\u00a0Welcome to Longbox Junk, the blog absolutely STUFFED with comic reviews nobody asked me to write!<\/p>\n
Here we are at the second batch of issues to be reviewed as part of my dive into the Punisher series that doesn’t really get talked about much, War Zone.\u00a0 With Chuck Dixon keeping a steady hand on the wheel and John Romita Jr. providing some very nice art, War Zone has been pretty good so far.<\/p>\n
That said. . .<\/p>\n
The last two issues of the previous entry in this series review were without Romita Jr.’s art (or Klaus Janson’s inks) and the difference was definitely notable, especially in issue #10.\u00a0 Issue #11 will be Chuck Dixon’s last regular issue for now (He’ll show back up later on, with issues #26 – 37).\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0After Dixon leaves, we’re going to be cycling through not one. . .not two. . .but THREE different creative teams in the 9 other issues of this batch (Not counting the three different ADDITIONAL teams in the anthology-style annual).\u00a0 That’s a LOT of chefs cooking this stew.<\/p>\n
How will War Zone fare without any of the original creative team on deck?\u00a0 Let’s find out!<\/p>\n
PUNISHER: WAR ZONE<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n -PART TWO-<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Issues 11 – 20 + Annual 1<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Marvel (1993)<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n ISSUE ELEVEN<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n In a Deadly Place<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n COVER: Mike Manley<\/b><\/p>\n THE COVER:<\/b><\/p>\n It’s. . .okay.\u00a0 Manley tries, but he’s not peak 90s Romita Jr.<\/p>\n THE STORY:<\/b><\/p>\n SCRIPT:\u00a0 Chuck Dixon<\/b><\/p>\n PENCILS: Mike Harris<\/b><\/p>\n INKS: Mike Harris, Mike Manley, Joe Browzoski<\/b><\/p>\n We begin our story continuing directly from last issue with Punisher kidnapping Rosalie Carbone.\u00a0 While he drives her to a safe house hideaway in the Pennsylvania forest, we follow Micro as he desperately tries to track down Punisher.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, at the Carbone compound, what’s left of the Carbone Family’s mob soldiers have learned that Rosalie has been kidnapped through a phone call giving them directions where to drop off the ransom.\u00a0 The remaining four hired assassins overhear the negotiations and they head out with the Carbone enforcers to rescue Rosalie. . .<\/p>\n At the Pennsylvania safe house, Punisher waits the night for the Carbone enforcers to arrive, then sets a trap with Rosalie as the bait.\u00a0 The Claymores take down most of her men, but a few survive, as do all four of the hired assassins, who are smarter than to fall for a simple trap.<\/p>\n A running gun battle ensues, with Punisher taking down the rest of Rosalie’s men, but finding the assassins to to tougher opponents.\u00a0 To his surprise, someone unknown is helping Punisher with sniper shots from a distance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Between Punisher and his mysterious helper, they take down two of the assassins.\u00a0 As the other two hired killers confront Punisher, one betrays and kills the other so that they don’t have to split the bounty.\u00a0 The final assassin has Frank dead to rights, but the mystery sniper distracts him long enough for Frank to take the hitman down.<\/p>\n After the smoke clears, the sniper reveals himself to Punisher.\u00a0 It’s Micro.\u00a0 He explains to Frank that he WAS going to leave for good, but for some reason fate has thrown the two of them together and that’s where he belongs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Punisher and Micro make their exit from the forest.\u00a0 Before the story ends, we see that Rosalie Carbone has also survived. . .and she does NOT look happy about what’s happened.<\/p>\n THE REVIEW:<\/p>\n And that’s it for the second War Zone story arc!\u00a0 Overall, it’s been a pretty good story.\u00a0 Not quite as good as the first arc, but still a fast-paced action-packed read.\u00a0 I like that Dixon gave Punisher an enemy that’s actually lasted more than one story who isn’t named Jigsaw (I’m not even sure if Jigsaw even shows up in War Zone).<\/p>\n Unfortunately, this is the last we see of Rosalie Carbone in War Zone.\u00a0 She shows up for a story arc in Punisher: War Journal, and has a few scattered appearances in future Punisher volumes.\u00a0 She also shows up in the live action Marvel Netflix “Universe” as a minor villain in a few Luke Cage and Daredevil episodes.\u00a0 Other than that, all the setup Chuck Dixon did for Rosalie here in War Zone was sort of wasted.\u00a0 A bit of a shame.\u00a0 She’s an interesting character.<\/p>\n But while she lasted, the story was pretty good.\u00a0 And now Chuck Dixon makes his exit for a while, meaning War Zone is ready to fly without any of the original creative team.\u00a0 Let’s see what happens next!<\/p>\n ISSUE TWELVE<\/span><\/p>\n Psychoville U.S.A. Part One: Family Ties<\/span><\/p>\n COVER: Mike McKone<\/p>\n THE COVER:<\/b><\/p>\n I like Mike McKone’s super-clean art style.\u00a0 I think he might be a bit underrated when it comes to 90s artists.