Warning: contains preview images for Punisher War Journal: Blitz!
The Punisher has returned, with a bold new status quo, and Marvel Comics has revived a classic title from the character’s heyday: Punisher War Journal. The new three-part series, told through one-shots, will explore Frank Castle’s new life as the leader of the Hand, tying directly into the Punisher’s new series. The first one-shot, titled Blitz goes on sale in print and digital this June.
The Punisher has long been one of Marvel’s most controversial characters since his first appearance in 1974’s The Amazing Spider-Man #129 by Gerry Conway, Ross Andru, Frank Ciacoia, Dave Hunt, and John Costanza. Initially intended to be a villain, the Punisher over time became a fan favorite, exploding to new levels of popularity in the 1980s; at the character’s peak in the early 1990s, he was headlining three titles: The Punisher, Punisher War Zone and Punisher War Journal. In the years since, the character has transitioned to live-action, in three different films as well as a television show. More recently, the character has become a rallying point for white supremacists, drawing negative attention to him and forcing Marvel to rethink the Punisher as a whole. Earlier this year, writer Jason Aaron and artist Jesus Saiz launched a new 12-issue Punisher title. In this new take, the Punisher has aligned himself with the Hand, a clandestine army of assassins. Much has still to be revealed about the Punisher’s new life and Marvel is exploring it further in a series of one-shots, collectively titled Punisher War Journal, a shout out to the classic Punisher title.
Marvel revealed more details about the first one-shot, titled Blitz, in an article on AIPT. Blitz will be written by Torunn Gronbekk and illustrated by Lan Medina, with a cover by Mahmud Asrar and variants by Taurin Clarke, Jeff Dekal and Todd Nauck; the book comes with a cryptic tag-line: “the trick is to invent a war worth fighting.” While the article did not reveal exactly what the line means, it did reveal that the Punisher and the Hand have set their sights on the Hate-Monger, who has long eluded Frank. Now with the Hand at his side, the Punisher is set for the fight of his life against his old foe.
Ever since the American right wing latched onto the Punisher, he has been mired in controversy, with some going as far as calling for the character to be retired. These reactions are understandable, but also undermine what is otherwise a truly compelling character. Jason Aaron and Jesus Saiz’s new run does not forget this. Aaron and Saiz have given the Punisher a new purpose and a new outlook, one that will hopefully distance the character from the unfortunate quagmire he has been in over the last few years. The Punisher’s new status quo will be explored not only in the pages of his new maxi-series, but in these one-shots as well. The showdown between the Punisher and the Hate-Monger promises to be explosive, especially now that Frank commands a legion of skilled assassins.
The title Punisher War Journal harkens back to the character’s glory days, and now Marvel has revived this classic book to tell new stories of the Punisher’s bold new era.
Source: AIPT