Tuesday, March 27, 2012

PC POST #33: Punisher to TV news


Post by @Neil4LOST
Marvel has recently reported that a lot of their focus has been on the films that they currently have in their upcoming line-up -- hello there, "The Avengers," "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "Iron Man 3" -- but the company is also hard at work developing several television properties as well.
Small screen versions of "The Incredible Hulk," "AKA Jessica Jones" (based on the comic "Alias") and "The Punisher" are in "active development" at ABC, executive Vice President and Head of Marvel Television Jeph Loeb tells Collider. In addition, ABC Family already has two new Marvel shows: "Mockingbird" and "Cloak & Dagger." Unfortunately, none of the series has any official set start date yet.
"They’re just in development," Loeb said. "As you know, as with anything that you’re doing, particularly when you’re starting up a brand new entity, things take time and we want to make sure we get it right."
Article courtesy of MTV news

Saturday, March 24, 2012

PC POST #32: The Devil's In The Details: A Closer Look At The Punisher Logo

 Post By @CAStLEctc
   
If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many would you say a logo is worth?  Taking into account a logo is often times a familiar emblem that immediately sends mental images to the mind at the speed of thought, I'd assume it's worth a great deal. There's a reason corporations and companies put a lot of thought into their logos, and it's clearly understandable why. A logo will stay with you. It can be used to strike any range of emotion, from humor, to happiness, to caution, or to even fear. Looking further into the comic book spectrum, practically every single character or team has a logo, and the Punisher is absolutely no exception. Actually, his logo might be one of the most easily recognizable in the entire comic universe.

What follows is just a quick look at the history of the Punisher's skull logo, and how something so simple can be so synonymous with vengeance and comeuppance.

Jerry Conway, writer of the original Amazing Spider-Man series, was the first to conceive of the Punisher's look and costume, originally brainstorming and sketching a death's head skull on only one breast of the character's chest. It took his legendary teammate, John Romita Sr., to take the skull, blow it up to cover the entire torso, and add teeth that would form the bandolier. How stellar is it, that one of the comic Gods deserves the praise for the final imagining of what would come to be one of the most used logos in comic history? Glorious. A look back at this logo and you'll see Romita drew the skull with more of a ghoulish, detailed resemblance, as seen here in the landmark issue:


It wouldn't be long before the character was given birth to popularity and a vast array of artists would take the logo and put their little spin on the character, by adjusting, sometimes ever-so-slightly, the infamous white skull beacon.

A name familiar to any Punisher fan is Mike Zeck. Zeck tended to almost always use a more rounded skull, with eye-holes shaped like ovals. His art was fascinating, and as more artists used different skulls emblazoning the character, you almost got the feeling different artists were defining their stamp, so you'd know upon first viewing who exactly drew it, without having to look for a name. Here's an example of Zeck's take:


Now, I clearly don't intend to cover every artist that's ever drawn Punisher, but am just giving you a tiny example of the library of versions. John Romita Jr. took his father's idea and ran with it, guns blazing, so to speak, by creating a more rectangle-like, jack-o-lantern style. I had the pleasure of meeting JR jr at a comic book singing and got numerous Punisher issues signed. If I remember correctly, I even had him sketch a real quick picture on the cover of one issue. He was an awesome guy, and every time I see his name I know quality will ensue. His version of Frank Castle will definitely always sit somewhere on the list of my all time favorites. Here's a look:


Skipping along and mentioning a few more, you have the fantastic Steve Dillon who utilized a more triangle-eyed, and sharper skull. There's something about Dillon's work that draws you in so quickly. Maybe it's just because it's so easy on the eyes, his work quickly becomes welcoming and enjoyable.


Along with Mr.Dillon, it was almost commonplace to see covers on his projects completed by the mesmerizing Tim Bradstreet. For a while they were almost hand in hand. There honestly might not be an artist who better catches the humanity and realism in comics with their work, more than this incredible artist. You have to stand back in awe at what Bradstreet does, and his process for creation. He makes the characters come alive! You actually feel they exist, just down the road from you, lurking and waiting.


I promise you if you explore his archive, you'll instantly become a fan. He's almost too good. His skull style was almost always the most basic, however. It's almost as if he was saying, other artists have to create crazy skulls, I don't need that, because I'm drawing the real Frank Castle, and he just put this shirt on, there's your skull. But it worked so well.

