Eli’s Plot Twist – Punisher #5 review

As hard as you may try, you can’t dislike Punisher, the 7th iteration of the series, for its goofy sense of fun. Issue number 5 brings Microchip back from the dead for the second time, and a true old school Marvel Punisher series brought back to life as well, updated and true to form. Frank Castle’s involvement in the regular Marvel Universe poses problem for a character expressed in real terms (MAX) and in comical nonchalance (Marvel Knights.) What this series does is swallow both of those concepts whole, spitting out something new.

Rick Remender has written a fast paced plot, with a constant undercurrent of ridiculous exaggeration that entertains heartily. The arcs opening gambit, the failed assassination attempt on Norman Osborne, was a wise and ingenious ignition point. Every single issue is an action sequence, both exciting and original, against a variety of well thought out threats. Whether fighting superheroes or S.W.A.T. teams, the action is spot on, a perfect tonal match between writing and art.

This brings us to Jerome Opena. Oh man, Jerome Opena, what a great artist, especially for Punisher if there ever was one. His pencils are rough enough to bring out Manga quality motion and in the moment transitions. Opena has an incredible handle on emotional expression, exaggerated and comical, with perfect comic timing. The rough movement can turn into exact detail when things slow down, with excellent real world rendering of firearms and true to life military and superhero equipment alike.

I never really caught where Castle got a hold of the superhero equipment he sports in this issue, are they even the genuine article? It doesn’t matter really; the fact that such a stupid idea could be used competently is good enough. The basic setup is an assault on The Hood’s New York crime bunker. S.W.AT. teams, gangsters, and strippers all hang out when not committing crime. The twist is the presence of Frank Castle’s old partner, Linus Lieberman, aka Microchip, who supposedly has laid an excellent trap.

The Punisher has upgraded to young hacker Henry, a blanket representation of disaffected 20 something gamers, who guides Castle through he wanton destruction. I was on the fence about Microchip being back. This was done, to great effect, in the Punisher MAX, ending with a headless Lieberman at Frank’s hands. This felt like a retread of that idea, but it works. A quick Punisher history lesson, at the end of the original three series, poor Microchip got blown by an RPG. His body was still in one piece though, and besides, the Hood can bring back the dead.

That is Microchip’s motivation, the resurrection of his dead son (more accurate Punisher canon, good details), and to stop Frank, there is an offer of the resurrection of his family. The Hood turned out to be a good villain, with a little bit of Indiana Jones evil ritual style to boot. Hood’s minions are equally great, the fight with Hyde a wonderful play on classic Kirby style super fights.

We all know it’s a step up from the awful Punisher Warzone reboot that this series replaces. I feel really good about this series, reminds me of when the Punisher was fighting against Dr. Doom, who was confident of supremacy, but impotent to stop Frank. Jerome Opena and Rick Remender, yeah…

About Eli

A big fan of books, movies, and comics; why the hell not?