Post by @Neil4LOST
WRITERS: Frank Tieri
ARTIST: Mark Texeira
LETTERS: VC’s Clayton Cowles
EDITORS: Ellie Pyle and Rachel Pinnelas
EDITOR IN CHIEF: Axel Alonso
SENIOR EDITOR: Stephen Wacker
CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER: Joe Quesada
PUBLISHER: Dan Buckley
EXEC. PRODUCER: Alan Fine
Release Date: July 11thth, 2012
Published
monthly by Marvel Worldwide, INC.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
Price – $2.99
(25 Pages,
single-issue, color)
INTRODUCTION: (From page 1)
In Space, no
one can hear you die!
One man’s
quest for vengeance across a galaxy different than our own!
WRITING:
Frank Tieri
is at the helm in this new Punisher mini-series that will last four issues in
total length. The concept is one that I will admit I was very hesitant about
when I first heard Tieri talking about it months ago. The concept is that our
favorite anti-hero Frank Castle, is now in space hunting down villains that are
a mix of familiar marvel faces and new mutant/alien characters.
Now that I
have read and processed the first issue of this mini-series I will have to say
that I do feel that this idea is absolutely absurd. Sometimes absurd ideas can
still work however, but this one just doesn’t seem to be one of those few
times. Tieri tries hard throughout this introductory issue to merge familiar
concepts to Punisher fans with new futuristic concepts and it really doesn’t
work. Tieri also commits some serious no-no’s in my opinion with Punisher by
making him way to comical and presumptuous. He doesn’t seem like the hardened
and sophisticated character that we have all grown to be passionate about.
For the sake
of spoilers (see plot section below) I will just say that Tieri also makes some
decisions that really seem to mock the character of Frank Castle…this didn’t settle
well with me personally.
Rating – “C”
ARTWORK:
As I was
reading and re-reading Space:Punisher I really couldn’t believe how bad the
artwork in this book really is. Mark Texeira makes some puzzling decisions in
this book by choosing to go with a retro space opera style approach with dull
and washed out colors. His rendition of Frank seriously confused me as he shows
a Punisher character with an upper body build of an ox and a lower body of a
dog (figuratively speaking of course J).
Character
interactions are boring and his art of the Punisher skull comes off less intimidating
and more inviting. Seriously…the Punisher skull is in the shape of a heart….
I really couldn’t
believe what I was seeing. I really hope that it gets better in the last three
installments.
Rating – “D”
STORY:
(WARNING –
THIS SECTION MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)
Space:
Punisher is really a re-imagining in a futuristic space setting of the Frank
Castle revenge story. Frank’s family has once again been murdered and he is on
a mission to track down all of the space mob and kill every last one of them.
Readers are
exposed to Chip (Micro-Chip from past Punisher stories), who is a robot that
Frank built to help him on his missions be a backup and a technical help to
Frank. Marcia, who is Frank’s spaceship A.I. and a host of other familiar and
reimagined characters (Doc. Octopus, Magneto, Green Goblin). All of these
characters look painfully ridiculous of course and very alien.
Frank tracks
down just one person by the end of the story and we realize that there is no
telling where this book is going to head. The only clue that we get is that
Frank will be fighting Hulk in space next…
Rating – “C”
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE:
I really
thought that this story had a chance to be fun. As I got through the first few
pages I still held out hope but that hope quickly vanished.
I ended up
dreading every next step of every panel as a flip of the page would occur. This
book just really seems like a puzzling move with Marvel entertainment. It
almost feels like Marvel either doesn’t really know what to do with the
character of Frank Castle or they are intentionally trying to sabotage it. I
feel that one of these could be true…especially after the recent cancellation
announcement of Punisher vol. 9 by Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto.
Rating – “C –“
OVERAL RATING OF ISSUE: “C –“