Anyways, which artist does your favorite version of the skull? And more importantly, why do you think they started this phenomenon in the first place, exactly? I, for one, am just glad to have a love for a character that is so welcomed and accepted to artistic creativity in the Marvel universe, even be it in the slightest detail.


Well, carrying on, I hope this was entertaining, and as always, thank you for reading. I appreciate the opportunity! Until next time, Punisher Brotherhood!

Friday, March 23, 2012

PC POST #31: Punisher Central Facebook Page!

Post by @Neil4LOST

That's right! Punisher Central is now up on Facebook and you can go and 'Like' our page now to interact with other Punisher fans or to keep up with updates for the Punisher Central blog.

So if you are on Facebook..what are you waiting for? Go to our site by going to www.facebook.com/PunisherCentral

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

PC Post #30 : 'Geek Hard' audio interview with Greg Rucka

Post by @Neil4LOST

This interview started somewhere around the 34 min mark in the 'Geek Hard' show. It really is a fantastic interview with Greg as there were some really interesting discussions between the hosts and Mr. Rucka regarding the 'Omega Effect' crossover.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

http://geekhardshow.com/2012/03/podcast-episode-98/

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

PC Post #29: New 'Stay Angry' Hulk-Punisher info

Post by @Neil4LOST


Here at Punisher Central we are big fans of the Incredible Hulk! Personally I couldn't be more excited for more Punisher to be coming to fans this year. If you have been following at all the 'Incredible Hulk' series by Jason Aaron then you will know that the recent story of a split Hulk and Banner has been culminating to an epic conclusion. 

It is now apparent that Hulk will have to 'stay angry' by whatever means necessary to remain being what he wants...the green goliath! Can Punisher give him what he needs? I think so. Here is some more information about the issue coming up this May 2012!

INCREDIBLE HULK #8
JASON AARON (w) • STEVE DILLON (a)
Cover by MICHAEL KOMARCK
ASM 50TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANT BY TBA 
• In order to stay himself, Hulk must STAY ANGRY!
• How does one stay angry? How about going up against THE PUNISHER?
• And if that isn’t enough, the Green Goliath can always take on a murderous drug cartel!
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99

Monday, March 19, 2012

PC POST #28: The Punisher in space



Post by @ivomgs

Oh yeah, The Punisher in space was announce by Marvel at WonderCon 2012. Finally one year later they confirm this mini-series.

What's your opinion about this new mini series adventure?


This summer, Frank Castle heads toward the stars in the four-issue limited series SPACE: PUNISHER, from writer Frank Tieri and artist Mark Texeira.
“Sure, the concept of SPACE: PUNISHER is one of the most off the wall things I’ve ever done,” admits Tieri. “Out of this world weapons and bizarre alien criminals. Hideous monsters from outer space. A secretive Intergalactic syndicate.”
“But if you put all that stuff aside, you’ll find that all the things that make for a Punisher story are still here: it’s still a man’s obsessive quest to avenge his murdered family and wipe out crime in all shapes and forms. We’re just changing what those shapes and forms are, that’s all. I think the better question might be ‘Why not space?”’
“Frank relates to all of mankind's basic need for righting a wrong,” Texeira says of The Punisher, echoing his writer’s beliefs. “The elements would work in any environment; water worlds, desert worlds, jungle worlds, and so on.”
For purists bristling at the thought of Castle going off world, or those whose minds become boggled by the very idea of it, rest assured, you’re meeting this Frank Castle for the first time. He might resemble The Punisher we all know and love, but he, and the world of the story, stand separate from the classic Marvel Universe.
“Frank doesn’t go into space; he’s already there,” Tieri reveals. “Our whole world is there. That’s what this is—its own animal. Different Frank Castle. Different universe. Different threats. Whole different ballgame.
“So if you want to know if there might be a SPACE: SPIDER-MAN or a SPACE: WOLVERINE or a SPACE: AUNT MAY if this thing takes off? You bet ya. And SPACE: AUNT MAY [is] gonna be huge, kids.”
As fans know, The Punisher exists as a one man destroyer of crime. In SPACE, that crime comes predominantly from one source.
Space: Punisher #1 cover by Mark Texeira
“The main threat Frank faces comes from the mysterious cosmic mafia known as the Six Fingered Hand—the six fingers representing the six heads of the organization,” explains Tieri. “They’re the ones responsible for the death of his family and believe me when I say taking them out will be a lot easier said than done. Put aside that they’re the dominant force in the galaxy they’re also sort of the universe’s Keyser Sözes—more underworld myth than anything.”
Tieri indicates, however, to expect some aspects of SPACE will be a mirror to the more familiar Marvel Universe:
“If it’s recognizable villains you want, recognizable villains you’ll get in the form of the reputed 6FH’s capos: The Red Skull, Magneto, Ultron, The Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus and the Sym-Brood-ant Queen—in this universe, the Brood and the Venom symbiotes have merged into a single race. Fans can also expect to see versions of The Hulk, Doc Samson, Corsair, Deadpool, Sabretooth, The Leader, Rhino and Barracuda, just to name a few.
“Oh, and did I mention the other dominant force in the universe? The Avengers Federation”
While no one will know fan reaction until the book arrives, the reimagined characters certainly receive the seal of approval from the artist.
“I get to develop new ideas [for] many characters,” Texeira describes. “For example, the Goblin, not as a character but as a member of a Goblin race.”
Between the Six Fingered Hand and the Federation, life in SPACE comes as no easy endeavor.
“The state of our Marvel Universe is pretty much like forever living between a rock and a hard place,” says Tieri. “On one side you’ve got the heavy-handed Avengers Federation which is what passes for the law. On the other side you’ve got the Six Fingered Hand which controls everything outside the law. And then you’ve got the force of nature that is The Hulk, causing havoc and basically acting like a space Moby Dick, destroying any ship that’s unfortunate enough to cross his path.”
Dropping Punisher, any version of him, into this universe stands akin to tossing a match into a barrel of gasoline. Things will get rough in a hurry.
“There’s Frank, the most hated man in the universe,” Tieri asserts. “Frank is the wild card nobody wants to mess with. He’s determined to find out who or what is the real power behind the Six Fingered Hand. And if he has to bring down the whole universe to do it, then so be it.”

