PunisherMAX #13 – Review

by Jason Aaron (script), Steve Dillon (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: Stuck in a cell, Frank contemplates his past life with his wife and kids, realizing that family life and prison life might not be so far apart.

The Review:  Since coming back from its hiatus, Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon has truly found its voice, finding a perfect tone that has made it one of the best reads out of Marvel.  This month’s issue does nothing at all to buck that trend.

A heavily introspective issue, this issue leans heavily upon narration/monologue from Frank.  It’s the sort of gritty sincerity that Aaron excels at and is a joy to read.  If you were one of the readers who lamented the lack of Frank in Aaron’s run up this point, this is the kind of issue that ought to make you happy.

One of the strongest portions of this month’s book is a moment where Aaron robs Frank of his Punisher mystique.  It’s a process that’s painful to watch and heavily internal.  Frank ends up looking old and vulnerable and feels almost naked without the Punisher rep scaring off the crooks.  It’s a heavy moment that makes this arc feel legitimately dangerous for the main character, a feat not easily accomplished in Marvel comics.

Other than this, however, most of the issue is spent in flashback.  It’s cool enough seeing Frank’s family life, but more than that, Aaron and Dillon make it horrifically mundane or, rather, they make it clear just how antithetical it is to what Frank is.  Things feel repetitive and Aaron and Dillon do a fantastic job showing how Frank doesn’t fit in with average life and how it deadens him.  In fact, it’s here that Dillon’s artwork most excels, as he draws younger Frank with a completely dead-eyed expression throughout that is fairly disturbing.

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Amazing Spider-Man Free Comic Book Day issue – I had a TON of books last week and many were “good” or “fine”, but I was honestly a little perplexed about which comic would get the dog bone this week until reading Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos’ FCBD entry.  It’s a must read for Spidey-fans as this wholly new story focuses on Spidey’s loss of his spider-sense and a key martial skill that he needs to learn to compensate.  Very cool and Ramos’ art is incredible (again).  Runner-up: Moon Knight #1

Most Anticipated: Amazing Spider-Man #660 – I loved #659 featuring a clever and funny script by Fred Van Lente as we saw Spidey and the FF teaming up to fight zombie pirates in the Caribbean.  But, everything got very “real” at the end of the issue when the bad guys and the FF kids showed up.  This should be a really cool issue.

Other Picks: The Unwritten #25, Elephantmen #31, FF #3, X-Men #11, Netherworld #1

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Secret Six #33 – In a week of giants like Fear Itself and the first issue of the Bendis/Maleev Moon Knight, it’s Secret Six, ever the “little title that could,” that takes the prize, and with surprising ease at that.  This issue showcased just why Gail Simone’s dastardly book is among the very best team books on the shelves, if not the best.  A strong team dynamic blends with strong character-work and surprising comedy to make this the big one for me.

Most Anticipated: Flashpoint #1 – Forgive me for my lack of creativity. Honestly, I’m not actually that pumped for Flashpoint.  At least, not in the traditional sense.  I’m merely incredibly curious as to what the hell Flashpoint is.  I know it’s an elseworlds thing that involves, erm, a “time anomaly” and I think the Reverse Flash is at the heart of it…but…yeah.  I have no idea what this is or what it’s about, particularly since those “Road to Flashpoint” issues of the Flash have been delayed significantly.  So yeah, I’m just looking forward to finding out what Flashpoint actually is.

It’s kind of unfair really, given just how amazing Journey into Mystery and PunisherMAX are looking, but them’s the breaks.

Other Picks: New Avengers #12, Birds of Prey #12, FF #3, The Flash #12, Journey into Mystery #623, PunisherMAX #13, Amazing Spider-Man #660