The Punisher: Targets // artwork by Mike Mckone and John Rauch (2011)
The Punisher & Elektra // artwork by Tom Mandrake and Matt Milla (2003)
what the Punisher though before uttering these words: “Likes killing people, completely insane… About to take my life in my hands, then again… I do that every day”
So I Read Today… The Punisher #5 (Marvel Knights, 2007)
Somebody wants the Punisher dead and that has him very pissed off. A huge black ops organization set in Grand Nixons Island has fixed his old enemy The Russian and lets him loose in New York to kill him. When Frank traces back the movements that authorized this hit, he goes straight back at the root to deal with it once and for all. In authentic Garth Ennis fashion, Frank has to endure a 23 hour flight with a talkative pilot who has the worst repertoire of jokes ever, a guy who he is willing to kill more than once, but somehow fails to do so (setting up some of the funniest moments in this storyline). At the end of the ride Frank ends up in a island in the middle of nowhere with 2000 terrorist and mercenaries, and a French mission bent on making a nuclear test.
What does The Punisher do to this huge operation, armed only with a .45, three clips and a knife? he takes them all out of course!. One by one, and he enjoys every single minute of it, not even the Russian poses a threat anymore, since he doesn’t have to worry about civilians getting hurt and every single living being is a target, Frank learns from the mouth of his would be pursuer who is the true mastermind behind the hits on his life, right on time to drop a nuke on his ass and kill every terrorist on the island, the real twist comes at the prologue of this story when someone who shouldn’t get scared at all, gets a simple warning from Frank to cool it down …or else.
Marvel Knights Punisher picks up right after the awesome “Welcome Back Frank” storyline, Marvel handed Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon their very own ongoing after the maxi series, since both creators had a blast working on the character, and it shows!. This issue is just a taste and the culmination of the very first storyline, but if you are in your right mind, you’ll read the whole 37 issues because they are damn good, and that’s all you need to know!.
Milestone Moment #2: The Punisher Vs Sharks
The Punisher is a one man army, that’s pretty clear to whoever has been reading the character for the last 10 years, specially when a man like Garth Ennis is chronicling his adventures, sometimes, Franks takes on guys who are way stronger than he is, and sometimes he faces guys who have a wild imagination for murder, In a scene straight out of Punisher Max #36 Frank show us that he is a very resourceful man, when trying to take down Barracuda, a top assassin for a dirty energy company he finds himself along a gangster in the middle of the ocean with the grandaddy of Bruce the shark checking him out for lunchtime
The gangster, not knowing the company he’s keeping, is only worried about saving his hide, having survived his throat slit and his legs chopped off by the shark, the sea hunter is trying to make his mind about whetever the target is a worthy meal, Frank knows this, because he’s making up his mind too about what to do to save himself.
When the shark stars to charge in their direction, the gangster stars the big rant saying who he is and offering everything he has to make Frank save him, he only introduces himself to him: “I am The Punisher”.
Those are the last words he’ll ever hear before being tossed to one of the most cinematic (and funniest) deaths in comic books.
The scene, while gruesome, is one of the great examples that no matter the situation, Frank is always on his mission, no matter the odds he’ll fight for his survival because he has to kill every scumbag that has ever walked the face of the earth.
So I Read Today… The Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe (One-Shot)
Long before Marvel Knights and before his name was synonymous with gratuitous, senseless violence Garth Ennis made his debut in the Marvel Universe with a blast so fierce that it could leave a scar if you allowed it to. He took what it would be his mainstay character in the company and cranked up a one-shot “What If?” kind of tale in which The Punisher had his family killed, not by the mob like it was originally done, but by Superheroes, The X-Men and The Avengers were fighting off an alien invasion in Central Park and Frank’s family was killed in the crossfire.
As it goes, he of course takes it very personal and in that very same moment he manages to kill Cyclops, Hawkeye and Jubilee before he’s taken down and put on trial, an enigmatic figure going by the name of Kesselring frees him and along a group of men and women victims of superheroes violence, set up an underground operation to kill every last one of these costumed vigilantes; they all fall at the hand of Frank, who outsmart every last one of them, the coup of grace goes to Wolverine and The X-Men who Frank holds personally responsible for his family.
In the end Frank has dealt with all of them but one: Daredevil, whom as his alter ego, Matt Murdock stood by him every time he got apprehended by the law, as the conflicts comes to a close, The Punisher realizes that it’s not over until every vigilante is gone, so it’s time for him to say goodbye too. This comic is an amazing read, the set up is great as is the dialog, the art compliments the script so kudos must go to Dough Braithwaite who penciled every gory detail along Tom Smith who colored it, you should read this NOW!
