Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

PunisherMAX #10PunisherMAX #10
MAX (Marvel Comics)
Aaron, Dillon & Hollingsworth

After a delay that's lasted many months, the penultimate chapter of the "Bullseye" arc finally ships. As much as I would love to rail on the book for being so absurdly late I simply can't. The book was late because Dillon was over allocated and his work in here is simply brilliant and, sadly, worth the wait. This issue brings to the forefront one of the more interesting questions: what made the Punisher? More specifically: was the Punisher born in Vietnam or in Central Park? Aaron brings a high level of thought to this topic through the eyes of Bullseye helping to build up the two characters simultaneously. This is an excellent comic book.

The Punisher is on the run because he's killed a cop. The police have raided his safe houses and declared him public enemy number one. Frank doesn't take kindly to being called a terrorist as he admits that all these years he's been the one tolerating the cops not the other way around. Frank decides to show the police what a true terrorist is.

At this point the reader might be thinking how odd it is that Frank has become a villain to the police and done so of his own free will. However, based on how Bullseye unravels the mystery of the Punisher's origin it becomes clear that Frank is simply as insane as Bullseye or even Kingpin.

Bullseye sits in a room staring at pictures of Frank Castle and family as he tries to understand how the killing machine was unleashed in Vietnam then went into hiding while Frank Castle played family man only to come back out when the family was killed. How did Frank Castle miss the gunmen in Central Park? Did he want his family to be killed so he could go to war a second time? While Bullseye ponders these questions Kingpin's men attack him. Bullseye just keeps talking and fends them off one at a time. These scenes are the highlight of the book.

Dillon excels like never before during the Bullseye's scenes. He's got the attacks on Bullseye down cold as Bullseye shows no emotion or concern as he continues to solve the Punisher problem as if it were a tough Soduku puzzle. This while casually fighting off man after man using some creative weapons in the process. Dillon turns Castle into an unfeeling monster in this book and it all works amazingly well. Page after page Dillon spares no details in the emotions or the action as he captures the essence of the story perfectly.

Punishermax is reshaping not only the characters but also the background and the motivations of these characters. I had felt Bullseye was a bit too kooky in previous issues but it is now all falling into place. Aaron has successfully made Frank Castle a true vigilante where nothing matters except the mission and he's got no friends in the quest. In many ways Aaron has created three likeable (or unlikable depending on your stance) characters in this new vision. The book and series have been great. Don't miss this issue.

5 out of 5 Geek Goggles