PC POST #62 : Retro Review: Punisher: Born TPB

Post by @DorkJustinSaga

Writer: Garth Ennis
Pencils: Darick Robertson
Inks: Tom Palmer
Colors: Paul Mount
Covers: Wieslaw Walkuski


Introduction

" In the waning days of the Vietnam War..... The Punisher is born."


Writing

This is typical Ennis; the blackest of black humour, peppered with swearing yet fantastically well written. Gareth Ennis manages to create characters you genuinely care about despite the horrors they are forced to commit all set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War.

Rating - "A"


Artwork

This is the only comic I've read that's featured Darick Robertson's art, so it's impossible to say whether the man uses a different style for this book than his other books. The art in Punisher: Born is great; there's plenty of detail, especially in the jungle scenes, and each of the different characters of the story have their own individual look, which helps to create feeling for them. The art really helps to sell the story that Garth Ennis is telling and i can't really fault it. The covers by Wieslaw Walkuski look like they're painted, which is a style I'm a big fan of, so extra points go to them.

                                 
Rating - "A-"

Story

This is set in 1971, during the Vietnam War, before Frank Castle ever became The Punisher. This is mainly told from the perspective of a character called Stevie Goodwin, who is a soldier in a platoon led by Captain Frank Castle. The story takes place over a five day period during which time Captain Castle dishes out his own form of punishment to members of his own platoon, as well as defending the isolated base from a Vietcong attack, and it's the climatic attack that leaves the reader wondering: what was Frank Castle prepared to sacrifice to ensure his survival?

Rating - "A+"

Entertainment Value

Although Frank Castle isn't the main focus of the story, this is still an essential purchase for Punisher fans as well as comic fans in general. Referenced by Jason Aaron during his PunisherMAX run, this could be as important to the Punishers mythology as Year One was to Batman's. Not only is it a great story, but much like Greg Pak's Red Skull: Incarnate, it also tells the real horror of war, and that is something we shouldn't forget.

Rating - "A+"

TPB Extras

There's the usual cover sketches as well as page layouts and character designs, but there's also a photo gallery featuring photos from Vietnam which suggests that the creators took this project seriously as well as a few paragraphs from Darick Robertson sharing his thoughts about Punisher: Born.

Overall Rating: "A"