\u00a0 This cover probably isn’t the best example of his work, but it definitely lets you know something new and maybe a little weird is going to be happening in War Zone.\u00a0 Let’s get inside!<\/p>\n THE STORY:<\/b><\/p>\n SCRIPT:\u00a0 Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning<\/b><\/p>\n PENCILS: Mike McKone<\/b><\/p>\n INKS: Mark McKenna & Mick Gray<\/b><\/p>\n We begin with Punisher chasing down a man called Da Rosa. The running gun battle through crowded city streets ends with both Da Rosa and Punisher being attacked by what SEEM to be innocent bystanders.\u00a0 Taken by surprise, Punisher goes down for the count!<\/p>\n Frank Castle wakes up from his violent nightmare, safe in bed with his wife, son and daughter noisily beginning another day getting ready for work and school.\u00a0 After a family breakfast, Frank heads into his job at the local lumber mill with his best friend, Norm.\u00a0 Frank feels a bit strange and disoriented, but he chalks it up to a bad night’s sleep.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n At the mill, the daily routine is interrupted by an employee named Vincent Rose who turns violent and starts attacking nearby workers, shouting strange things about how he needs to escape from something.\u00a0 Frank surprises himself and everybody else by easily taking down Vincent with expert fighting moves he didn’t even realize he knew.<\/p>\n Later that night, while Frank breaks up a fight between his neighbors, George and Alice, we see Frank’s friend Norm calling someone on a sophisticated hidden communication device, giving a report on Frank and requesting a team be sent.\u00a0 DUN-DUN-DUNNNNNN!!<\/p>\n To be continued. . .<\/p>\n THE REVIEW:<\/b><\/p>\n And now for something COMPLETELY different!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The “Person finds themself in a town that isn’t what it seems” story path is a pretty well-worn one.\u00a0 There’s good examples in just about every form of media, from “The Truman Show” in theaters, to the novel and T.V. adaptation of “Wayward Pines”, to Fallout 3’s “Tranquility Lane” side mission, and even Marvel’s more recent Avengers “Standoff” comic storyline and Disney Channel show “Wandavision”.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n But even though it’s a fairly common storyline and you just KNOW it will eventually break down and not end well for whoever is controlling things behind the scenes, it’s an interesting scenario to drop a character like Punisher into.<\/p>\n McKone’s clean and realistic art style fits the weirdly mundane vibe of the story quite well. A more stylized artist like Romita Jr. Probably couldn’t make it work as well.\u00a0 So far so good on this story.\u00a0 Let’s see where it goes next!<\/p>\n ISSUE THIRTEEN<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Psychoville U.S.A. Part Two: Happy Days<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n COVER: Mike McKone<\/b><\/p>\n THE COVER:<\/b><\/p>\n This is definitely NOT the kind of cover I’d expect on a Punisher comic.\u00a0 I like it, but don’t like it at the same time.\u00a0 I feel conflicted.\u00a0 Let’s just read the comic now!<\/p>\n THE STORY:<\/b><\/p>\n SCRIPT:\u00a0 Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning<\/b><\/p>\n PENCILS: Mike McKone<\/b><\/p>\n INKS: Mark McKenna<\/b><\/p>\n Continuing from last issue, when Frank intervenes in a fight between his neighbors, George and Alice, Alice attacks him and Frank’s friend, Norm, calls for backup.\u00a0 A large group of masked men arrive on the scene and overpower both Frank and Alice.<\/p>\n Frank wakes up in bed, with the events of the previous night seeming like just a bad dream.\u00a0 He goes to the police station, where he’s informed that there wasn’t any trouble last night and George and Alice have been on vacation in Europe for weeks.<\/p>\n We shift scenes to a mysterious control room, where Frank and everyone else in the town of Chicane are under surveillance.\u00a0 We’re introduced to Shane and Sheamur, two men who are in charge of an unnamed project having to do with mental reconditioning.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n We learn that Frank wasn’t the intended target, they were actually after Da Rosa and\u00a0 they took Frank when the opportunity presented itself.\u00a0 They plan on using Frank for some sort of big assignment involving a public figure at a political rally.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Sheamur isn’t convinced Frank is the right guy for the job.\u00a0 He’s becoming a problem, resisting the programming.\u00a0 Shane disagrees.\u00a0 He believes Castle is the PERFECT man for the job.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, we follow Frank as he returns to his “normal” life.\u00a0 Going to work at the mill, hanging around with his friend Norm, dealing with the petty problems at home.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n But outside of town we see that someone else has Frank under surveillance.\u00a0 It’s Micro.\u00a0 He’s managed to track down Punisher after he disappeared, but has no idea what’s going on.<\/p>\n To be continued. . .<\/p>\n THE REVIEW:<\/b><\/p>\n So now the curtain is pulled back a bit.