The Man is different, The mission stays the same…
Ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Joe Garrison is out for revenge. With his family being murdered in an explosion at their home, Garrison begins his one-man war on those responsible. Utilising his experience as a S.H.I.E.L.D.Agent, and knowledge of the defunct agencies remaining hidden bases, Garrison isn’t someone to be trifled with. When his mission to track down the “Sokovian” sees him tangle with Mr. Hyde, Garrisons unique armour see him mistaken for Frank Castle aka “The Punisher”, and so a new legend is born. But it’s a mantle that Garrison neither wants, nor needs.
David Pepose, Dave Wachter, and Dan Brown are back for another action-packed thrill-ride into Garrison’s mission of vengeance. This time he’s up against the crime lord known as The Offer, and it’s one fight that’s certainly going to test every ounce of Garrison’s unique skill set to overcome. With word filtering down that The Offer would soon be receiving a visit from this mysterious new Punisher, the crime lord has some of New York’s finest criminal elements as his personal protection - The Night Shift. As groups go, the Night Shift mean business. Along side Eel and Doughboy, we have Finesse (yes, THAT Finesse), with the group being led by Bushwhacker. In order to get to the Offer, and learn more about his families murder, Garrison will have to battle through the Night Shift as they each take up residence within the Offer’s HQ.
Pepose channels the likes of Dredd and The Raid as he throws Garrison into a literal gauntlet to reach his prize. It’s a simple premise of “good guy” vs a bunch of bad guys as Pepose gives time to showcase his characters skill set, whilst remaining focused on the longer narrative at play. After all, to sell Joe Garrison as someone who’s not Frank Castle we need to see the man behind the figurative mask.
Speaking of skills, as Garrison works his way through the Night Shift, we see a confident fighter who’s clearly knows what he’s doing. There’s no vigilante here, as instead we get a calculated career agent who’s every move is based off years of experience and rigid training. Naturally the greatest test of this mettle comes from Finesse who’s essentially the anti-Punisher. Her latent abilities that are passed down by her father, the Taskmaster means she’s easily able to adapt to Garrison to then make his mission that more difficult.
With such an emphasis on action, David Wachter’s art has to sell the experience - and boy does it! Each fight is exceptionally choreographed with a real intensity that begins to border on desperation as the Night Shift struggle against Garrison’s thirst for vengeance. Wachter utilises plenty of angles, perspectives, and, framings to empower each scene with plenty of ferocity that plays upon both Garrison, and his prey’s skills. The battles against Finesse and Bushwhacker are the true highlights as Wachter goes from a range of small, tight panels, to big double-page spreads that perfectly captures the flow of the battle at hand. Dan Brown compliments this action showcase with a great colour palette that switches from muted tones to more vibrant shades when the action demands it. Everything comes together to really sell this issue as the bug action blockbuster that it is.
As I mentioned above, fans of both the Karl Urban Judge Dredd film, and The Raid will get a real kick out of Punisher #2. It’s a rollercoaster thrill-ride that keeps its audience engaged from cover to cover. While Pepose and his team are still building on what’s to come, they’ve already established something that keeps you coming back for more. If you’re someone who’s never read a Punisher issue before, or fell out of grace with the mantle bleeding into the real-world, now is a perfect time to jump back in.
Roll on issue #3!
Rating: 9/10
Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow us on X/Facebook @GeekCultureRev, TikTok/YouTube @Geekculturereviews, and BlueSky @geekculturereviews.bsky.social
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