Punisher

Punisher 19-30

Up is Down and Black is White: This where this run of Garth Ennis’ Punisher gets ridiculously good.  Nicky Cavella returns and somehow thinks the way to get to the Punisher is to dig up his dead family and piss on their skeletons.  Things don’t end up well for Cavella, though Frank does require a save and assist from O’Brien.  (She rocks.)  

Totally reminds me of...

Leandro Fernandez makes her look effortlessly sexy here.

The truth that Frank can't allow himself to see, no matter how many times he dreams it.

O'Brien gets her wish.

This is Joffrey levels of "deserves it."

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pure joy

The Slavers: Frank sets his sights on a human trafficking operation after rescuing one of the enslaved girls.  Every element of this story is perfectly balanced, between the horror of the atrocities committed upon these women (terrifying in how Ennis didn’t need to embellish anything from what happens IRL), the subplot with the two cops, the Punisher’s hate, and his ultimate victory over these truly piece of shit bad guys.  This may be Leandro Fernandez’s best work, and Dan Brown’s colors are perfect at setting the mood.  

Beautiful start to the story.  The colors!

The whole team contributes to making the standard "alley fight scene" really stand out.

Love the monologue.

A perfect set up issue.

This kills me a lot more now that I'm a parent.

Dude, I'd laugh too.

One of those memorable images that lives rent free.

This is a long sequence, but it's so fucking good.

I mean, I'm showing four out of six issues' final pages.  Ennis is in apex writing mode here.

Yeah, that'll send a message.

Punisher has no happy endings.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pure joy