Friday, March 16, 2012

PC POST #27: New Punisher MAX mini-series!

By @neil4LOST

A new Punisher MAX mini-series has been announced and it will be starting this June as a five issues run by Jason Starr! The name of the series will be 'Untold Tales of Punisher MAX'

Here is the official quote from Marvel:

Award-winning crime novelist JASON STARR brings his unique vision to the Punisher!
A massive debt, a gun with untraceable bullets, one unthinkable choice
Whose side will the Punisher take? 
What do you think? Will this run be a success or a let-down?

Thursday, March 15, 2012

PC POST #26: Punisher Vol. 8, No.9 Review!

By @Neil4LOST

WRITER: Greg Rucka
ARTIST: Mirko Colak
COLOR ARTIST: Matt Hollingsworth
LETTERS: Joe Caramagna
COVER: Bryan Hitch, Paul Neary & Paul Mounts
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Ellie Pyle
EDITOR: Stephen Wacker
EDITOR IN CHIEF: Axel Alonso
CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER: Joe Quesada
PUBLISHER: Dan Buckley
EXEC. PRODUCER: Alan Fine

Release Date: March 14th, 2012
Published monthly by Marvel Worldwide, INC.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
Price – $2.99
(32 Pages, single-issue, color)

INTRODUCTION: (From page 3)

“For months, the criminal organization known as The Exchange has been consolidating their position at the top of the New York crime world. An amalgam of ex-AIM, Hydra, and similar organizations, they’ve attempted to exist below the radar, and avoid super-hero attentions. Under ex-AIM scientist Stephanie Gerard’s leadership, they’ve been successful…for the most part.

Now, the Punisher is hunting the Exchange, and Gerard knows the danger she and her fellows are in. She’s ordered ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Christian Poulsen, her business partner, to take care of Frank Castle once and for all. Eager to impress the woman he loves, Poulsen has baited a trap with blood, in an attempt to draw the Punisher into its jaws.

But unknown to the Exchange, Marine Sergeant Rachel Cole-Alves is also hunting the Exchange, pursuing revenge for the murder of her husband and family on her wedding day. Drawn to the same bait as the Punisher, she has unwittingly entered Poulsen’s trap…”

WRITING:

The writing from Greg Rucka in issue #9 is in top form as it has been during the entire series so far. Rucka gives Frank an opportunity to speak a little bit more in several key situations during the issue. One is at a point where Frank is going in for a kill, another when he is trying to gain vital information about Daredevil and finally a ‘frank’ conversation with Rachel Cole about her purpose and intentions. It seems to all fit fairly well but it does feel like a Frank that we haven’t seen much of so far in the series. Fans must know that at some point we were going to be treated with some tasty dialogue from the big man but it seems like his dialogue even still will be short and blunt. This is fine by me as the periphial characters that Rucka has given life to seem to be much more important in driving the written dialogue of the story forward.

