Comic of the Month: Punisher Max

The Punisher MAX

The Marvel MAX series is defined by its willingness to depict adult themes and give them their full due. Blood, gore, sex, and violence: I can think of no title more deserving of these elements than The Punisher. I respect Marvel’s decision to publish such an edgy comic. Though, while occasionally unsettling and quite graphic, the violence and sex is rarely gratuitous insofar as it is thematically relevant. For the most part, the writers seem to recognize and respect this fact and use it for good storytelling, rather than as an indulgence to our basic nature.

Why it’s so great:

• Due to the nature of the book, villains (and plot points) never wear out their welcome. Story arcs are handled really well, chaining the narrative along in an elegant, relevant way. The villains almost become the main characters, each arc exploring their motives and personalities more, perhaps, than the titular character himself. Read the arcs involving Barracuda to see what I mean.

• You are being shown a story, not told a story. As I mentioned, the writing is poignant, and appropriate. The Punisher, being a character defined by what he does, is a man of few words. Instead of trying to play on a reader’s sympathy, which would be a mistake, the story is presented in a bare-bones way, with minimal narration and commentary.

• The art. Like most titles, the quality varies a lot from artist to artists, but luckily the visual elements are pretty consistently captivating. Like Frank Miller stories, gritty art suits the book. The cover art is pretty consistently amazing, as well.

• The rare moments where the reader tries to connect with Frank Castle are effective, simply because they are rare, never over-wrought, and frequently, intentionally, quashed.

When you think of great hero films, you think of Spider-man, Iron-man or Batman. I would hazard that for most people, The Punisher films don’t even make it near the list—and for good reason. Some heroes simply translate well to the silver screen: big budget special effects and inspiring stories of good’s triumph over evil make for high dollar opening weekend.

But The Punisher isn’t about that.

The Punisher’s tale is like the classic action story told backwards: He begins, satisfied, in a happy life. Then he loses the girl, goes on to fight a seemingly hopeless battle, and then a new villain is introduced, again and again, ad infinitum. It is episodic and ongoing by nature. Any effort to “tie up loose end” or provide the kind of conclusion a film demands seems artificial to the story

The Punisher is a story that is perfectly tailored for the comic medium and few others (unless Marvel was to, say, make an equally edgy ShowTime series… which sounds incredible). With the backing of the MAX series, it is told in a way that is true to the spirit of the character.

So, my Comic of the Month for November is The Punisher MAX, for its masterful storytelling, expert use of the strengths of the medium, and ability to make Frank Castle seem exactly as badass as he should.

-Reckless Enthusiasm