\u00a0 Frank is being “reprogrammed” as part of a secret mind control project to turn people into assassins.\u00a0 But they don’t realize that digging around in the head of The Punisher probably isn’t going to end well.<\/p>\n This issue is mainly setup, but it’s a pretty good read.\u00a0 McKone’s sharp, realistic artwork is actually pretty perfect for a story in a more mundane setting.\u00a0 I don’t think Romita Jr.’s more stylized art could have pulled off the sense of the ordinary this story requires.<\/p>\n NEXT!<\/p>\n ISSUE FOURTEEN<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Psychoville U.S.A. Part Three:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>My Two Dads<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n COVER: Mike McKone<\/p>\n THE COVER:<\/b><\/p>\n A nice homage to the infamous backyard photo of Lee Harvey Oswald.\u00a0 It’s actually pretty cool and fits the weird story being told very well.\u00a0 Is it a great PUNISHER cover?\u00a0 Not really, but it’s still pretty good, for what it is.<\/p>\n THE STORY:<\/b><\/p>\n SCRIPT:\u00a0 Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning<\/b><\/p>\n PENCILS: Mike McKone<\/b><\/p>\n INKS: Mark McKenna & Mick Gray<\/b><\/p>\n Frank Castle is having horrific nightmares and constantly thinking of the phrase “Ten after Twelve” and Portland, Oregon.\u00a0 He’s trying to hold it together for his family, but he’s starting to crack.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In the meantime, we follow Micro as he tries to make sense of what’s happening.\u00a0 Punisher disappeared a month ago, and Micro has been following the few clues left behind to a town that shouldn’t exist.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n As he observes Frank going about his daily life, Micro is confronted and attacked by armed men.\u00a0 He manages to fight his way out of the trap, but is now more determined than ever to find out what’s going on.<\/p>\n While Micro continues his investigation, Frank is trying to keep it together.\u00a0 He spends time with his family just doing ordinary things, and that seems to help tamp down the horrifying visions he keeps having, but when he has a panic attack and collapses when a kid points a toy gun at him, his family becomes concerned.<\/p>\n Micro follows the data trail he’s been building and discovers details about a secret government project, started in Vietnam and cancelled when Congress balked at funding a program to turn normal people into assassins.\u00a0 A project let by one Erwin Shane, who vanished after the cancellation of the secret project.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Micro also discovers that Frank’s “wife” is actually a psychopathic serial killer!\u00a0 Micro decides the time to move is now, before it’s too late.\u00a0 He quickly begins to plan Frank’s rescue.<\/p>\n In the meantime, Frank’s mental distress increases, with visions coming rapidly and intensifying.<\/p>\n To be continued. . .<\/p>\n THE REVIEW:<\/b><\/p>\n Another issue of mostly setup for things to come, but the slow burn building up makes it a pretty good read.\u00a0 Once again, McKone’s sharp and realistic art style lends the story a feeling of the ordinary that’s needed for something like this.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n I also like that Micro actually seems to be the hero of this story, after being absent for most of the series.\u00a0 It’s nice when supporting characters get their chance to shine.<\/p>\n NEXT!<\/p>\n ISSUE FIFTEEN<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Psychoville U.S.A. Part Four:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Father Knows Best<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n COVER: Mike McKone<\/p>\n THE COVER:<\/b><\/p>\n Punisher’s mouth is a little weird here, but other than that, this is a really cool character portrait cover.\u00a0 I like the almost black and white color scheme with the super dark shadows quite a lot.<\/p>\n THE STORY:<\/b><\/p>\n SCRIPT:\u00a0 Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning<\/b><\/p>\n PENCILS: Mike McKone<\/b><\/p>\n INKS: Mark McKenna & Mick Gray<\/b><\/p>\n Frank’s best friend Norm visits, but it’s not a friendly visit.\u00a0 Frank’s assignment is going live the next day and Norm is there to finish preparing their newest assassin.\u00a0 Unfortunately for Norm, when he hands Frank a gun, it all comes back.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The ambush, the drugs, Doctor Shane, the fake life he’s been living.\u00a0 The gun brings it all crashing into Frank’s mind.\u00a0 He kills Norm.\u00a0 In the control room, Shane realizes Frank has broken through the conditioning and he sends a kill team to take down the Punisher.<\/p>\n As Castle brutally fights his way through the kill team, Shane and Sheamur start getting reports of other subjects breaking through their conditioning because of the gunfire and explosions.\u00a0 Violence begins breaking out across the entire town.<\/p>\n Sheamur takes over the operation from Doctor Shane, deciding it’s time to take back control before the whole project goes up in flames.\u00a0 All security hands on deck for a complete sweep of the town, and any subjects who don’t comply gets shot dead.