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  • Punisher Graphic Novel Question

    I've never been a big comic book guy, apart from picking up limited runs in 80's and 90's, and some graphic novels/TPBs. I remember when I was a kid, I got a TPB of the Punisher, which gave the story of his family being killed, and an interaction with Jigsaw, among other things. I remember one page where somebody tries to kill Castle at Riker's Island with a gun and bottle silencer, but Castle is saved because he slept with the mattress on top of him.

    Anyway, I'm looking to see if somebody can identify that book for me, and also point out some good Punisher TPBs and graphic novels that would be good for a casual fan.

  • #2
    Originally posted by Mark Tolch View Post
    I've never been a big comic book guy, apart from picking up limited runs in 80's and 90's, and some graphic novels/TPBs. I remember when I was a kid, I got a TPB of the Punisher, which gave the story of his family being killed, and an interaction with Jigsaw, among other things. I remember one page where somebody tries to kill Castle at Riker's Island with a gun and bottle silencer, but Castle is saved because he slept with the mattress on top of him.

    Anyway, I'm looking to see if somebody can identify that book for me, and also point out some good Punisher TPBs and graphic novels that would be good for a casual fan.
    Was it one of the Steven Grant books, Mark? I read those in the 1980s, a year or two prior to the Dolph Lundgren film coming out.

    I can heartily recommend Garth Ennis' run of Punisher comics. Those are almost universally excellent. The more recent books, since Ennis stopped writing them, have been a disappointment.
    'You know, I'd almost forgotten what your eyes looked like. Still the same. Pissholes in the snow'

    http://www.paul-a-j-lewis.com (my photography website)
    'All explaining in movies can be thrown out, I think': Elmore Leonard

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Paul L View Post
      Was it one of the Steven Grant books, Mark? I read those in the 1980s, a year or two prior to the Dolph Lundgren film coming out.

      I can heartily recommend Garth Ennis' run of Punisher comics. Those are almost universally excellent. The more recent books, since Ennis stopped writing them, have been a disappointment.
      Looks like it was Steven Grant's Punisher: Circle of Blood! Thanks muchly for that. I'll check out Ennis' books.

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      • #4
        So, cruising around, looks like the advice on Ennis Punisher is to start with the MAX complete collections, Born, or Welcome Back, Frank. Advice from there?

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Mark Tolch View Post
          So, cruising around, looks like the advice on Ennis Punisher is to start with the MAX complete collections, Born, or Welcome Back, Frank. Advice from there?
          Any of those are excellent, Mark. I'd possibly suggest diving into the MAX series, but WELCOME BACK, FRANK would be an equally good introduction to Ennis' run of the comics.
          'You know, I'd almost forgotten what your eyes looked like. Still the same. Pissholes in the snow'

          http://www.paul-a-j-lewis.com (my photography website)
          'All explaining in movies can be thrown out, I think': Elmore Leonard

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Mark Tolch View Post
            I've never been a big comic book guy, apart from picking up limited runs in 80's and 90's, and some graphic novels/TPBs. I remember when I was a kid, I got a TPB of the Punisher, which gave the story of his family being killed, and an interaction with Jigsaw, among other things. I re member one page where somebody tries to kill Castle at Riker's Island with a gun and bottle silencer, but Castle is saved because he slept with the mattress on top of him.

            Anyway, I'm looking to see if somebody can identify that book for me, and also point out some good Punisher TPBs and graphic novels that would be good for a casual fan.
            That sounds like The Punisher #1 from 1985, art by Mike Zeck, don't recall the writer. It was also republished in a black and white magazine format a few years later with a great essay on the character and his motivations.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Darcy Parker View Post
              That sounds like The Punisher #1 from 1985, art by Mike Zeck, don't recall the writer. It was also republished in a black and white magazine format a few years later with a great essay on the character and his motivations.

              Yes, they were apparently all gathered in the Punisher Circle of Blood TPB, which is is what I owned. The internet and forums like this are wonderful.

              Originally posted by Paul L
              Any of those are excellent, Mark. I'd possibly suggest diving into the MAX series, but WELCOME BACK, FRANK would be an equally good introduction to Ennis' run of the comics.
              I've ordered the MAX Complete Collection Volume 1, that seems to have Born and In the Beginning bound together. That should be a good indication of whether I'm going to stick with it or not.

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              • #8
                There's a lot of Punisher that is easily skippable. The first unlimited series and damn near every title until Ennis came along.

                I would also seek out the Rucka run from 2011. That is only three trade paperbacks and a great read. Also Punisher Enter The War Zone, which is a sequel by Rucka as Castle takes on the Avengers. It is another top tier Punisher run.

                The Punisher Max series by Aaron & Dillon from 2009 takes up 4 or 5 tpbs and is well worth the $$ and your time.
                "The popcorn you're eating has been pissed in. Film at 11".

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                • #9
                  Thanks, Gary!!!

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Gary Banks View Post
                    There's a lot of Punisher that is easily skippable. Thefirst unlimited series and damn near every title until Ennis came along.

                    I would also seek out the Rucka run from 2011. That is only three trade paperbacks and a great read. Also Punisher Enter The War Zone, which is a sequel by Rucka as Castle takes on the Avengers. It is another top tier Punisher run.

                    The Punisher Max series by Aaron & Dillon from 2009 takes up 4 or 5 tpbs and is well worth the $$ and your time.
                    The first unlimited started strong, but turned to shit after they fired the whole creative team. The first 8 issues, the ones with Klaus Janson art, are really good.
                    Darcy Parker
                    Senior Member
                    Last edited by Darcy Parker; 02-28-2022, 12:58 AM.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Darcy Parker View Post
                      The first unlimited started strong, but turned to shit after they fired the whole creative team. The first 8 issues, the ones with Kali's Janson art, are really good.
                      Klaus Janson

                      I really wish editing posts worked on iOS!

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                      • #12
                        The Punisher and Punisher War Journal titles both had runs were they were damn good and ones where they sucked shit. Remember in the 90s boom when Punisher became black for a few issues?

                        Or that mini when he was like some kind of Angel of vengence?

                        Love the Ennis run. And lots of the early stuff once Punisher got his own title.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Newt Cox View Post
                          Or that mini when he was like some kind of Angel of vengence?
                          That was one that Wrightson drew, right? I have that. Not the best Punisher story, haha.

                          I agree that the first few issues of 1st regular series are pretty good. And yeah, Circle Of Blood is what they retitled the 5-issue mini-series as when they collected it. Zeck's art in that run is really good, and those covers he did are amazing.
                          Rock! Shock! Pop!

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Ian Jane View Post
                            That was one that Wrightson drew, right? I have that. Not the best Punisher story, haha.

                            I agree that the first few issues of 1st regular series are pretty good. And yeah, Circle Of Blood is what they retitled the 5-issue mini-series as when they collected it. Zeck's art in that run is really good, and those covers he did are amazing.
                            The Wrightson series was Punisher: P.O.V., which was Castle fighting what were basically zombies off-the-books for S.H.I.E.LD. as a favour to Nick Fury. It was awesome.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Darcy Parker View Post
                              The Wrightson series was Punisher: P.O.V., which was Castle fighting what were basically zombies off-the-books for S.H.I.E.LD. as a favour to Nick Fury. It was awesome.
                              There was a second one in the 90's.

                              https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pu..._(1998_series)

                              Agreed though that POV was really good.
                              Rock! Shock! Pop!

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