A different face takes on the mantle that Frank Castle left behind…
There’s an entirely new Punisher in town this week as David Pepose and David Wachter take the legacy of Frank Castle in an entirely new direction. But why does everything feel familiar?
You’ve had to have been living under a rock over the last few years to see the real world ramifications that the Punisher motif has had. With Marvel themselves distancing Frank Castle from his iconic symbol during what would be his last story with the Hand, we all knew that a complete reinvention/redesign of the character would be coming. Now this has come to fruition as Pepose and Wachter bring us Joe Garrison.
What separates Garrison from Frank Castle is the characters background. As an ex-S.H.E.I.L.D. operative Garrison’s gotten access to some “off the books” weapons and locales that Castle could only dream of. The other separation is that Garrison is only linked to the Punisher by means of his armour plating that takes on a sleek look of the iconic white skull motif. At no point in the comic does he call himself by that name, and even takes offence when the media dub him the new Punisher. It’s definitely an interesting premise, and shows that Marvel are willing to let Frank Castle live out his days in relative obscurity. However, there are a few similarities that do bleed over such as the tragic event in the characters past, and lots of violence.
The plot to this opening issue is pretty straightforward and works as a good introduction to this new world. Things start off at an early morning crime scene where two police detectives find themselves at an gas explosion that end with a homicide investigation. This then cuts to a group of mobsters in a bar as Garrison blasts them to pieces while looking for the “Sokovian”. Things then take a turn from here on in as we follow Garrison and his handler, Triple-A as they track the Sokovian through New York and into the depths of the subway.
Along the way Pepose gives us plenty of internal monologue by Garrison as he explains the situation he finds himself in, while giving the reader a glimpse of the explosion at the beginning of the issue. It very well written and fans of the earlier Punisher arcs will see some similarities in writing style. Even when things get a little outlandish towards the issues conclusion, Pepose still keeps his characters grounded in reality. Both Garrison and Triple-A work well together and it’s quickly explained that they’ve been partners since the old days at S.H.E.I.L.D. While Garrison is the brawn of the outfit, Triple-A is its brain. Think of the relationship between Batman and Alfred and you’re on the right track.
Even with all the high-tec gadgets, and weaponry, David Wachter is the perfect artist to bring it all together. Action scenes play out across a wealth of well choreographed and put together panels that showcase Garrison’s skill set across a multitude of enemies. For the keen eyed amongst us, there’s also a nice detail on Garrison’s armour that further explains his history. Again, it’s these small things that further illustrate that we’re not dealing with Frank Castle anymore. Dan Brown then rounds everything off with a great colour palette that’s filled with cool tones. It works to give everything a futuristic feel albeit in a modern day environment.
Overall and The Punisher sets it’s self off to a decent start. There’s plenty of action and dark moods that’ll please both long time fans, and newcomers alike. While we’ve only scratched the surface to Joe Garrison’s mission I’m eager to jump straight back in. With plenty of directions this new feel Punisher can go in, I’m expecting David Pepose and Co. to give us a few surprises in the coming months!
Rating: 8/10
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