Punisher Nightmare #1 Review

I was very excited when I heard about this book coming out. As some of you may know, Frank Castle is one of my favorite comic characters of all time. I love everything to do with him, yet I will still try to be unbiased in my review of this latest mini series. So, lets jump right into things.

First things first, this book is extremely wordy. I for one, really enjoyed this aspect of the book; but I am aware that it will not be for everyone.  Throughout the issue Frank's internal dialogue dominates, yet we also get blog posts on pages from the new character, Johnny. It will take you a while to get through this issue, which I think ensures that you get your moneys worth. I think the writing throughout is excellent, and I love how strategical Frank seems to be in this series. He also has a bit of a conscience, which is something I also really liked.

The story in general is something that I really like, and it is something that I think is pretty unique. Yes, it has started off slightly similar to Rucka's ongoing series that has just finished; but I do not think that that is a bad point. I am also pretty sure it will go in a different direction; which I am very intrigued about. I am sure in the next 4 weeks we will learn a ton more about Johnny. In this issue we learned quite a bit about his past, now I think it's time to see how he will react to this situation that he is in.

I have briefly touched on Frank's personality already, but something I really liked was how awkward he seems to be with normal human beings. He is fine talking to / beating up bad guys because he needs something from them, and it is his world after all. However, there is a scene in a diner where a little girl approaches him just to say hello. He has no idea how to react, and starts mumbling about random things. I loved that panel because for me it really showed how out of touch he is with other human beings, and how uncomfortable he is in situations like that.

Overall, this is a really solid start to this mini series. However, as stated, I believe your enjoyment of this book will depend on how you like your comic books. If you like wordy ones, then this series looks like it will definitely be for you. The writing is superb, and the art is awesome for the most part (except for a couple of dodgy panels). I can't wait for next week's issue, I just want to know more!


Rating: 8 / 10