REVIEW: ‘Punisher,’ Issue #2

Punisher #2 is published by Marvel Comics, written by David Pepose, art by Dave Wachter, colors by Dave Brown, and letters by Cory Petit. The Punisher has a whole team of supervillains sent after him, giving the ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent a real test.

The plot is brilliant, superbly setting up an action-packed issue. The plot puts the hero and the main villain in the same place, setting a target. The exposition is fantastic, executed swiftly, and provides more time for the fight. The guest stars are a collection of deep cuts, using the name The Night Shift. It pits Garrison against actual supervillains, powerful and varied. Pepose has elevated the series by changing it up. It’s not just gunplay against gangsters and criminals. Nearly every person this Punisher has gone up against has had abilities. There are several pages dedicated to each fight, and each one is a unique set of circumstances and will require its solution. The pace is perfect and relentless, making each battle harder on the less experienced soldier. There are constant surprises, especially in the last scene. The exposition returns for the final part, setting Joe back on the path of revenge and discovery. The revelation changes everything and sends him in a new direction.

This issue isn’t for character development, but the dialogue and the narration are still excellent. The four villains may be gruff and similar, but there are differences in how they speak. Because The Punisher is not much of a talker, Pepose resorts to either narration or Triple-A, his tech support for the dialogue. This provides concise biographies of the villains he faces. It’s not too much to bog down the script or slow the action, but it’s precisely what you need to know. What becomes evident as the fights get tougher is the man’s resilience. He never stops walking, always moving forward. It’s fun to see him gather information on his opponent and figure out their weaknesses on the fly. Then, by the end of the issue, there is a glimmer of emotion as his world is torn apart, showing that there was a family man within that soldier.

The art is phenomenal. Supervillains may have entered, but the art is still visceral and grungey. Two of the criminals that attack Punisher are disturbing, with one covered in malformed flesh and another made out of unnatural material, like Clayface. The details are remarkable, drawing out rough and unpleasant facial expressions as the fights intensify. The choreography of each shown is fantastic. There are glimmers of extreme violence, but Punisher #2 is still not as brutal as previous Punisher comics. But that has been replaced with more interesting match-ups. Every few pages brought something different: gadgets and technology against extreme martial arts, speed, and various superpowers. The location isn’t too exciting, but it did contain some props that can be used in the fight.

The colors are dark and gloomy, giving any bright lights more power. They can either come from blue shades, which are in the lights on Punisher’s armor, or from the weapons of one of the characters. But there is also the orange that stems from firepower and flames. In the last scene, the lighting changes to bathe the room in red and purple, adding more danger and weight to the page.

Punisher #2 has endless amounts of adrenaline. Once the action starts, there’s no telling when it will stop. There is a terrific plot unfolding, filled with betrayal and hidden history, but in the middle is one of the best action comics of the year. The constant movement within one building, traveling in elevator shafts and individual levels, gives the book the same enclosed feeling that The Raid and other action movies possess. Arguably, the challenges Garrison has faced so far have been even tougher than Frank Castle’s first villains, and he has been impressive. Garrison’s story is interesting and powerful enough for him to stand up in his own right, not just in the shadow of Castle.

Punisher #2 is available now wherever comics are sold.