PC POST #407: -REVIEW- THE PUNISHER 227

Last issue, the Punisher set his sights in Baron Zemo headquarters, but Zemo was waiting for him. There were Crossbones, Ghost and Taskmaster ready to take on the Punisher. On the verge of losing his life, he was saved in the last minute by Winter Soldier and Black Widow. But they had plans for Frank...

Rosenberg played out very well in this issue. He brought back Widow's and Bucky cameos to the Punisher comic and it really worked. It's great to see the relationship between Bucky and Frank and these boys cannot stand each other, with Bucky always hitting on Frank and him answering with some snarky humour. It just worked very well! But this isn't just only jokes. Rosenberg did nail these characters and he develops a good chemistry between them even without their divergences.

This issue is fantastic, great action, tons of body count with Widow and Bucky adapting themselves to Frank's killing methods, which is good. It's good for once that "heroes" don't whine about Frank killing bad guys, especially Bucky and Natasha. Now... Imagine these characters in a super-powered prison designed for villains... yes, that's what we have in here.

Stefano Landini did a good job once again, I really like his artwork. Looks like he changed Frank's design once again, he now looks a bit bulkier than before. So far, with the change of artists the characters design changed a few times and it would be good if we could get the same design or approximately.

Either way, I really like his art. Lee Loughridge is very consistent in the tone of this comic, he helped Landini's artwork shine with his bright and realistic colours. 

Conclusion: I'm very excited for what's to come in the upcoming issue. It's the last one featuring Punisher in the War Machine suit. I'm really happy to have Rosenberg on board for the Punisher comic. He understands the character and more importantly, he knows where the character is going.

I want to tell people, Punisher fans and non-fans to read this Punisher: War Machine, it's solid, great writing, good art and very entertaining.

Overall Rate: 9 / 10

Coming up next week!

ARMOR WARS!

• It’s all come down to this. Frank’s used the War Machine armor to cross lines from which he can never come back.

• Some people have taken Frank’s actions personally. One of those people is Tony Stark.

• SUIT UP! It’s the fight you’ve been waiting to see!

Review by Ivo Santos

PC POST #406: -REVIEW- THE PUNISHER #226

The Punisher decided to attack HYDRA Nation head-on seeking for some sort of redemption due to the events of Secret Empire. But what lies ahead? What kind of threats did Zemo prepared for Frank? 

Matthew Rosenberg continues to treat the Punisher like a living mowing machine when it comes to dealing with crime. This issue is action packed and very entertaining. It's always good to see the Punisher destroying HYDRA goons and he does it with art.

Rosenberg wrote a fast-paced story, a thrilling ride that reaches his peak when Frank Castle meets Zemo, who is expecting him with a team of heavy hitters bad to the bone.

And at this moment, it's the only time I felt that was a bit of a "step back" when the Punisher with the armor just took the best out of a good amount of heroes in the last issue.

During the fight with these villains, I felt that he didn't enough to put them down, I don't mean to kill them (because they are BIG in the Marvel Universe) but at least to hurt them much and to instill fear into them. There is some unexpected appearance from some heroes who intervene directly from the fight, sadly it wasn't the way I wanted.

This isn't a major thing, it doesn't ruin the run or the character, it was just a slight let down who didn't satisfy my inner fanboy.

The cover artwork by Clayton Crain is self-explanatory, not always a cover is what is going to happen in the comic but this time it gives us some signs of the content. Great cover by Crain who didn't disappoint in his covers and he is getting better and better. 

The art of Stefano Landini was really good and remember me a lot in certain parts with the art of Laurence Campbell but with a bit more detail. I really like the dynamic he imprinted to this comic, the action scenes are very fluid and the colors Loughridge did set the tone right for this comic book.

I still think Matthew Rosenberg is doing a superb job handling the Punisher and his run. He's becoming my favorite Punisher writer of the past decade hands down. I'm excited to see what comes next and especially for the penultimate issue of this run!

