Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Punisher #1
Marvel Comics
Edmondson & Gerads
The re-launch of Punisher provides an update of the character where Frank Castle has taken up residence in Los Angeles. The first issue sets up the plot nicely enough and provides some nice moments but the premise isn't entirely convincing. The issue is worth checking out but I'm not sure there is enough in here to give the seasoned reader something new in the world of The Punisher.
Frank Castle is tracking down a drug dealer and he ends up in Los Angeles looking for the landing place for the drugs. The setup is so generic you probably feel like you've read this many times over the years with the Punisher. Frank makes use of wild animals and car bombs as part of the scare tactics. He interrogates with the hope of being let go for his victim only for the character to discover that letting go means death. We've seen all of this before.
What makes this comic a little different and odd at the same time is Frank in a coffee shop. He befriends a female cop and this interaction feels out of place but not unwelcome. The potential here to build up a supporting cast is promising. What's strange is that it isn't entirely clear if the cops know that Frank Castle is the Punisher which seems impossible. If the book stays focused on the character work and lets the death be part of the backdrop then this incarnation of the Punisher has a chance at a nice run.
The artwork is what is now the classic Punisher style. Dark, grainy lines, heavy use of shadows and expressionless faces except when terror is involved. It works well here and definitely captures what you are probably looking for in a Punisher comic book. It's a dirty story shown in a filthy looking background. Perfect for the underworld that Frank Castle occupies.
The new volume of the Punisher feels like more of the same except it's in a new city. It's unclear how or even if the police don't know that Frank Castle is The Punisher. Without being told the character is in Los Angeles would the reader even notice? Does it matter where Castle operates? The book still has plenty of room to establish itself in the city's characteristics to match up the move across country and its importance in the story. We'll see. For now this is just another Punisher story.
3 out of 5 Geek Goggles
