The Punisher is having a bit of a revitalization, between a new Red Band series and the Marvel Knights label bringing him back. That’s not all, Marvel Knights alumni Jimmy Palmiotti is penning the series with comics great Dan Panosian, meaning this is as about as genuine as the return of this version of Punisher could be. We’re talking edgy adult storytelling, prestige format, and risk-taking storytelling. Does it have the gumption to blow us away, all these years after Marvel Knights?
Right off the bat, Marvel Knights: Punisher #1 opens with text that sets the atmosphere and general vibe for what’s to come. It’s Frank himself talking to us, or perhaps some unseen figure, and it makes abundantly clear that this is a tougher, more violent Punisher. He likes to be feared, which, on a page turn, is basically shown as he holds a man by the ankle, dangling him over a giant meat grinder.
The first three pages of art encapsulate this book to a T, from Panosian’s gritty real-world style to the stark red blood dripping from the grinder, creating a river in the muck. The third page reveals two flirty girls trying to get inside a mobster’s house, but he has cause to doubt their intentions. Palmiotti makes it clear these are very bad people, and even the seemingly nice girls are capable of awful things. Even the murderers and villains double-cross each other, it seems.
Stunning page!
Credit: Marvel
Fans of Punisher enacting violence will dig this book. There’s knife work, a bazooka, and guns going “kra-kow”. Fight scenes are well-choreographed, keeping you invested and making the blows hard-felt. Given Punisher’s slightly older look, those hits are felt by the reader.
One of the best scenes involves a man trying to break Punisher, who seems to be able to take a lot more serum than any average human can take. His treatment is played out over three pages, and you’ll certainly think Punisher can hold out forever. Well, until you read the cliffhanger page.
Outside of these elements, a lot of what’s here is stuff we’ve seen before. Government types in a war room yelling at each other or barking orders, fat-cat mobsters who have hired help that’ll die for them, and a plot device that we’ve seen a thousand times. The book moves at such a fast clip that you’ll barely know or care about the villain, and the big twist feels too fast. This is a version of Punisher plucked from the ’80s or ’90s, but he’s also stuck in a story that’s less layered than those from the same era.
Marvel Knights: Punisher #1 succeeds as a brutal, unapologetic return to the kind of adult-oriented storytelling that made the imprint famous, with authentic creative voices and plenty of bone-crunching action. While it nails the aesthetic and violence fans crave, the narrative doesn’t push far enough beyond familiar clichés to feel like a reinvention, making it more of a nostalgic thrill ride than a groundbreaking return.
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