Punisher War Zone #5 Review

I was very pumped for the release of this issue due to it being Ruckas' last Punisher issue. I am very happy to say that I was not disappointed in the slightest. Although this mini series was nowhere near as good as the ongoing that Rucka was involved in, it still had the great feel that he brought to the character. I was hoping that he would finish it all off on a high note, and I am very happy that that is exactly what has happened here.

This issue focused on what this mini has been leading up to the whole time; the battle between Frank and the Avengers. I really enjoyed it, and I am happy with the outcome. All these superheroes against one man could only really end in one way, and I am glad it ended how it should have done. Frank put up one hell of a fight, and his reasons for standing up to fight them have to be admired. He may be a total badass, but he still has a heart and that is why we love him so much.
The panel in which he gave up in was also very impressive. The man had done what he was meant to do, and he had realised he could go no further; it was great.

The ending of this book was something that I kind of expected in relation to Cole-Alves, but it is still something that I was happy to see included. I am hoping very much that some time in the very near future, some writer will pick up the plot points from where Rucka has left them, as I would love to see more of Cole-Alves for sure. She is pretty much a female version of the Punisher now, but she has been so well written; I just think that I cant take this being the end of her story.

I have read two issues of the new Thunderbolts series and decided that it was not for me, so Frank Castle is not really in my life much now. The letters column in this issue gave the impression that Frank will be returning sometime soon, and I for one hope that this happens sooner rather than later. He has quite a bit of momentum behind him at the moment thanks to Rucka, and I just hope that Marvel have the sense to capitalise on that.
Some of you may be reading this review after missing Rucka's fantastic run; or you may have even just caught the end of it all. Well, I strongly recommend that if this is the case for some of you then you get buying the rest of the run. It will be money well spent I assure you. This is how Frank was meant to be written.

Rating: 9 / 10

Punisher Nightmare #3 Review

This limited series continues in this issue to show how comic books can be used in so many different ways. This series has been very very dialogue heavy, and it enjoys to go backwards and forwards in time a lot with everything coming together just before the end of the issue. It sounds like it may be a bit confusing, or maybe even slightly boring. However, it is neither of those things; instead it a very clever series that has a brilliant story to tell.

In this issue we find out just who exactly is after the new character introduced in this series; Niman. It is something that I saw coming after the last issue, but it makes a lot of sense so I am very happy that the series is going the way I imagined it to do.
What is also interesting is the conflict going on in this issue in characters own heads. Niman is starting to become unsure what is right and wrong. He is also starting to get confused about just who the enemy is. This is interesting because I think before this series concludes, he and Frank will definitely come to blows at some point. Speaking of Frank, he is starting to question just who he is. He is still struggling to come to terms with why he didn't end all of this when he could of done at the end of #1.

This particular issue was set "In the shadow of Civil War". Admittedly I have not read Civil War, so I was slightly concerned with how it would fit in this series. It turns out I had nothing to worry about, as it is used very well in order to get across just what Frank stands for; as well as how other people within the superhero community see him. If you are familiar with the Punisher then you may think that this is pretty pointless. However, I thought it fit very well, and acts as a great introduction to the character for people who may have only got into the character due to this series.

Mark Texeiras' art is growing on me with each issue now. At times I do think it can be a little bit confusing; but on the other hand it does fit the book very well. The double pages spreads that have been introduced in the last couple of issues, which are filled full of flashbacks and flash forwards, work very well; and really help to tie everything together that has been explained in the issue.

This series has still got me. With two issues left I am very intrigued to see how this will end. It may be a series that works better as a trade, but I highly recommend people to get involved with it now. It may even make a nice little TV special one day as it would certainly suit that kind of format.

Rating: 8 / 10

Digital Code: TMM23FFN8XKY

Punisher Nightmare #2 Review

Once again with this issue, this mini has got some very mixed reviews. You are either going to love or hate this title; I for one like it a lot. Yeah, I know I am a big Punisher fan, but this issue hardly focuses on Frank at all. What we get with this issue is more background information on the other character in this series; Jake. We learn just what happened to him when he was in the US army, as well as what him and Frank have been up to since they left the hospital.

Like the first issue, a lot of what goes on in this issue is internal; meaning there are alot of boxes filled with speech. I, for one, was not bothered by this in the slightest. It is a pretty wordy comic book, but I just really enjoy it.
The guy who wrote this series is some kind of producer on "The Walking Dead", and I think you can certainly tell he is from a TV background. The story is not linear in the slightest, and can be slightly confusing if you are not too interested in what is happening. However, I think it shows just what well written comic books can achieve. This may be suited best as being some kind of mini TV show, but I still think it comes over amazingly well in comic book form.

