Taking it to the MAX
Punisher MAX Volume 1 : In the Beginning
You’ve got to hand it to Garth Ennis he has a knack for re-booting popular comics and even resurecting some. As you know the fightrunner have a soft spot for the punisher and with this title Garth Ennis took the Punisher to new heights.
The MAX label is basically Marvel for adults and as such the Punisher feels right at home here. The first change is that the timeline is now fixed and Frank Castle is now in his 50’s as opposed to the fresh faced version seen in the regular marvel run. But with the MAX series we finally get to the see the punisher in full swing and these comics feel more real and grittier.
Beginning with a bloody flashback to the murder of Frank Castle’s family and followed by an even bloodier assault on the mob, Frank finds himself hounded to become the CIA’s own personal hitman, and none other than Frank’s long thought dead partner Micro is here trying to convince Frank to do it. All of this leads to a shocking , violent conclusion that you just can’t put down. The final few panels are heartbreaking to read and some up the genius of Ennis’ work on the character.
The violence and gore are amplified 100 times here but it never ever feels like its done for cheap thrills same with the swearing, like I say if any other comic had the MAX treatment it would feel like shock tactics but here it feels like the punisher is in familiar territory. The artwork here is amazing throughout and perfectly compliments the dark tone of the subject matter at hand whilst also striking a chord for the more emotional parts and even helping the black humour along.
For sure if you are a casual comic reader this won’t be your cup of tea but for anyone else this is nirvana. A bleak, violent, dark, gory piece of genius and a great start to a series. Don’t know about you but I’m up for more!
Rating 9/10
Miss this and you deserve punishment