OVERALL RATE: 7.5 / 10

Next month:

The Punisher #227
July, 11


Synopsis

ROAD TRIP TO HELL!

• The Punisher and Black Widow go off the grid on a secret mission of revenge!

• Frank and Natasha are now Most Wanted by heroes and villains alike!

• The War Machine armor is busted, and with the forces coming down on our heroes, they’re going to need every bit of firepower they can get.

review by: Ivo Santos

PC POST #405: -REVIEW- THE PUNISHER #225

For once we have the Punisher fighting against some of the toughest Marvel heroes and he isn't some sort of punching bag.

REVIEW

The great premise of this issue was the fight between the Punisher and Marvel heroes and it wasn't a disappointment! It was a great fight and one of the best I've seen. 

This battle between heroes and Frank covers at least half of this issue and no. It's not, Punisher kills Marvel Universe, for the contrary, what we see is the Punisher avoiding confrontation and using his strategic mind and every sort of tactic for not killing some of them. 

These heroes weren't even the "A-Team" of Avengers but it was clearly a "B-Team" and once again and due to a clear understanding of Frank's mindset it was proven that Frank with the proper equipment can fight against some of the heavy hitters of Marvel Universe.

After action-packed pages, Rosenberg slows it down a bit and let Fury and Frank interact with each other. The Punisher is dealing with how heroes see him after what happened in Secret Empire and Fury remembered him of that and in some way set him into a new mission. For heroes, the Punisher is a villain but at the end of the day he is looking for redemption, that's the set up for next issue.

Matthew Rosenberg is writing a great story. In my opinion the most consistent storyline since the days of Garth Ennis Marvel Knights brand. The story is very well constructed and it has an objective. Rosenberg knows his Frank Castle, and he executes him flawlessly. 

I'm not a fan of what Marvel did to the Punisher in Secret Empire, as a matter of fact, I consider it the worst thing they ever did to the character. Rosenberg got the difficult task to deal with it and he's doing it very well without being out of character.

Rosenberg to me is becoming a favorite already.

Guiu Vilanova and Lee Loughridge are part of the success of this comic/ run. Guiu's dynamic panels during the battle against heroes were really good. The way that Loughridge set the tone of this comic was superb.

Overall Rate: 8.5/10

I just can't wait for the next issue set to be released in less than two weeks (June 13th)

The Punisher #226

Review by Ivo Santos

PC POST #403: [SPOILERS PUNISHER SEASON 2]On SET VIDEO reveals a returning character...

Yesterday was a great day for leaked Punisher shots on set. A fan on Instagram shared a video when we see an "action scene" and a big character revealed.

First of all, let's share some Punisher on-set photos.

Let's go to the video, watch it! This is a HUGE SPOILER, so if you want to stay in the dark, don't watch the upcoming video shared on Twitter by @PunisherHQ. 

SPOILERS!!!!

This one is huge and a big SPOILER! You've been warned! The Punisher vs Billy Russo / Jigsaw #punisher #thepunisher #marvel #netflix pic.twitter.com/J4dW3ZeU5P

— The Punisher HQ (@PunisherHQ) 16 de maio de 2018

If you watched the video you already know who is the guy with the mask. It's Billy Russo!

For the shot, it doesn't show any signs of his injured face but this is only the pre-production. We don't know so far if his scars will be in cgi or the shot isn't clear to notice them.

For the theatrical way Billy took off his mask and show himself to Frank, it looks like it's the first time they encountered since last season, my guess is that this episode will be during mid-season of season 2.

Let's wait and see for further developments in the upcoming weeks. The Punisher season 2 doesn't have an official date but my guess is for the second quarter of 2019.

By Ivo Santos

PC POST #402: -REVIEWS- THE PUNISHER #222 & #223

Here are the last reviews of The Punisher #222 & #223 that needed to be reviewed.