The books internal monologues and flashbacks focus entirely on Jake this month. It was clear to me from quite early on in this issue what exactly had happened to him, but it was still cool to see it all come together at the end. It was like some kind of TV episode, but as I mentioned earlier I think it worked extremely well. We now know why Jake has some kind of mad side to him, which before this issue I did not think for one moment that it was going to be anything like the reveal that we saw here.
It is very easy to feel sorry for Jake and everything he has gone through, however it looks to me like we might not be feeling sorry for him anymore. The man seems to be losing his mind, but it is not entirely his fault. It is going to be interesting to see just how Frank deals with him in the coming weeks.

This is the second Punisher book of the week and just like the first I really enjoyed this one. It is a wordy book but it is a very solid story; so for me you cant really go wrong here. I dont understand why some people dont like wordy comic books. Of course if they are written crap then that can't be helped, but I really think that more people need to give this book a chance. There are three more issues left and I can't wait to get my hands on #3 next week.

Rating: 8 / 10

Punisher War Zone #3 Review

Greg Rucka Continues his mini series focusing on the aftermath of the events that happened in the recently cancelled ongoing Punisher series. He was made to write this character. Add that opinion of mine to the fact that the Punisher is one of my all time favourite characters, and I think it is quite obvious what I though of this book. That does sound kind of biased, but I think my opinion on this is going to be one that most people share after reading this issue.

The issue starts off like the previous issue. Instead of Natasha running round after Frank, it is Thor this time. This takes up about half of the issue, and I was getting kind of worried as to where the heel this series as a whole may be going. It turns out I had nothing to worry about as it all became clear in the second half of this very issue.
What we saw was a great conversation between Frank and Thor. I say conversation, but it was really more like a lecture from Thor. He could not really grasp what the point was anymore for Frank, and he also informed him that he is leaving collatrral damage in his wake that was surely never his intention.
What I really liked about this scene was how silent Frank was throughout it. Hr drank beer and never argued once against the points that Thor was making. I thought this showed a great deal of respect that Frank has for the God. Of course, Thor is more powerful than him so he probably couldnt do much anyway, but I definietly think that the silence was largely due to respect. Frank has never been too worried about consequences, but you get the feeling that maybe this time he may do what is right and turn himself in. But that is not the way he operates really is it?

Overall, I really really enjoyed this issue. It all felt very samey at first, but then it really blossomed into something very nicely done during the Thor and Frank heart to heart. Running in the background of all of this was the court case for Cole-Alves. The last page also shows that next issue may be make or break time for Frank regarding this case. I really cant wait for the next installment in this mini as it is poised absolutely beautifully. Will Frank finally face up to his actions? Certainly #4 is a must read.


Rating: 8.5 / 10

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

Punisher War Zone #1 Review

After the fantastic conclusion of the Punisher series we now step right into this mini without missing a beat. The premise I believe is that the Avengers are not too happy with what Frank Castle has been accused of, so are taking it upon themselves to hand out their own kind of justice.

This issue sees Spider man confront the Punisher in order to let him know how he feels about how he carries out his business. What I really enjoyed was that it was Spider Man who got to be the first to show his displeasure. As we all are aware, in recent times he has been used for light relief in regards to his Avengers appearances, so it was nice to see him be more serious for a change. What he said to Frank was heartfelt, and it was clear to see just how Franks' action affected him on a personal level as they go against all his beliefs. They had a brief fight during this encounter, and I really enjoyed how Frank got away from it. It was clever and it really needed to be considering Spidey has superpowers and he has none.

Spider Man then approaches the Avengers with the idea to take Frank down. This was met with complete disinterest from the whole group. Going back to Spidey being light relief, this reaction from the group made perfect sense for me. However he ended up striking a nerve with Captain America, which of course led to the whole team then getting involved. 

The question that remains is just how is Frank supposed to fight a war that he knows nothing about? Well that is where Wolverine steps up. The encounter of theirs only lasted a few panels, but the mutual respect they shared was clear to see. They both believe in violence, as well as having no limits set for themselves. I do not know much about the history between them, but this scene for me completely made sense and was great to read through.

Although I believe the artist is different from Rucka's Punisher run, it still has the same feel to it that that series had. There are a lot of panels without any dialogue in this issue, but they really do not need them. The art speaks for itself. I know that is pretty cliché but it really does. By looking at these panels you can tell exactly what Frank Castle is thinking without him even having to open his mouth.

To be honest I was expecting this mini series to just tie up any loose ends from the ongoing which has just finished. I could not have been more wrong. Instead it is carrying the story on, while also acting as an explanation for Frank Castle's situation when Marvel NOW! comes a long. Or thats what I believe anyway. We will have to wait and see. I am definitely picking up the next issue as well as the rest of the series. If you are a fan of the Punisher or Greg Rucka then I suggest you do the same.

Rating: 9 / 10