Punisher: Frank Castle MAX #75 review
I’m not sure if Marvel just doesn’t give a shit about The Punisher anymore, or if they are purposely trying to destroy the character’s legacy. This MAX title is reseting under the helm of red-hot writer Jason Aaron and issue #75 seems like a mistake.
I have no inside information, but I figure the issue may lay with Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada. In the theatre of my mind, I imagine a phone-call that went something like this:
Joe Quesada: Yo, Vic…Goran-my-man, how’s it going?
Victor Gischler: Uh, great Joe. What can we help you with?
Joe Quesada: It’s Friday afternoon…deadline is on Monday. When are you going to send over Welcome to the Bayou part 5?
Victor Gischler: Uh, sir…it was only a 4-part arc.
Goran Parlov: Do you even read Punisher?
Joe Quesada: Hey – do you know how many books Marvel publishes each month? I can’t read them all.
Victor Gischler: …
Goran Parlov: …
Joe Quesada: Just messing with you guys, gotta go!
Five minutes later…Joe Quesada addresses a con-call with every contracted writer and artist that could be found.
Joe Quesada: I have a great opportunity for one lucky team. Who wants to put together a one-shot for one of our flagship titles?
<cricket cricket>
Joe Quesada: Punisher: Frank Castle MAX #75….huh? Huh? And it needs to be done by Monday.
<cricket cricket>
Joe Quesada: Fine! You guys want to be that way, you can ALL write it. Yeah, that’s it. I want eight pages from all five teams and now the deadline is Sunday morning – because I’m going to read them!
So, either through that scenario, or possibly by design, the final issue of the run includes five stories by five separate teams. It can be difficult to put together a strong stand-alone issue due to the limited options for story build-up, so how much should be expected from only eight pages?
Story number one, Dolls, from the team of Tom Piccirilli, Laurence Campbell and Lee Loughridge tackles the never explored (sarcasm) softer side of Frank when it comes to family matters, especially children. A lost young girl interrupts Frank just as he’s about to snipe some scumbag through a window in a nearby building. Of course, Frank can’t resist helping reuinite the child with her father. If it isn’t clear to the reader how this might affect The Punisher, having lost his family and that his daughter was about the same age as this girl, we are smacked in the head with a flashback frame from happier days. Campbell and Loughridge capture the competing themes of a man who must stay in the shadows, even when in the open, and the shoppers just out for a stroll in the snow. The highlight is a three-quarter page frame of a larger-than-life Punisher from the viewpoint of the little girl’s father as he looks up to thank the man who found his daughter.
.5 out of 1
Gateway brings us just what every comicbook fan wants and needs – another twist to The Punisher origin story. The first two pages are actually pretty interesting. We’re introduced to a “middle man” who, among other things, sets up hits for the mob. He justifies that he is just a businessman that provides a service, but who never actually performs the illegal act. The story faulters as the hit in question, traps the Castle family in the middle. We’re shown how Frank is dealing with his loss, sitting at a kitchen table with place settings for the whole family. Strangely, the Castle family has a hidden pegboard loaded with firearms in the hallway outside the kitchen. Very convenient for a man looking for revenge. The artwork by Das Pastoras is interesting, albeit not necessarily good. The frames are drawn from differing and somewhat unconventional angles. Gregg Hurwitz was on to something with this story. The ”middle man” living a good life with a clear conscience is just the type of guy that needs punished. Pull out the ’origin’ angle, expand the story and this could have been a great Punisher Annual. It just doesn’t work here in any manner.
0 out of 1
The only ray of sunshine is this issue Ghoul by Duane Swierczynski and Tomm Coker. As such, I don’t want to give much away, because it may be the only joy you get from reading this issue. The plot is original and it is made for eight pages. There isn’t any more to tell. Stretching it out to a full issue would have ruined the effect. The story is really told through the changing facial expressions of the antagonist.
1 out of 1
If you get a feeling of deja vu from Father’s Day, it’s because you have seen these panels before. The pages take us through a slideshow of highlight scenes from the MAX series. I’m still trying to figure out why I’m really being shown this when I flip to the last two pages only to see the Castle family in Central Park played out yet again.
0 out of 1
Ken Ashley and Rob Stull get the accolades for the second best art of the issue. The colors are bold and contrasting flying us through a lot of action via thin slices of panels. There isn’t much story to The Smallest Bit of This, but then again, what can I expect in such few pages?
.5 out of 1
If you’ve been keeping score, then you already know that Punish: Frank Castle MAX #75 is awarded:
2 out of 5
From the pages of the Immortal Iron Fist, the six other Immortal Weapons of the mystical cities finally get a chance to shine in their own spotlight. This first issue chronicles the life and times of Fat Cobra.
Jason Aaron writes one hell of a good read. Its narrative is smartly framed; a young man he commissioned to find out about his past reads Fat Cobra his recently completed official biography. Cobra’s a fun character: he’s fat, but can move like a cheetah; eats like a cow, but gets all the girls. Aaron shows his skill, combining hilarious and heartbreaking moments throughout this issue. From tragedy to so-called triumph, Fat Cobra’s tale is interesting and just a blast to read.
With a gallery of artists lending their talents, the different styles seamlessly blend together into one gorgeous book. Fat Cobra is fleshed with more detail than before and given a wide range of emotions and expressions, bringing him to life.
The last few pages begin an ongoing story starring the Immortal Iron Fist. It looks promising, but all we get right now is setup.
I hope the other Immortal Weapons stories are this good, because Fat Cobra rocks!
4.5 out of 5
This issue is another excellent installment in one of Marvel’s most original and consistently good titles. This book continues to satisfy.
After a one-issue break from this story, author Swierczynski returns us to Hell with Danny and other immortal weapons. Their escape plan begins to take shape plan as Danny is forced to face off against the original Iron Fist. The back-story provided in this issue is a great read. Often authors will throw characters into sweeping epics without sufficiently providing enough details and nuances to make the worlds believable. Swierczynski does a fantastic job as he creates a creepy world and deep characters. While the back-story is great, it’s more compelling than the main story.
Penciler Travel Foreman is the real star of Iron Fist. His creative layouts along with his sharp images make for a thing of beauty. These are gorgeous pages to admire, regardless of Iron First’s impressive story.
A title with a talented author and a top notch artist earns its place on my pull list. I’m looking forward to the story’s conclusion next issue. I also am excited about where we’ll go next.
4 out of 5
Author Duane Swierczynski leaves Iron Fist Danny Rand in hell for a month, as he treats us to a one shot tale. How’s this for a title “Li Park, Reluctant Iron Fist vs. Unstoppable Forces of Evil”? This just kicks some ass. My biggest gripe is not with the issue, but the editorial decision to break up this arc. That just ticked me off.
I’ve enjoyed these Iron fist one-issue back-stories. It adds to the once depthless Iron Fist mythos. Li Park is a pacifist that gets thrust into the role of Iron Fist. The plot and character are strong, entertaining throughout the issue. Kano can draw and he does it in this book. His creation of the dragon is beautiful and the best of all Iron Fist artists. Those panels are just awesome!
I am not sure if the following was stuck in as a joke. I hope it was a joke. During Park’s fight with the dragon, a bodiless head of the Thunderer appears yelling “Focus!” He should be have proclaiming, “Velveeta!” because it was dripping with cheese. What was that about?!?
Iron Fist continues to be consistent, fun, and epic. There is good reason for the buzz around Iron Fist; it’s a worthy read and has earned the praise.
3.5 out of 5