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In the meantime, Frank is blasting his way through town, when suddenly he realizes that he’s no longer just fighting the project’s security forces, but the rest of the townfolk are starting to attack him too!<\/p>\n To be concluded!<\/p>\n THE REVIEW:<\/b><\/p>\n The story switches from slow burn build to full-on Punisher action mode as Frank finally breaks through the secret project’s attempted brainwashing.\u00a0 Like the first two story arcs, I sort of liked the buildup better than the violent payoff.\u00a0 But like I ALSO said about the previous story arcs. . .this is a Punisher comic.\u00a0 There’s going to eventually be some Punishing.\u00a0 And this is where it starts.<\/p>\n Let’s finish this story up!<\/p>\n ISSUE SIXTEEN<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Psychoville U.S.A. Part Five:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Empty Nest\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n COVER: Mike McKone<\/b><\/div>\n THE COVER:<\/b><\/p>\n Now HERE’S a cool Punisher cover! A very nice character portrait.\u00a0 I really like the colors on this one.\u00a0 The red makes everything pop.\u00a0 Let’s get into the last issue of this story!<\/p>\n THE STORY:<\/b><\/p>\n SCRIPT:\u00a0 Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning<\/b><\/p>\n PENCILS: Mike McKone<\/b><\/p>\n INKS: Mark McKenna & Mick Gray<\/b><\/p>\n Chaos engulfs the town!\u00a0 Punisher is blasting his way through security forces, while trying not to harm “innocent” civilians, without realizing that they are killers and criminals themselves.<\/p>\n Sheamus takes direct control over the security forces while Doctor Shane gathers his files and data, preparing to evacuate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Micro shows up in the battle van and grabs Frank off the street.\u00a0 As they make their way through the chaos, Micro tells Punisher all the information he’s discovered. . .including that his “wife” and “kids” are all psychopathic killers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Micro has triangulated communication activity and pinpointed where the secret project’s headquarters are at.\u00a0 Frank suits up.\u00a0 It’s time to punish.\u00a0 Not long after, as Doctor Shane desperately prepares to evacuate, gunfire erupts in the hidden laboratory.\u00a0 Punisher is there!<\/p>\n When Punisher confronts Shane, the scientist tries to bring Frank back under control by using his “wife” and “children” to bring him down.\u00a0 It succeeds for a short while, but Frank snaps back to reality when his “daughter” kills Doctor Shane.<\/p>\n The security forces in the lab start shooting at anything that moves, killing Frank’s “family” and sending him into a rage!\u00a0 He kills everyone.\u00a0 Micro comes and gets Frank out.\u00a0 He’s intercepted communication that the entire town is about to be erased!<\/p>\n As Micro and Punisher make their escape, armed helicopters swarm the town, blasting it with rockets.\u00a0 We see that Sheamus has also escaped the carnage, and he has the project’s data with him.\u00a0 He intends to continue the experiments elsewhere.<\/p>\n Micro tries to talk to Frank as they leave the area, but after seeing another “family” killed in front of him, The Punisher isn’t exactly in a chatty mood.<\/p>\n The End.<\/p>\n THE REVIEW:<\/b><\/p>\n An explosive conclusion to a strange little Punisher tale!\u00a0 Although the ending was a bit predictable (There’s GOING to be Punishing.\u00a0 That much was guaranteed), I enjoyed the Punisher being dropped into the “Wakes up in a strange town where things aren’t what they seem” trope.<\/p>\n Once again, the writer sets up what COULD have been an interesting recurring villain in Sheamus, but we never hear from him again.\u00a0 I begin to wonder if this will be an ongoing theme, where things are set up and then completely ignored later.\u00a0 Seems a bit of a waste.<\/p>\n Other than the waste of a perfectly good villain, I found this to be an enjoyable change of pace from the typical Punisher story (well, until the violent end of things, of course).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n So far, we’re 16 issues in and the series is still doing okay.\u00a0 I’ve seen other series go completely off the rails in half the number of issues.\u00a0 How much longer can War Zone stay on the tracks?\u00a0 We’re gonna find out, but FIRST, let’s take a breather before the next story starts up and check out the Annual!<\/p>\n ANNUAL 1<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n July, 1993<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n COVER: Michael Golden<\/p>\n THE COVER:<\/b><\/p>\n There are those who will say Michael Golden can do no wrong.\u00a0 I’m not one of those people, and I point to this cover as Exhibit A in my defense.\u00a0 Please don’t hurt me. Normally I like Golden’s work, but this isn’t the best example of his art.\u00a0<\/p>\n THE STORIES:<\/b><\/p>\n $2.95 was a pretty steep price tag in 1993, but this IS a pretty thick and hefty comic book, with three full stories and a handful of pinups inside. Let’s see if thing is worth three bucks!