Rating – “B+”

ARTWORK:

This is the one major let-down for me in this issue. After fans have been spoiled time after time with the brilliant work of Marco Checchetto during this series, guest artist Mirko Colak performs admirably but fails nonetheless. Characters from Mirko seem lazy and slow…even for a comic! His representation of Frank literally had me going nuts with what seemed to be a man that hasn’t taken care of himself at all. His rendition of both Frank and Rachel seemed to me very odd with some views/angles representing them as somewhat overweight and dull in detail. It also doesn’t help the the moody atmosphere that Checchetto brought to the title seemed to be missing in this issue. Lastly, the cover in my opinion is the worst that the series has had so far…also not done by Checchetto.

Rating – “C-“

STORYTELLING:

This issue felt more like a preview for something big coming…which is obviously the epic crossover for April between Avenging Spider-Man, Daredevil and Punisher. There is the lead in of the Omega Drive, which didn’t make a whole lot of sense at this moment with the Exchange storyline (but I have faith that it will) being injected into the story early in this issue and then the 24 hour diner conversation between Frank and Rachel that goes so quickly that I didn’t even see them eat! All in all the actual story only lasts 23 pages out of the 32 pages and feels either rushed or just a lead-in to what needs to take place next with Spider-Man. I really feel that the story could have been better served with a more intense scene between Frank and Rachel. Heck, who knows, maybe if Checchetto would have done the pencils on this issue he would have stretched the diner scene out another two to three pages longer J

Rating – “B-“

CHARACTER REPRESENTATION:

I honestly feel that Character representation comes down to a mixture of the writer and the artist in any comic book. In past issues, I have felt strongly that the team of Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto have complemented each other to blend the characters in an amazing fashion. I unfortunately did not get that vibe in this issue. I did feel that Rucka did a solid job at moving the story forward, at providing some interesting plot points and some build up for future issues but the issue just didn’t seem to do anything special with the characters. The only real redeeming moment that I felt was strong was the last three frames of the issue when Frank tells Rachel that they are going to war. Other than that, the characters didn’t seem very alive.

Rating – “C+”

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE:

This issue does give readers some action and some interesting plot points. It picks up on last month’s fantastic cliff-hanger and it has Frank in a very unique situation to defend himself. It has a unique diner scene that allows for some valuable interaction between Frank and Rachel and it has some build-up for the epic ‘Omega Effect’ crossover coming next month. That is honestly about it though.

Rating – “B”

OVERAL RATING OF ISSUE: “B-“

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

PC POST #25: Top 10 Punisher Fights all-time

Article by @Pacodelareguera

Over the years, Frank Castle has had his fair amount of brutal fights across the various universes in the comicdom; I decided to make a top 10 list of his best fights using not only the 616 version of Frank Castle, but also his much older version of the recently ended MAX universe and a couple of 'out of continuity' crossovers.

Before I start I want to give a little insight about the Punisher fighting skills and put it into debate; according to the Marvel Universe official power ratings, his skill is in "level 6" out of 7, this means the following:

6.- Master of several forms of combat (http://marvel.wikia.com/Power_Grid)


Why in some comics he is sometimes treated by other characters like a brute fighter with non to little skill in hand to hand combat is beyond me, my guess is that his skills are mostly destined to immediate kill of the opponent and he has to restrain himself when fighting against Spiderman, Daredevil, Captain America and the likes; if someone wants to put that theory for debate, let´s do it, in the mean time, here is the list of the TOP 10 PUNISHER FIGHTS:


10.- The Punisher vs Daken

Where did it happen?: Dark Reign The List – Punisher (one-shot) 2009














We open with the fight that costed Frank his life and spawned the controversial FrankenCastle saga; this fight felt to me as kind of a 'cheap shot' to all the Punisher fans out there, don't get me wrong, it's a good, bloody, brutal fight worthy of Frank Castle.