REVIEW: THE PUNISHER #222

Matthew Rosenberg has built an amazing story arc with Frank wearing the War Machine armor to wage his war and achieve new lengths. Issue #222 is a good example of that, we see Frank Castle in the armor is literally mowing down dozens of men who were commanded by general Petrov. 

Matthew Rosenberg knows how to handle the Punisher. In this issue, there is almost no development in the plot, just pure fun, and entertaining mayhem. Rosenberg makes the Punisher in the armor almost like an invincible force of nature, there are no missiles, tanks or blasts of energy who could deal with Frank and his most rudimentary ways. Yes, even with the armor he can make the dirtiest tricks to put the enemy down. There are no rules to make the enemy down, as long as they are down. This is the Punisher and Matt knows how to handle it.

One note that needs to be said is that the A.I. is becoming one of the best sidekicks that Frank had since Henry Russo. The dialogues between Frank and the A.I. are hilarious. It's fantastic. 

Guiu Vilanova and Lee Loughridge are part of the success of this issue. Great dynamic panels, great action scenes almost in a cinematic way. The tone set by the art team is great and in the first issues I had some problems with the art of Guiu, especially in the design of the armor, but not anymore. Guiu is becoming a favorite.

Overall Rate: 8.5 / 10 

REVIEW: THE PUNISHER #223

Finally the last issue of this current arc and by far the best issue of this series. Matthew Rosenberg pushed Frank Castle to the limit, he tries to stop a nuclear missile, he fought against ex-rogue SHIELD agents with armors closely like War Machine, Frank finally used his martial art skills and fights Petrov's armored suit with his ka-bar... and guts!

Rosenberg presented us with a thrilling ride where Frank is put to the test and his ability to control the War Machine armor. And more important we get to see Frank going "old school" fighting his way to survive against high tech threats.

It's been "ages" since I saw the Punisher using his martial art skills very well drawn into multiple panels and Guiu nailed it. 

Rosenberg is pulling zero punches regarding writing Frank Castle. He knows the very essence of the character and despite that he is using the WM armor, he keeps being himself. I don't like to make comparisons which writer is the best, but I can say that Rosenberg writes the Frank Castle I want.

Guiu Vilanova did once again a brilliant job. His art is very consistent and it's very well drawn, he makes the action flow through panels. He might not be fancy like some other artists but he is paving his way into success in every issue.
Lee Loughridge is part of this great artist team. His work with the colors makes Guiu's art a real treat to the reader's eyes.

There are great things to come in Punisher #224, Frank is back home with the War Machine suit and he's hunting some baddies! Review coming soon!

Overall Rate: 9.5 / 10

By Ivo Santos (@ivomgs) 

PC POST #400: Marvel's the Punisher adds two more characters to the cast!

Another two characters were added to Marvel's the Punisher cast. This time the hints are strong enough to make believe that the "Slavers" storyline might be a huge possibility, despite these characters have different names than the original characters who were in the comics.

Corbin Bernsen (“American Gods,” “Psych”) will play the role of Anderson Schultz, an extremely wealthy man who’s grown accustomed to getting his way. His power and legacy are of prime importance, and he’ll implement less-than legal means to further those ends.

Annette O’Toole (“Cat People,” “Smallville”) has been cast as Eliza Schultz, a conniving, wealthy woman, cut from the same manipulative cloth as her husband, Anderson.

Corbin Bernsten and Annette O'Toole joins the cast of Marvel's the Punisher season 2 when other actors were previously announced a few months back like Josh Stewart (“John Pilgrim”), Floriana Lima (“Krista Dumont”) and Giorgia Whigham (“Amy Bendix”).

It's curious to see in the Marvel article when they mentioned returning characters there is word about Ebon Moss-Bachrach ( "Micro"). It's not sure if he will come back for the second season, since his mission was over in season 1 and he lives happily with his family.




