The Punisher may be best known as a one-man killing machine against criminals and supervillains, but he's going to need to lead an army of prisoners if he hopes to escape death - for real this time.
The Netflix version of Frank Castle may have spent some time on the inside, but in the pages of Marvel Comics, the man once called Punisher has been truly and soundly beaten by the evil Baron Zemo. A villain who didn't just manage to stay one step ahead of Castle, but managed to catch him, disarm him, and beat him to within inches of his life. But as our preview of The Punisher #8 shows, Frank may have to do the one thing he despises most if he wants to get back at Zemo: lead a team of lesser killers (*shudder*).
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For those who haven't kept up to date with Frank's comic adventures, this prison sentence is still a result of Marvel's infamous Secret Empire event and its evil Captain America. As HYDRA rose in power and offered to back Punisher in his fascist, iron-fist style of justice, he decided to play ball. But once the betrayals were played out, The Punisher set his sights on Baron Zemo - one of HYDRA's former and surviving leaders. As the current ruler of the nation of Bagalia, Baron Zemo is struggling to keep his power intact in the wake of HYDRA's collapse... but can't help but extract his own vengeance on Frank Castle, once and for all.
That vengeance looks to come, surprisingly, in the form of an official criminal trial and death sentence. Oh, except it's all rigged to make Frank look like a bloodthirsty murderer. Take a look at the preview pages embedded below:
The first preview pages put a quick end to the idea that Frank would be able to lead a fight against Zemo's guards and military (wishful thinking, in hindsight). That may be bad news for Castle, but it's good news for the readers, who instead get to watch as The Punisher unites his army of HYDRA-hating inmates to launch a guerrilla war. The improvised weapons and explosives Frank appears to be putting together promises some fireworks in this and future issues, but Marvel fans will need to pick up the full issue on Wednesday for their front row seat. Until then, read on for the full synopsis and details below:
- THE PUNISHER (2019) #8
- Published: February 13th, 2019
- Writer: Matthew Rosenberg
- Art: Szymon Kudranski
- Cover: Greg Smallwood
- HARVEST TIME FOR THE PUNISHER! Frank Castle is loose in a country ENTIRELY POPULATED BY VILLAINS. It’s war on the streets of Bagalia! Desperate times for Baron Zemo call for desperate measures!
The Punisher #8 will be available on February 13th, from Marvel Comics.