<\/p>\n Bulletproof<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n SCRIPT: Chuck Dixon<\/b><\/p>\n PENCILS: John Buscema<\/b><\/p>\n INKS: John Buscema<\/b><\/p>\n Between missions, Punisher begins looking for new leads.\u00a0 He notices a strange influx of out-of-town operators. . .Yakuza, Russian Mafia, etc. . . He decides it’s worth looking into.<\/p>\n In the meantime, we see a high-tech suit of armor being tested.\u00a0 It shrugs off everything up to .50 caliber rounds, but even that just knocks the man in the suit down and doesn’t actually penetrate the armor.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n We meet the man in the armor, Mather Cord, inventor.\u00a0 His financial investor, Blanchard, is very happy with the test results of the Phalanx armor.\u00a0 The two of them discuss the great potential the armor has for law enforcement, fire, rescue, and the like.\u00a0 Blanchard informs Cord that there are some possible buyers who will be coming to see a demonstration of the suit’s abilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n Punisher begins his investigation by enlisting his inside mob contact, Micky Fondozzi (remember him from the first story arc?) and Micro to start following leads.\u00a0 Everything leads to some sort of high-priced secret auction taking place shortly in Atlantic City that’s led to a temporary truce among the various criminal and terrorist organizations that have shown up in New York City.\u00a0 Something called Phalanx is the prize ticket of the underground auction.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Cord discovers that one of the potential buyers he and Blanchard had shown the Phalanx Armor to is actually a dangerous South American drug lord!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n As Punisher stakes out the location of the underground auction, Cord confronts Blanchard, who confesses that he never had the intention to sell Phalanx to law enforcement or fire departments.\u00a0 ALL of the potential buyers are heads of criminal or terrorist organizations.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cord refuses to take part in the demonstration, but Blanchard changes his mind by threatening Cord’s family.<\/p>\n As the demonstration of the Phalanx Armor gets underway, Cord grabs a gun and kills Blanchard!\u00a0 As the gathered criminals try to figure out what’s going on, Punisher takes advantage of the distraction and attacks!<\/p>\n Mayhem ensues as the criminals and terrorists turn on each other, Cord is blasting away at them, and the Punisher adds to the carnage of a target-rich environment.<\/p>\n As the fighting wanes, Punisher confronts Cord and demands he gives up the suit.\u00a0 Cord refuses, saying that he doesn’t want the Punisher to have the Phalanx Armor any more than he wants criminals or terrorists getting their hands on it. . .plus, the suit is a custom fit unique item, calibrated only for Cord.\u00a0 Nobody else can use it.<\/p>\n Punisher realizes that Cord has earned himself a death sentence with his actions.\u00a0 There was going to be criminals and terrorists gunning for the scientists.\u00a0 He lets Cord leave with the Phalanx Armor.<\/p>\n In the end, we see Cord telling his wife she’ll never see him again, and him leaving the city with the Phalanx Armor, heading for parts unknown.\u00a0 A new life alone and on the run.<\/p>\n The End.<\/p>\n THE REVIEW:<\/b><\/p>\n THAT was a long story for one of three!\u00a0 40 pages!\u00a0 It would have been at least two issues’ worth of story in the regular series.\u00a0 This annual ain’t messing around.\u00a0 Even better, Chuck Dixon is back as writer for this one, giving us some more of the dark and gritty writing we got in the first two story arcs of the series.<\/p>\n And on art, there’s the one guy who could give Punisher the same heft and darkness as John Romita Jr., none other than the late, great comic legend John Buscema!\u00a0 To be fair, it’s not Buscema’s BEST work, but it’s definitely a treat to see a legend working on a random Punisher story.\u00a0 I mean. . .just LOOK at this splash page!<\/p>\n \u00a0The story itself is basically a back door origin story for a new Marvel hero. . .Phalanx.\u00a0 But he didn’t seem to catch on.\u00a0 He has a handful of appearances in the mainline Punisher series, but vanishes pretty quickly after that.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Overall, even though I don’t really like Punisher mixing in with costumed superheroes much, this was a pretty great story!\u00a0 Between Dixon’s gritty writing and Buscema’s artwork, THIS is the kind of Punisher story I want to see more of (And we do.\u00a0 Dixon and Buscema team up for a story arc later on in this series).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n A great start to this overstuffed Annual so far.\u00a0 Let’s see what else is in here!<\/p>\n Unfinished Business<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n SCRIPT: Steven Grant<\/b><\/p>\n PENCILS: Bill Marimon<\/b><\/p>\n INKS: Matt Banning<\/b><\/p>\n We watch two mob goons named Sammy and Bobo as they nab a higher-ranking enforcer and execute him. . .unaware that they are being followed.