. But if you can enjoy action comics without f-bombs and castrations, and you don't object to the occasional super-hero guest appearance (they become more rare but are still present), then you ought to have fun with these PG-13 adventures.

Not a bad anthology of Punny comics from the late 80s. Artwork and stories have decent enough depth to them, as does the taut action. Not a perfect collection, and the Max comics out now are much better since they are more adult-oriented...but remember these are from the 80s.

If you like Punisher and want to read some decent adventures of this iconoclastic Marvel hero, then check out this collection. I think you'll like it.

After the boring mess that was Punisher volume 1 I was reluctant to pick up Essential Punisher, Vol 2 but was instantly hooked by the action in the book. Punisher fights everyone in this book from the Mob, to a religious nut job, to Daredevil himself. All of the adventures in this story contain a lot of action but the writers know how to make Frank come across as being a very skilled and tactical thinker rather than jumping around with a gun. The art is very dark and gritty reflecting the mood of the story. Even though Punisher MAX wasn't invented yet the lack of Marvel characters in this book allows itself to be a prototype for the MAX universe. Even when the Punisher does interact with other heroes they are street heroes and not universal teams like the X-Men or Avengers.

If their was one thing to complain about I don't really like Microchip in this series. I know that he's only a supporting character but i just don't like the idea of anyone really working with Frank.

I have been a Punisher Fan since I first saw The 2004 Movie I started out with a copy of Essential Punisher 1 I absolutley fell in love with the character I bought a few older graphic novels/mini series they werent very good then I picked up a copy of in the begining Punisher MAX and was both in awe and disgust because I had read older stuff and the violence was a big shock to me plus seeing micro getting his head blown off was a wtf moment because I was reading stuff where he was still the good guy. So unlike alot of Fans I started out reading the mainstream punisher and I have to say I still enjoy all the gadgets it's fun and entertaining however I have to say Punisher War journal is one of the better titles for older Punisher comics and they make more use of the gadgets. The writing and over all stories are not as good as the mini series with Mike zeck or sometimes called Circle of Blood if your looking for it in graphic novel format. It's ok it's fun to read and entertaining not as good as the orginal mini series the punisher makes alot of stupid mistakes that would not happen today or most fans could not see modern day frank castle doing. However this was 80's and Frank Castle hadn't been perfected by ennis yet. So if your an older fan you will enjoy this fun stuff im not gonna lie you will grit your teeth at the decisions punisher makes it's only natural after reading ennis but keep in mind this is a 80's comic. Writing was not held up to such a high standard as it is now comics were meant to be fun and entertaining and an escape from reality. I enjoyed this collection very much im now reading the hird essential volume wish they kept going and finished he 2nd series or would at least make an essential Punisher War zone or an Essential Punisher War Journal. For whatever reason those two lines seem to have put out better stories than the main Punisher line. Also Punisher dosent blow away every criminial he meets sometimes he keeps them alive enough for information sometimes they get off with a warning sometimes he's forced to let them go to save a life.
I count this as part of The Max's Continuity Line I guesse Im weird but you really don't see alot of super powered heroes in these stories and remember Punisher started out in the main stream marvel Universe why people don't like him around super powered heroes beats me I look at the MAx series as his last years as punisher whens hes older which chronologically he's 60 years old.I see the original Series ,The Punisher, Punisher War Journal,Punisher Warzone, Marvel Knights as his early years. At some point there gonna have to do a reboot and make him an iraq war veteran it's not gonna make sense when punisher is like 80.

The issues collected in the Essential Punisher vol. 2 contain those from his first ongoing, and are among some of the seminal stories told about the character. Mike Baron, the writer, treated the Punisher as a virtual blank slate - which, in the main, he was - and sowed the seeds for those aspects of the character which Garth Ennis would later develop more fully. The stories here have a very "black and white" aspect to them: the bad guys are evil, and get their just deserts (meaning, killed). But, there is a lot of moral ambiguity to them as well, in that the Punisher is not portrayed as a hero per se.