But the fact that at the time The Punisher had access to all those super-toys and special weapons of the super human community and not be fully prepared for an attack by Norman Osborn and specially from Daken bothers me a little; Daken has almost the same set of skills that Wolverine has and Frank Castle knows very well those kind of skills for not to be prepared to face them at some point.



Still this fight was impressive and even with all the consequences it had (FrankenCastle) I recommend reading the issue, just to check out how even with a broken leg and an army of super armored henchmen on his tail Frank was able to “kill” Daken in just 3 pages and then put a bomb on him just to finish him… if not for that pesky healing factor.  


09.- The Punisher vs The Joker


Where did it happen?: Punisher/Batman: Deadly Knights (one-shot) 1994


















This is maybe one of the best Punisher crossovers out there, in it, Frank has the chance to go after the greatest of Batman’s villains and the confrontation is full of good moments, the scenario is very credible and well executed, The Joker is no match for The Punisher in a hand to hand situation, so he used his guns, monologues, distractions and obstacles in order to escape him.




The chase goes on, and was awesome, you start to think about what is Frank going to do when he catches the Joker, and he does.




It is really a very rare thing to see the Joker scared of someone who is arguably crazier than him; it’s a rich and revealing moment when he realizes that The Punisher is not going to put him back in Arkham Assylum, or, as Frank himself said it: “I´ve got all the therapy you need right here, comedian.”

 


I think that, if not for Batman, this could have been one of the most memorable moments in the history of crossovers, and comics in general, but well, I suppose we all know how it was going to end.


 




08.- The Punisher vs Bullseye (mini series)


Where did it happen?: Punisher vs Bullseye (miniseries) 2006


















In my opinion, Bullseye should be a full time villain in Frank’s inexistent gallery, these guys cannot possibly kill each other, they are extremely alike and equal that all of his encounters should end in a tie or with a minimum advantage on one of the sides.



They are both good in hand to hand combat and the use of all kinds of guns, Bullseye has the edge obviously with his marksmanship using everything as a weapon but I think Frank is slightly better in his aim with firearms.




Even if he is one of the major nemesis of Daredevil, adding Bullseye to The Punisher cast should be an excellent addition, I remember seeing them more against each other back in the 90’s but there was never a solid follow up to those stories.


One thing is for sure, seeing these two rising hell every time they fight is why comics are incredible.




07.- Punisher vs Wolverine (Ennis)


Where did it happen?: The Punisher #16-17 (Marvel Knights) 2002





 












When this fight came out in the Marvel Knights series of the Punisher I was very confused, not because the outcome or what happened in the fight (some moments are hilarious) but because I always thought of the relationship between Logan and Frank as a one of mutual respect and teamwork.





Was quite of a shock to see them portrayed as they are in the comic, if you look at all the previous encounters of those two you will easily understand what I am talking about, they even called each other by their first names.




Still this couple of issues where a lot of fun and heavily reminds you of a Wile E. Coyote vs the Roadrunner kind of thing, the shot gun in the face, the uzi in the crotch, the steam roller… it’s like a Warner Bros. cartoon with two of the biggest badasses in the Marvel Universe.




I remember that at the time, the Wolverine writer (Frank Tieri) didn’t liked the way his character was treated in this issues, so he wrote a story in which kind of implied that The Punisher was gay or something… kind of lame if you ask me (if you want to check it out and judge for yourself it happened in Wolverine #186 (2003)).


06.-Punisher vs Barracuda 


Where did it happen?: The Punisher #50-54 (MAX) 2007

















Let´s be clear here: this fight HURTS, it´s just magnificent how good Garth Ennis is in making something brutal yet "appealing" in some sort of weird way, you can imagine this kind of violence in a Tarantino movie; Barracuda wants payback from Frank for previously cutting his fingers and taking out his eye, so he manages to kidnap the Punisher’s baby daughter that he doesn’t even know exists making it close and personal with Frank and unleashing all his rage.





Everything happens with a very cinematic motion thanks in big part to the art of Goran Parlov one of the best Punisher artists out there, his version of the Punisher is a very muscular and bulky one and Barracuda is even bigger and stronger, something in his very particular art works perfectly with the extremely violent fight he is narrating alongside Ennis.




There is everything here: punches, kicks, bites, guns, explosives, axes and even torture with a car battery and some jump leads. 








Barracuda meets his end, not before we learn something about his past and why he became one of the most dangerous men in the planet (not THE most dangerous thought).






Hope you enjoyed this first part of the list, stay tuned for the second one coming soon here, to The Punisher Central!


