Punisher #1 Review: Meet the New Guy, Same as the Old Guy

Earlier this year Marvel Comics made perhaps their most drastic change to The Punisher since they made him a Frankenstein’s monster. In a series from writer Jason Aaron and artists Jesús Saiz & Paul Azaceta, Frank Castle gave up his iconic skull symbol and took up a sword to lead The Hand, this eventually resulted in him being banished to another realm entirely, leaving the Earth-616 without a Punisher. Rather than going by that moniker, Frank now wanders Weirdworld protecting children, sans guns, sans skull, and just going by his God given name. But that can’t stop Marvel Comics from publishing Punisher comics, so a new Punisher has to be born.

Writer David Pepose and artist Dave Wachter are the team behind the new series, simply titled Punisher, which gives readers a new character with a skull logo, a gun, and a taste for dead criminals. Sound familiar? It may be a different guy doing all of these things but fundamentally this is a reskin of your traditional Punisher story. Guy with a skull outfit goes through New York’s Underworld hunting down and killing criminals, he’s even got some help from an associate in a series of safe houses. It’s not Frank Castle doing all this, it’s a newcomer called Joe Garrison, another former black-ops soldier with a tragic backstory. You may be seeing the pattern already.

Where this new Punisher excels is by putting a target on the back of its title character immediately. Not only does Joe a.k.a. New Punisher have the police in hot pursuit investigating his life, but the very villains that put him in this position are well aware that he’s coming as reports of a fresh Punisher sighting begin to circulate. It’s the kind of spark in Punisher storytelling that Frank Castle’s stories often lacked, even when they were included he seemed to not take it seriously. (How many times did The Avengers confront him? Use both hands if you need to) Pepose injects some energy into this story that feels fresh, but sadly it’s about the only new thing that is working on its favor. 

Dave Wachter’s artwork, featuring colors by Dan Brown, is a high mark for the entirety of Punisher #1. Wachter is able to not only infuse style into the dual narrative that is unfolding in the series, Joe Garrison’s own story (and flashbacks) and the police that are in pursuit of him, but brings specific grittiness to the overall look; and that’s not gritty in the noir sense, that’s gritty by the tactile definition. There’s a quality of texture within the images that Wachter brings to the series which make every location and person feel unique and lived in. Though the narrative itself does feel derivative of Punisher tales previously told, Dave Wachter’s pencils and inks make this worth checking out. 

Marvel Comics has never outright said why the decision was made to do what they did with Frank Castle. Longtime writer Jason Aaron spoke at length about the story being something he was really passionate about and interested in given his history with writing the character. Considering the larger real-life implications of The Punisher character his forced retirement from the pages of their books seemed like a decree from on high, something beyond storytelling implications. Even if that was the case however, Marvel Comics can’t not publish Punisher stories, which is where this new series finds itself. It’s not really Frank Castle, he’s not really wearing The Punisher’s trademark skull, and he’s not really indiscriminately killing every ne’er-do-well that he comes across. Except he is a guy using guns for wanton violence on an escalating crusade of vengeance. The second verse is the same as the first.

Suffice to say, fans of classic Punisher stories will find something to like about this. The story is well told and largely fits the mold of what readers expect from a comic that carries this specific title. A few edits here and there could totally change this from being The Punisher, starring Joe Garrison, to The Punisher, starring Frank Castle, and it might be one you’ve probably already read. Which is largely the biggest issue with the new Punisher #1. There’s nothing yet revealed that makes this feel unique on the whole, no specific take on the idea of a gun-toting, revenge seeking maniac in a world with superheroes and super villains, but the potential seems like it could be there… eventually. Right now though, it’s kind of just what you expect from The Punisher, just starring another guy, which feels like not enough.

Published by Marvel Comics

On November 8, 2023

Written by David Pepose

Art by Dave Wachter

Colors by Dan Brown

Letters by Cory Petit

Cover by Rod Reis