It's clear from the stories here that Baron sees the Punisher as someone that the reader could sympathize with, but not fully embrace. There's no more haunting scene than the one page finale where Frank Castle returns the dead body of his ally's son, who breaks down weeping - and then just walks away. No words of comfort. No indication of remorse. Just an emotionless demonstration of resolve. The Punisher is a man with a mission which he cannot complete ... who apparently realizes this ... and yet persists in doing what he does despite the costs. And Baron makes it clear that the Punisher's "war" on crime carries tragic costs, for almost everyone who comes into contact with him ends up hurt in some way (if not dead). In this Baron's stories read as a meditation upon violence and its consequences; for his stories make clear that although the Punisher is a man whose actions may be justified, they carry a steep price. There are indications throughout the tales that violence victimizes not just those who suffer it, but those who inflict it. For there are plenty of instances where the Punisher kills, and the reader is left feeling uncomfortable with him as a result. It is difficult to cheer or be heartened, for example, when he coldly - and unnecessarily - snaps the necks of defeated opponents. In fact, Baron makes clear in one sequence of events (the "dreamtime" sequence in issue 11) that Castle is losing his humanity - his capacity to love - as he goes further along his path of revenge. Such points are matched by the framing of the actual narratives, which often end in a rather abrupt manner, as if one were waiting for one more page or panel to tie things together. The impression is one of dissatisfaction, as if the conclusion to the story has been interrupted. I think this is probably Baron's intention, as his other works (with Nexus or the Badger, for instance) do not display such abbreviations. I think Baron is probably trying to show just how sudden acts of violence can be, and how unsatisfying they are in the long run. For one of the things that comes across most strongly is that Frank Castle cannot be satisfied (and hence neither can the reader). Ennis' description of the Punisher as a "serial killer who hunts the right people" finds its foundation here. Baron's stories, which frequently take topical events for their source material (such as the Jonestown Massacre, or Charles Manson and his followers), portray Castle as a determined man, who isn't so much seeking to right a wrong, as simply to enact vengeance. And as Baron makes clear, vengeance is not simply a dish best served cold - it's one that never fills those who feast upon it. Baron distills the Punisher down to his essence, and in the process tells stories which superficially seem simplistic, but actually determine the future trajectory of the character. Ennis may be the one writer most Punisher fans praise, but he's really only taking the material Baron provided and honing it.

No Punisher fan should be without this volume, and no comic fan should regard the stories here as being poorly done. On first read, they come across as thin tales about a one-dimensional figure. But, upon reflection there is the realization that Baron is providing a fairly thoughtful account of violence and its effects, one that leaves the reader with the insight that vigilantism is not synonymous with heroism. Ultimately, the moral ambiguity is that Castle's vigilantism is justified, although it is not fully admirable, and is difficult to commend. I give it a three star rating simply because the art, in places, is rather awkwardly done (in some of the fight scenes particularly), and because the stories sometimes have plots that are bit convoluted, given what Baron seems to be trying to do. Still, it's an excellent collection for anyone with a genuine interest in the character. Baron clearly wants the reader to think about the conditions and effects of violence, and if one pays attention to the indications he gives, one realizes that violence is not something to be romanticized. This alone sets these stories apart from those of the average comic book, where heroes forcibly defeat villains and retain their virtue in the process. Here, that possibility is not so plausible.

The Punisher managed to strike a chord with readers when Gerry Conway first introduced him way back when in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man, which would eventually result in a smash hit mini-series from Steven Grant and the great Mike Zeck. His popularity would spawn his first ongoing series, which this second Essential Punisher TPB collects the first twenty issues of. However, the stories featured here don't really amount to a whole lot, and are the beginning of the overblow of overexposure the character would experience that would make him one of the most laughable characters in Marvel's lineup for a number of years. This can be seen in particular during the last few issues collected here, which are just unintentionally funny thanks to the poor dialogue and non-sensical plot lines. Daredevil is here briefly, and Frank even tangles with the Kingpin, but there's nothing here that does the character justice. Worth reading just to see how badly the character got treated back then compared to now, who comes off as just as laughable in the hands of Matt Fraction (the recently launched Punisher: War Zone) and violenty brilliant in the hands of the great Garth Ennis (who writes the highly acclaimed mature themed Punisher title under the MAX imprint). Needless to say, Essential Punisher Vol. 2 is better left on the shelf.