War of the Realms: Punisher (2019) #1
“After laying waste to nine of the Ten Realms, the Dark Elf King Malekith and his powerful allies have brought the War of the Realms to Midgard – the last realm standing!
Malekith opened a portal in New York – home of the Punisher. Now Frost Giants and Dark Elves roam the streets, and Frank has to face literal monsters to protect the city’s innocents.”
Published: April 17, 2019
- Writer:Gerry Duggan
- Penciler:Marcelo Ferreira
- Cover Artist:Juan Ferreyra
WOW! This issue is something else. It starts strong and ends strong. Frank hates all the baggage of superheroes, but there is no one that will stand in his way to save New York. The story starts immediately on the first few frames. We’re brought into a piano store in Manhattan. The owner is giving a music lesson and CRACCCKK the door is kicked in. Punisher. The dude starts freaking out about the weed he brought back from Colorado. “I’m here for piano wire,” Frank gruffly spits out. The shop owner gives it to him…on the house…as if he had a choice. Frank tells him to not go outside until the screaming stops. My lord.
Frank ties off the piano wire on a light post. As he crosses the street he drops a Dark Elf who was attacking an old lady with a head-shot. He finishes his other-realm beast trip wire contraption and waits as bait in the intersection. Dark Elfs and their War Dogs storm the road “FOR MALEKITH!” he yells as his head is removed from his body. Oops. Frank lets the rest know that he doesn’t know why they came, but they came to die and to stay out of New York. BRRAAPP BRAAPP. To quote a great linguist of our generation, “Gunshots rang out like a bell. I grabbed my nine all I heard were shells,
falling on the concrete real fast.”
The four Dark elves and War Dogs are no more. The ground cracks below Frank’s feet. Oh S*$%, Frost Giants. I quote “$%# off, giant.” Thanks Frank. He dives for cover and rolls two frag grenades underfoot of the Frost Giant. Kasyckla the Frost Giant did not appreciate that. Frank rolls under a car and cuts the fuel lines. Kasyckla grabs the car and Frank blows the car up in the face of the giant. Kasyckla grabs a car with a family in it. He throws them at Frank. He survives. The father is alive, but his wife and kid did not make it. Frank gets the father out and fireman carries him blocks to the nearest hospital.
At the hospital, the father lets Frank know he knows who he is. He wants vengeance for his family. The doctor tells Frank to take his buddy somewhere else, that they are evacuating down the Lincoln tunnel to New Jersey. Frank tells her that’s suicide. The hospital has no choice, no one is coming to save them.
A prison transport near by is caught in the mayhem. The bus is full of inmates. The driver takes an arrow to the forehead. A fire demon has come to feast on meat. But before she can have her treat, Frank loads a grenade launcher and puts a round down her throat. BOOOM. Frank approaches the bus and tasers the officers. Frank tells the transport that normally they’d all die and he’d go get a sandwich. Today they live, they fight, they defend New York. He said he needs a few bad men to protect good people and drops a bag of melee weapons on the floor. One guys yells RUSH HIM. Frank puts a round in his face. “I’m your warden now“.
Lincoln Tunnel
The doctor is directing the patients and staff into the tunnel. Dark Elves come out from inside. BRRAPPP. Three to the chest. Frank tells her to let them take point and to stay back 20 yards. He assures her that, The Punisher, cares about innocent lives.
OMG. Like Frank Castle is the man. This story is so well written. It throws you right in without missing a beat, but you don’t feel lost. Well done by the creative team. You felt Frank’s compassion and need to help, but in his own violent and murderous way.
8/10
Beta Ray Greg is the Comic Critic for SoBros Network, the ‘Fangtastic 5K 2018 Mr. Irrelevant.’ The man has the single most impressive spreadsheet in existence that is used to document his historic collection. He’s a big time Spider-Verse guy. Follow on Twitter: @BetaRayGreg.
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