PC POST #24: Punisher 4 Prez!

By @Peteopolis

Would you vote Frank Castle for President? What would he do to clean up America?



Tuesday, March 6, 2012

PC POST #23: Super Hero Squad Online Meets The Punisher


Hero Up, Squaddies! "Super Hero Squad Online" is now live, and you can tour through Super Hero City as your favorite heroes in the all-new online game! In the coming months, we'll be highlighting the different Squaddies with new character vignettes and screenshots from the game right here on Marvel.com, so check back regularly for all the latest on "Super Hero Squad Online"!

The Punisher has a new mission: Keeping the streets of Super Hero City safe as one of the newest playable characters in "Super Hero Squad Online"!

Join Punisher as he struts all over town to take on exciting adventures and missions. The baddies won't stand a chance once Punisher gets his hands on them, one by one.

Plus, meet the Bunnisher in our character vignette from the game below! Trust us when we say you've never seen a version of the Punisher quite like this before!

Keep your eyes peeled to Marvel.com as we continue to bring you more spotlights on the Squaddies from "Super Hero Squad Online," and vist www.HeroUp.com to play the game yourself!

So it seems we've got our favorite character back in videogames, okay i know its not The Punisher (2004) from THQ Studios but from what i saw it will be very fun to play as the Punisher in this game.

http://bcove.me/sl6085gd

Check this link to see The Punisher in action in Super Hero Squad Online.

Monday, March 5, 2012

PC POST #22: Exclusive Punisher Interview with Greg Rucka: Part 3



This article is part 3 of the exclusive Punisher Central interview with Punisher writer, Greg Rucka. It was such a pleasure to be able to chat about his current run with his take on Frank Castle. I hope that you enjoy the interview as much as I did :)


Neil Byce: Is there a long-term potential partnership between Frank and Rachel Cole? What could fans expect from a possible relationship that would obviously not be a romantic relationship between them. Could we see Frank form some kind of companionship with someone else that has had similar pain and life experiences?

Greg Rucka: I don’t want to give anything away. Rachel’s story has a definite arc and it’s one we started from the beginning with a clear plan for it. We know where it’s going, and that story, in turn, leads to a further, larger, Punisher story. I will say that Frank’s interactions with Cole will lead to complications down the line. But I really don’t want to say too much more than that.

Where we are with the Punisher, Frank isn’t really interested in friendship or companionship. There is interest in utility and in the mission at hand. Can you share mission and not form some sort of relationship? I’m not really sure. I would think that’s areally hard thing to avoid doing. One of the facets that I want to explore with Frank is how hard it really is for him to live in the isolation that he has had to live in.
He can’t let people in, because anyone he does let in can really end up being a distraction. Frank Castle does not go to the movies. Frank Castle to me watches the t.v. for the news and the news alone. He lives a very focused life and anytime someone else enters into it that puts his state into jeopardy. His is a very precarious mental state, and he has to maintain discipline. There are things he can’t look at for too long, I think. He can’t allow himself to veer into self-pity or self-loathing.

By the same token he isn’t someone that wants to wake up one day and say, “whoa, what am I doing with my life”? There are certain things that he cannot allow himself to do.

Neil Byce: Could we find Frank dealing with a mental challenge then with the Rachel situation?

Greg Rucka: Yeah. And an emotional one,  because when you are under fire with somebody, you form a relationship. There is a phrase that goes something like, a fellow marine is worth more than anyone else whether you like them or not – I’m butchering it, I think it’s actually something like the worst fellow marine is worth the best anybody else. Rachel and Frank don’t even have to like each other. They are both sharing the same war now, but in their own ways. Again, I don’t want to give anything away. Give it another six to twelve issues and we’ll talk again.

Neil Byce: At first I didn’t know how I felt about the Rachel Cole arc, but lately I have started to really feel this story is going to be very special. I can’t wait to see where you are taking it.

Greg Rucka: I know that there is a sense that this isn’t about Frank, that the book isn’t about Frank. But to me, everything is about Frank – he effects and influences every single aspect of the story, even if he isn’t on the page, even if he isn’t speaking. I think some readers are saying there’s not enough dialogue from him, but really, who does he have to talk to? He could have the internal dialogue, the ‘war journal’ version, but that has been done.