\u00a0<\/p>\n When they finally realize that someone is on their tail, they desperately attempt to evade their pursuer.\u00a0 As they engage in a lengthy chase through the city, it’s revealed (to us) that they are being followed by none other than the Punisher.<\/p>\n The chase ends in a graveyard.\u00a0 Punisher stalks the goon that made it out of their wrecked car.\u00a0 Seeing the skull shirt, the goon finally realizes who it is.\u00a0 Punisher lets him beg for his life, but none of that matters now.\u00a0 He ends the goon and we see that Punisher has chosen the graveyard where his wife and children are buried to do the deed.\u00a0 The hunt goes on.<\/p>\n The End.<\/p>\n THE REVIEW:<\/b><\/p>\n A pretty cool little story.\u00a0 Not nearly as long and involved as the first offering, more of a quick read focused almost entirely on Punisher chasing down the two goons.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n We learn in the story that one of them was the lookout man on the day Frank Castle’s wife and kids were gunned down.\u00a0 So what we have here is a sort of “Year One” Punisher story, where he’s still hunting down every single person involved with his family’s tragedy. . .no matter HOW small a part they played.<\/p>\n It’s interesting that Punisher here is more like a relentless figure stalking his victims in a horror movie than a fully-fledged character.\u00a0 The pain is still raw and Castle is almost robotic in his actions.\u00a0 Overall this was a nice little peek into the early days of Punisher’s vigilante career.<\/p>\n NEXT!<\/p>\n Professionals\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n SCRIPT: George Caragonne<\/b><\/p>\n PENCILS: Louis Williams<\/b><\/p>\n INKS: Joe Rubenstein<\/b><\/p>\n We meet a high-priced “escort” named Tracy.\u00a0 Her “talents” have gotten her close to many upper-level society figures, including those of the criminal sort.\u00a0 We learn that one of her customers is actually the Punisher, who she only knows as Frank.\u00a0 But the only thing he ever pays for is information.\u00a0 Tracy has fallen for the mysterious and untouchable man and wants more.<\/p>\n Tracy decides to learn more about Frank.\u00a0 After giving him a tip about a mobster named Giacomo being back in town, she follows Frank to the mobster’s compound.\u00a0 To her horror, she sees Frank in his skull suit blasting his way through the compound and realizes she’s been dealing with The Punisher!<\/p>\n Punisher realizes he’s being watched and confronts Tracy.\u00a0 She’s afraid that Frank is going to kill her, but instead he gives her a bag of money and tells her to get out of town and not come back or he’ll come for her.\u00a0 They both understand that they’ve let someone get too close.\u00a0 They’re professionals.\u00a0 That can’t happen.<\/p>\n The End.<\/p>\n THE REVIEW:<\/b><\/p>\n This was the weakest story of the three.\u00a0 It’s a mildly interesting look at what happens when you get too close to The Punisher, but other than that, it’s just sort of. . .there.\u00a0 It’s not bad.\u00a0 It’s not good.\u00a0 It’s just kind of sitting there being a bit forgettable.<\/p>\n It doesn’t help that the art is pretty disappointing.\u00a0 If you look up at the first page I scanned, Tracy’s face is a good example of what I’m talking about.\u00a0 The art in this story is just sort of bad.\u00a0<\/p>\n AND THERE WE HAVE IT!<\/p>\n I wondered at the beginning of my look at this issue if the steep cost of admission, $2.95 in 1993 dollars was worth it.\u00a0 I’d say yes.\u00a0 \u00a0Admittedly, it has mostly to do with the stellar FORTY PAGE opener by Dixon and Buscema, but overall I really liked the whole thing, even the final story, despite having some pretty disappointing art.<\/p>\n And now back to the regular series!<\/p>\n BUT WAIT!<\/p>\n Before we go, I forgot to mention that there are ALSO some really cool pinups in this annual.\u00a0 My favorite isn’t the BEST art of the bunch, but it’s a weird look at what MIGHT have happened if Marvel had given Punisher the same unfortunate 90s armor makeover that a lot of other characters got at the time.\u00a0 Check it out!<\/p>\n Pinup by Charles Wojtkiewicz<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Now THAT’S the 90s, son.\u00a0 Let’s get back into the series itself now.\u00a0<\/p>\n ISSUE SEVENTEEN<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n The Jericho Syndrome<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n COVER: Michael Golden<\/p>\n THE COVER:<\/p>\n This Michael Golden cover is quite a bit better than the one on the Annual, but it’s not even close to Golden’s best work.\u00a0 It’s not BAD.\u00a0 It’s actually a pretty cool action shot, but Punisher’s face just looks weird.\u00a0 Maybe Golden was going through some sort of a new style phase in 1993.\u00a0 Maybe a Jim Lee thing?\u00a0 It looks sort of like a Jim Lee thing.<\/p>\n THE STORY:<\/p>\n SCRIPT:\u00a0 Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning<\/b><\/p>\n PENCILS:\u00a0 Hugh Haynes<\/b><\/p>\n INKS: Rodney Ramos<\/b><\/p>\n These entries are getting a bit lengthy, and I’m taking way too long getting these posts out, so I’m going to try and boil it down a little more.\u00a0 I just get a little enthusiastic when I’m literally the only person who’s ever done a review of something.