Punisher

Punisher 1-7, 13-27

What a mixed bag of quality in these two trades (which I got cheap at a used bookstore!).  Best to go through them arc by arc.  In all cases (but one), 

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

1-5: The Russian returns.  His severed head from the previous arc has been attached to the body of a massive female.  Riiight.  The high rating is mostly for the LOL “team-up” with Spider-Man in issue 2.

The repetition and the sound effects crack me up.

Rating: Good

6: Frank mercy kills a former squad mate who’s gone on a murder spree.

13-14: Frank rescues a mobster being held hostage in South America.

15: Frank takes a blackmailing investigative reporter on a ride along.  Things end predictably poorly for the reporter.  

23: Something involving a giant squid.  

27: Elektra messes around with Frank because she’s bored.  He asks her out on a date, which is pretty hilarious.

Rating: Nice

7: A silent issue.  Meh.

Rating: Fine

16-17: Punisher “teams up” with Wolverine.  Ennis basically writes Logan like the Marvel version of his Lobo, an over-the-top, hyper-aggressive testosterone machine who’s the butt of all the jokes.  

Logan : Snikt :: Lobo : Frag

You don't want to know what I thought when I saw this.

Heh.

Rating: Nice

18: Another Garth Ennis take on the mess in Ireland.  I get why he keeps returning to this topic, but I rarely find it to be an interesting read.

Rating: Didn’t suck

19: Frank unexpectedly crosses path with Joan from volume 5.  This is an excellent issue that had me smiling for many reasons.  Frank and Joan have an unlikely rapport that I absolutely love.  Joan is an unlikely source of strength, and her growth as a character comes to a satisfying climax here.  

Heh.

Love the mutual respect.

Don't fuck with Frankie.

Rating: Pure joy

20-22: Frank comes across two cops with issues.  A nice little story with some clever twists before a rote ending.

Rating: Pretty good

24-26: One of the worst things I’ve ever read.  Dead homeless people in a mass grave in the tunnels underneath the city with a guy voluntarily buried underneath it…it’s so, so, so, bad.  It doesn’t read like anything Ennis would write.  Tom Mandrake’s grotesque art contributes to the ugliness.  

Regret buying: Yes

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Hated