One of the things that hopefully comes across through his silence is that sense of isolation I was talking about. He’s moving through the world without being a part of it in many ways; and yet he exerts an incredible influence on the world, all the same. Without the interior monologue and without him saying anything he moves in a very quiet world. That is the goal.

Neil Byce: It feels like that is actually the visual theme that you and Marco Checchetto have applied in this series as well. Especially in the last few issues it feels like there has been a theme of isolation from front to back covers. Just the empty rooms, the shadows, the dead bodies….there is no life!

Greg Rucka: Nope, you just hit it on the head. These are walking dead. That’s what Frank is. You are way ahead of me here. We are talking about stuff that comes up in issue twelve. Issue twelve will have Frank talking because he will have someone to talk to, and more, there will be things that he absolutely need to say.

Neil Byce: A lot of Punisher series come to an end a little too quickly in my opinion. And then you have series from both Marvel and DC that have gone on for hundreds of issues. I look at this as a fan and ask, “Why can’t a Punisher series go on for that long with that much success”? How do you feel about this and where do you feel Marvel’s commitment is to this run?

Greg Rucka: I can’t speak to Marvel’s commitment to the length of the series but I can speak to their commitment to the character, and they are very committed, absolutely. But, you know, one of the things that allows us to have hundreds of issues of Spider-Man and the X-Men and so on is the fact that you have these huge casts, and you have an ever-expanding mythology. With Frank, you’ve got to be very careful with the mythology, I think. You don’t want to rewrite his origin, make it so he didn’t see his family die in front of him, but it turns out they were clones, or something like that. His background, purpose and direction is very set. Because of that there is less opportunity to do anything more with this backstory.

The other big factor is – and this may seem obvious – but Punisher stories end only one of two ways. Either Frank kills the Bad Guy, or the Bad Guy gets away… and then returns later and gets killed by Frank. So the recurring villain is not something that fits in the Punisher paradigm easily.

I’ve been asked if we’ll see other established characters – Microchip comes up a lot – and I’ve thought about it, but, honestly, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. I find it hard to accept a Frank who keeps going back to the same people for support and materiel. It just doesn’t track for me.

Neil Byce: Do you feel that we are going to ever have a definitive Punisher series?

Greg Rucka: If by definitive you mean ‘all-defining’ then I’m not sure we haven’t already, you know? Speaking for myself, I’m loving what we’re doing, and I want to continue. We’ve got long-range plans, but the market as much as other factors will dictate whether or not those stories get to be told.

Honestly, I have other commitments I have to honor, as well. I’ve had to leave jobs half-done too many times in my career already, and I would really rather not end up like that here. There is, as I keep saying, a story, a plan… I really want to be able to see that through to its conclusion.

Neil Byce: How would you feel about being involved in the process of selecting future staff on the series if Marvel wanted to continue it after your run?

Greg Rucka: I would love to be consulted in that decision. I would be honored. But Frank isn’t mine. Marvel has given me the honor to be Frank’s custodian for the time being, and they’re paying me to do it, too. My job is to serve the Punisher to the best of my ability. When that time ends, either because of financial or other reasons, it’ll be incumbent upon me to try and leave with grace.

In the past you couldn’t really tell when new writers came into a series until a few months went by and they would start to tinker with things. But in the post Frank Miller era, everybody was looking to be the next Frank Miller, they wanted to have their books be “their” take on the character, to leave “their” mark. The definitive take. That’s… I’ve come to think of that as very dangerous, as well as discourteous. You end up throwing the baby out with the bathwater, and then you throw the tub out, as well. The older I have gotten I have realized that is incredibly rude. It is arrogant and presumptuous, and, sadly, it’s something that I’ve been guilty of doing myself on more than one occasion. But I now feel that you can’t just throw out everything. You don’t have to do the same thing – a lot of time, frankly, the publisher may tell you they want things changed – but at least acknowledging, trying to honor what’s been done… there’s merit to that. So, sure, I’d love to be involved in any future selection process. But my feelings aren’t going to be hurt if I’m not.

At the end of the day, like I said, Frank isn’t mine. Frank belongs to Marvel, and they’ll make the ultimate decisions as to where they want him, and what they want him to be doing when he gets there.

And that's it everybody! Hope you enjoyed it. If you happened to miss part 1 or part 2 of the interview you can visit them by clicking the links below. And remember to please leave comments or feedback!

PART 1 of Greg Rucka Interview

PART 2 of Greg Rucka Interview