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n ANYWAY. . .<\/p>\n Following a major disaster where a dam collapses and thousands of innocent civilians are killed, Punisher and Micro team up with Jack Oonuk, a Canadian mercenary corporate “troubleshooter” who lost his partner in the dam collapse.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The person behind the dam collapse is a mysterious figure known as “The Architect”.\u00a0 His scheme is to blackmail corporations behind large infrastructure projects like the dam.\u00a0 They either pay him a vast ransom or he destroys the structures and leaves the corporation to take the blame.<\/p>\n Now he has his sights set on a major suspension bridge.\u00a0 The corporation he’s blackmailing, Pan Allied, folds and agrees to pay the ransom, with their agent, Jack Oonuk, as the middleman.\u00a0 But neither Pan Allied or The Architect are aware that Oonuk is working with the Punisher.<\/p>\n After being briefed by Oonuk on the ransom drop, Punisher and Micro head to the bridge to set up an ambush on The Architect’s men. . .<\/p>\n To Be Continued. . .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n THE REVIEW:<\/b><\/p>\n Punisher enters the world of corporate espionage and eco-terror blackmail!\u00a0 It’s an interesting change of pace from his smaller-scale hunting of organized crime figures.\u00a0 I like that War Zone is trying to move Frank a bit outside his regular storylines.\u00a0 Not a bad beginning for this story, let’s see where it goes!<\/p>\n NEXT!<\/p>\n ISSUE EIGHTEEN<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n The Jericho Syndrome Part 2<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n COVER: Michael Golden<\/p>\n THE COVER:<\/p>\n Another weirdly “Jim Lee” version of Michael Golden art.\u00a0 I’m glad he didn’t stick with this style because I’m usually a Golden fan. . .but this ain’t cuttin’ it.<\/p>\n THE STORY:<\/p>\n SCRIPT:\u00a0 Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning<\/b><\/p>\n PENCILS:\u00a0 Hugh Haynes<\/b><\/p>\n INKS: Rodney Ramos<\/b><\/p>\n Punisher’s Ambush during the ransom drop at the Pan Allied Suspension Bridge goes bad when Frank is spotted before he can make his move.\u00a0 A gunfight breaks out and Oonuk is forced to fight for his life while the Architect’s men activate the “Jericho Contingency”, devices meant to shake the bridge apart!<\/p>\n Punisher and Oonuk quickly find and destroy the Jericho devices before the bridge is destroyed.\u00a0 While they do that, Micro manages to get a tracking device on the Architect’s men as they flee the scene.<\/p>\n Enraged by the interference during the blackmail drop at the bridge, The Architect decides to hit another Pan Allied target. . .a massive oil rig and refinery in Canada.\u00a0 The destruction would be one of the biggest environmental disasters in history.\u00a0<\/p>\n Micro’s tracker pays off.\u00a0 Punisher and Oonuk learn the location of Architect’s next attack, but not when it will occur. Oonuk is horrified to learn that his native Inuit people will be right in the path of the worst destruction!\u00a0 The two of them immediately head for Canada and infiltrate the offshore refinery as workers.<\/p>\n Days later, as Punisher and Oonuk separate to follow different leads on the rig, they both come under attack by Architect’s men, who are placing Jericho devices around the refinery!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n To Be Continued. . .<\/p>\n THE REVIEW:<\/b><\/p>\n A pretty good setup issue for what will probably be an action-packed finale to this story.\u00a0 Lots of action, a cool battle on the suspension bridge, and a bit of undercover work.\u00a0 The story is no masterpiece, but I’m really liking it so far.\u00a0 Let’s see how it ends!<\/p>\n NEXT!<\/p>\n ISSUE NINETEEN<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n The Jericho Syndrome Part 3<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n COVER: Michael Golden<\/p>\n <\/b><\/p>\n THE COVER:<\/p>\n Michael Golden still in his strange “Jim Lee” style. This is probably the best one he did for the series.\u00a0 But. . .is that supposed to be Wolverine hovering over Punisher?\u00a0 I’m glad Golden abandoned this style.<\/p>\n THE STORY:<\/p>\n SCRIPT:\u00a0 Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning<\/b><\/p>\n PENCILS:\u00a0 Hugh Haynes<\/b><\/p>\n INKS: Rodney Ramos<\/b><\/p>\n Punisher and Oonuk are both discovered by the Architect’s men during their investigation of the oil rig.\u00a0 As they separately fight for their lives, gunfire ignites the rig, setting it ablaze.\u00a0 Punisher manages to grab one of his attackers and find out their plan. . .not only are they going to blow up the rig, but the explosives are set to backflow down the pipeline and destroy the entire oil field!<\/p>\n And THEN Wolverine shows up!<\/p>\n It turns out that Wolverine owes Oonuk a favor from a time when they were both working for the Canadian government, and Oonuk had called Logan in earlier to cash in and get some mutant-style reinforcement for the mission.<\/p>\n Punisher and Wolverine separate to search for Oonuk and finish taking down Architect’s men before they finish placing the Jericho devices meant to destroy the rig and the oil field.