By Chris Fenn
It is such a joy to see this in my reading pile; it’s one of those books that makes me excited to see and is often at the top of my reading list. This installment lives up to the high benchmark the previous issues have already set.
Now before I get into the meat of The Punisher I will sort of apologise if this review seems a bit samey. At the time of writing my local post man screwed me over and only brought me four comics, so I try not to go over the same book too often, but this week I have no real choice.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
Now if you listen to @intercomicspod you may hear them say that Wonder Woman is DC’s dark but wonderful book. Now my reading list is much the opposite of the pod’s team; I am predominantly a DC guy with a few Marvel titles, and what they describe Wonder Woman as is how I would say The Punisher is.
This issue acts as an ending to a smaller arc around Ortiz, but as I have said in the past, the flow of the overarching narrative seems to continue. Now if you ask me where we are compared to the first issue there has been such a lot of movement but it has all felt so smooth and natural.
One of the cornerstones of this issue is honour, and Maurer and Edmondson really bring a lot of character to our protagonists. The way Frank and Tom bond and connect and bounce off each other knowing only previous training is beautiful to behold. I love the simplicity on how they explain each other’s pasts and backgrounds. The dialogue doesn’t feel like overlong exposition, and it does feel like a natural conversation men who are entrusting each other with their lives would talk about whilst preparing for battle.
One sentiment that is echoed throughout the issue is “we don’t leave teammates behind” and seeing that Tom came back to claim the bodies of his fallen allies, and he and Frank constantly try to return and help each other is such a hopeful and optimistic message as well as feeling so natural and authentic.
It’s interesting to note that even Crossbones seems to have a sense of honour when it comes to combatants; seeing Tom and Greg as ‘sport’ and allowing them to go free is so much more welcome and makes for a more compelling villain than simply seeing him murder them in cold blood. I wouldn’t be surprised if we later see a tentative partnership between Frank and Crossbones.
I especially love the closing page of the comic, seeing Tom honour Frank by naming his squad and appropriating his skull insignia as well as trying to keep remote tabs on him. This is such a brilliant and inspiring series, and I am truly glad I chose to pick it up.
For more comic views and reviews follow Chris on Twitter at @fenneth1989
Posted on July 4th, 2014
Category: OUT OF THE LONG BOX, REVIEWS
Tags: Carmen Carnero, Chris Fenn, Crossbones, Frank Castle, Kevin Maurer, marvel comics, Nathan Edmondson, Punisher #8 review