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Comic Review: Dark Reign: The List - The Punisher #1
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And this is just the PG-13 version
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: John Romita Jr.
This just in: The Punisher is dead.
SUMMARY:
In the wake of last year’s Secret Invasion by the shape-shifting Skrull aliens, Norman Osborn (formally the Green Goblin) emerged a hero, and was appointed commander of security agency HAMMER, effectively becoming the most powerful man in the world. Since then, Osborn has created a list of people to eliminate and has begun hunting down the most potent threats to his power. Next on the list: Frank Castle, aka, The Punisher.
Although he’s faced down armies of gun-toting lowlifes and even tangled with his share of aliens, not even the notorious Punisher could beat the odds this time.
Castle made a valiant effort to repel the dozens of HAMMER soldiers dispatched to take him down, wielding his keen tactical experience and an arsenal of high-tech weaponry. But it was at the hands and claws of Daken, the murderous son of Wolverine, that proved more than even the Punisher could handle. Cornered and wounded, the Punisher pulled out every last piece of hardware could wield until Daken disabled every defense and literally cut him to pieces. And as death finally opened its arms to him, Castle was relieved.
Frank Castle
1974-2009
Coming in December: Franken-Castle. Oh yeah, they’re going there.
REVIEW:
Although many extraordinary artists have emerged in the past few years using more detailed and realistic-looking illustration styles, the distinctive artwork of John Romita Jr. proves to be classical, sometimes cartoony, but always intense. Rick Remender’s run on the Punisher has attempted largely to fold the character back into the current events of the Marvel universe, unlike most stories where the skull-chested one has been largely isolated from the superpowered happenings of the Marvel banner. Remender’s writing in this issue keeps the stakes high and the characters consistent, and the crucial trash talk between the main contenders does not disappoint. Also, this being a one-shot and all, the story is straight-forward and easy to follow for those of us who haven’t been keeping up on the Punisher’s latest exploits.
This issue was definitely a severe, bloody cut above the other disappointing Dark Reign: The List one-shots, which all promised to be major game-changers but mostly have read like filler.
Grade: B
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