\u00a0 Punisher manages to rendezvous with Oonuk, who has discovered the main device.<\/p>\n One problem. . .the flaming rig has made it all but impossible to get to the device.\u00a0 Punisher suits up in some hazard gear and heads in.\u00a0 \u00a0 Punisher gives it his all, but it’s just not enough.\u00a0 Luckily, Wolverine shows back up in the nick of time and the two of them manage to close the pipeline and neutralize the Jericho device!<\/p>\n With Architect’s men taken out, the Jericho devices neutralized, and the rest of the crew evacuated, Punisher, Oonuk, and Wolverine barely manage to make it off the flaming rig before a massive explosion.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n They’re pulled from the water later by a rescue chopper.\u00a0 The rig was lost, but environmental disaster was avoided.\u00a0 Punisher, Wolverine, and Oonuk will take that as a win.\u00a0 But there’s one problem. . .The Architect is still out there, somewhere.<\/p>\n The End.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n THE REVIEW:<\/b><\/p>\n And it’s CROSSOVER TIME!\u00a0 Truthfully, Wolverine’s appearance here feels pretty natural and I don’t mind it.\u00a0 I’m just surprised Marvel was able to resist a crossover for nineteen issues.\u00a0 It MIGHT be some sort of record for a 90s Marvel comic, now that I think of it.<\/p>\n Overall, this was a big, bombastic, action-packed finale to the story, and I liked it!\u00a0 You know, sometimes you just want some action.\u00a0 This issue delivers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n That said, there’s a problem.\u00a0 A couple of them.\u00a0 The Architect and Jack Oonuk.\u00a0 Once again in War Zone, a pretty cool villain is introduced, causes problems, and gets away at the end, never to be heard from again.\u00a0 Only this time, there’s ALSO a pretty cool supporting character that we never hear from again.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n It’s feeling a bit weird that the different creative teams keep on doing this.\u00a0 It seems a bit of a waste and it’s a little frustrating to see dangling plot threads hanging off of every single story.<\/p>\n That aside, this issue delivers a great action-packed ending to a pretty good story.\u00a0 It’s not a masterpiece, but does it need to be?\u00a0 Not everything needs to be a masterpiece.\u00a0 Sometimes you just want a little action and fun in a comic.\u00a0 This is one of those times.<\/p>\n Let’s finish this thing up!<\/p>\n ISSUE TWENTY<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Numbah One Boom Boom<\/span><\/p>\n COVER: Hoang Nguyen<\/p><\/div>\n THE COVER:<\/p>\n When it comes to comic art, there’s 90s good and there’s 90s bad. Sometimes the line between the two is a little thin, but this is definitely on the 90s bad side.\u00a0 I see the same artist is on the interiors.\u00a0 I’m a bit nervous about this one.\u00a0 Let’s get in there!<\/p>\n THE STORY:<\/p>\n SCRIPT:\u00a0 Larry Hama<\/b><\/p>\n PENCILS:\u00a0 Hoang Nguyen<\/b><\/p>\n INKS: Hoang Nguyen<\/b><\/p>\n We start off with a bang as Punisher takes down some mafia drug dealers.\u00a0 He gets information on where the Capo is hiding out from an unlucky chump, so he and Micro load up the Battle Van and head out to New Jersey to finish the job.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n On the way, Frank tells Micro about the weird Vietnam flashback he had after narrowly dodging a hand grenade during the fight. . .<\/p>\n FLASHBACK!!<\/p>\n During a secret mission in Cambodia, Frank Castle and his partner, Dennis (DX) Hanrahan are ambushed.\u00a0 They manage to make it out alive and even take three VC prisoners.\u00a0 DX keeps the prisoners in line with his signature move. . .wrapping explosive “det cord” around their necks.<\/p>\n When they run into a VC column and have to fight for their lives again, DX detonates the cord and kills the prisoners so they won’t cause trouble during the firefight.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n And then Frank and Micro arrive at the Capo’s hideout and Punisher doesn’t finish the story.\u00a0 He’s got other things to do. . .<\/p>\n Punisher loads up and heads in, but it looks like someone got there before they did.\u00a0 There’s dead goons everywhere.\u00a0 Micro sends in some recon drones to check the rest of the compound out.\u00a0 There are few goons left, but Frank takes them down easily.\u00a0 No sign of the Capo.<\/p><\/div>\n Finally, Micro finds an armored door with three live targets behind it.\u00a0 Punisher breaks in and finds the Capo, along with a couple of other mafia honchos tied up and terrified.\u00a0 There’s det cord wrapped around their necks. . .tied with a VERY familiar style!<\/p>\n But before Frank can ponder the meaning of it, the explosives go off, catching Punisher in the blast!<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgapi_o7kae7oc8lhSQ-0KDCUWOpSBKhHGzoZqO9CBrIooMsDKcKcZgxnJnUPbNnKKVCT95tHJ6BFQMKDE6nF2usv8hQyq-Cuiw-lbn-3Aib170ooXlQOaH4daYUxi1NveI-y9G2Pw_RD_nORMcvRD6i_3I1R6JJQy84uToJGMDEGLaqDiMMSeL5ll9F6E\/s620\/wz11cover.jpg\")
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