PunisherMAX #15 – Review

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

The Story: The mob makes young Frank Castle an offer he can’t refuse, but Nick Fury has other ideas.

What’s Good:  There’s a scene this month that sees Frank and his wife, separated by a closed door, with Frank’s wife screaming at him for his failure to open up to her.  It’s around this point that I realized that, holy crap, we were seeing a Frank Castle domestic drama.  And it actually works.  So much for all those folks who keep saying how Frank isn’t a compelling character.  Aaron makes it all feel sincere and genuine and it’s heavy stuff, where Frank’s sparse, even non-existent, dialogue speaks volumes, allowing for Steve Dillon’s subtle nuances in his illustrations of Frank’s face to shine through and making every slight response he issues to his wife hit like an emotional hammerblow.  Seeing Frank deal with marital discord and his inability to maintain a family life is uncharted territory, but it’s hard to believe that it’s remained unexplored for this long.  Aaron makes it seem like a natural part of his Punisher comic.

But it’s not all domestic drama.  We also see just how committed Frank really is in his hopeless struggle to put his old life behind him.  There are choices of morality aplenty and the constant sense that trouble just won’t leave Frank behind, nor will it stop from seeping into Frank’s private life.  Indeed, what is Frank’s private life?  His life at home with wife and son, or the things he has going on that he keeps secret from his family?

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Superboy #9 – I haven’t always been high on this series, but over the last couple of months, Jeff Lemire’s Superboy has really hit its stride.  Lemire has found his voice or superhero comics and, more importantly, the unique take he brings to the medium.  The weird sci-fi/horror that Lemire does so well is on display here and while he’ll be leaving the book come September, it bodes well for his upcoming Animal Man and Frankenstein books.  This also happens to be Pier Gallo’s strongest showing on the series, who apparently does weird sci-fi/horror better than anything else as well.

Most Anticipated: Captain America #1 – It’s been a while since it was so easy to pick a “most anticipated,” and it’s actually a pretty big week, featuring several personal favourites (Journey into Mystery, Detective Comics).   However, a pairing of Brubaker and McNiven on Cap?  And the return of Steve Rogers to the shield?  Oh, hell yes.  I cannot wait to get my hands on this.

Other Picks: X-Men: Schism #1, Journey into Mystery #625, Detective Comics #879, American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #2, FF #6, PunisherMAX #15, Flashpoint: Frankenstein & the Creatures of the Unknown #2, Wolverine #12, New Avengers #14, Green Lantern #67, Amazing Spider-Man #665

DS’ Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: X-Men #14 handily took this week’s crown with some great reveals, quick action and not a small bit of unfolding mysteries. Art chores were awesomely done and if you have a hankering for seeing what the X-Men were like in the old days, then this is your book.

Most Anticipated: X-Men Schism #1. Although I’m a tiny bit worried by Marvel’s “a full roster of comics’ top artists” (whatever happened to the days of just one artist?), schism looks cool enough to check out and the events in X-Men #12-#14 are making this event look big.

Other Picks: Ghost Rider #1, Defenders: From the Marvel Vault #1, Uncanny X-Force #11