The Punisher is probably everyone's favorite comic book mass murderer, with the exception of Wolverine, although Frank Castle almost certainly has a higher body count. This issue of Punisher: War Zone certainly adds to the tally, although the victims are all Skrulls, so that takes some of the sting off. And how amazing is it that this issue crosses over with the Secret Invasion? Fighting aliens isn't really the Punisher's usual turf. Even more stunning - there's not a word on the cover promoting the fact! You'll never pump up the Punisher's sales without promoting your wares, Marvel!
The Punisher has been around for quite a while now. He first appeared in an issue of Amazing Spider-Man in the '70s (if I remember correctly) and was presented as an obvious knock-off of the popular paperback vigilante Mack Bolan: The Executioner, as written by Don Pendleton. Their origins were similar: criminals kill their families, and each Vietnam War veteran vows revenge and uses his skills to kill lots of criminals. The Punisher was one of the first "good guys" to actively try to kill the "bad guys."
As this issue begins, Frank is a high-tech prison, but he's released when the Skrulls attack nearby Manhattan. Seizing the opportunity, he loads up on weapons and goes on a gleeful killing spree, taking out truckloads of green-skinned targets.
Despite the odd choice of opponents, the story by Matt Fraction and Rick Remender is sharp and well managed. It's thin on plot - there's not much in the way of analysis going on here, just lots of killing - but it's fun in a grisly way and moves at a breakneck pace.
The art is fantastic, and why is it no one told me that Howard Chaykin was doing the art on this comic? Chaykin's a long-time favorite, having turned in decades of excellent work on everything from the original adaptation of Star Wars to the classic American Flagg (to name only two). He hasn't lost a step, providing dynamic art, including a striking double-page spread of the invasion, and some great closeups - note Frank's gleeful expression in the closeup on the bottom of page 16.
I should admit that I've never been a huge Punisher fan, although there have certainly been some excellent stories in the past. The art in this one is great, and the story's solid, but it's just barely a Punisher story - so it's only recommended for Secret Invasion completists or fans of Chaykin. Or those who like to see lots of bad guys getting killed.
Grade: C+
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