Article by Ivo Santos (@ivomgs)

PC POST #399: New images on set of the Punisher season 2!

New images on set have surfaced when it shows Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) and Amy Bendix (Giorgia Wigham) together.

There is no news about what it will be the plot of the upcoming season of Marvel's the Punisher what we know so far is what it comes from the source material and Amy Bendix is established character from the early Punisher: War-Zone #34.

Amy Bendix took care of Frank Castle during "Suicide Run" saga, when Frank was hurt. During that saga, some criminals got to know Frank's whereabouts and decided to strike back and kidnapping the poor girl. Frank hunt those guys down and saved the kid.

The fans of the Punisher are shouting out for the "Slavers" saga. A Punisher MAX story when the Punisher puts down a sex slave ring. Amy Bendix is still seen as a someone who could replace Viorica in that arc.
Viorica was a sex slave who escaped from the organization and got lucky to cross path with the Punisher.

Article by Ivo Santos

PC POST #398: New Punisher run coming up with a "back to basics" premise!

Earlier today Marvel announced a new Punisher run coming up in August. 1st. The news couldn't be better. Matthew Rosenberg will be at helm of the book with a new artist Riccardo Burchielli (DMZ).

The solicits kind of spoiled what's going to happen in the last issue of Punisher: War Machine #228. But I won't spoil it for you.

In the interview to Marvel's page Matthew said a few good things about what's coming up with this new run.

Cover artist: Greg Smallwood

"We’re going to get back to Frank Castle with a handgun and a knife, stalking the streets of New York, and getting his hands dirty. But we’re also going to see a man who has changed from his time in the armor. He developed a taste for bigger game and larger targets, and he’s not going to give that up easily. So in a sense it’s back to basics — but on a bigger scale."

Back to basics Frank means we will have the Punisher with his usual arsenal to take out major threats in the Marvel Universe. From this interview we can expect some major appearances from the villainy world of Marvel Universe and seeing the Punisher tag along with them without killing them or getting killed will be a major challenge for Matthew Rosenberg.

"We’re going to have seen him travel overseas to overthrow a government and kill a world leader, and then come back home and go toe-to-toe with some of the most powerful people in the Marvel Universe."

I guess we have to wait for August, 1st and see what happens. But I think Matthew Rosenberg one of the best writers who picked up the character since Garth Ennis in Welcome Back, Frank. He deserves this recognition.

Article by Ivo Santos 

PC POST #397: -REVIEW- THE PUNISHER 221

Sorry about my absence everyone but I've been very occupied with personal things that I couldn't update the blog or the reviews.

Still got to catch up with the reviews of Punisher #222 and Platoon #5 and #6.

After Frank got outnumbered by the rogue ex-SHIELD agents they did a good amount of damage to the armor and Frank drop into the sea. 

This story told us how he gets back into the "game" with the armor ready to continue the mission.

Matthew Rosenberg doesn't waste time in telling us a good Punisher story with a great pace even when it slows down a bit he recovers the pace in a few panels. It's amazing on how he can deliver such a great Punisher comic without a dull moment.

Matthew's Punisher punishes. Even without the armor. For those who want to see Frank Castle as he is, Matt's didn't forget those fans too. In this issue, he goes around mostly without the armor punishing bad people to get what he wants. 

This arc is getting good and good for those who were skeptic about how good this could be seeing Frank in a foreign country to take down some guy who hurt Nick Fury feelings, well... it is fun. It is fun seeing Frank destroying dozens of military troops who work for Petrov's, smashing vehicles and getting rid of Petrov organization. He could've done it without the War Machine suit, sure... but it would've been tougher and require a lot of prep work. Now, Frank doesn't need to take cover because of bullets. He flies straightforward to the targets with no hesitations.

Guiu Vilanova is doing a great work with the collaboration with Lee Loughridge on the colors. These two set a great theme for this comic book. Sometimes too dark but nothing that could harm the art overall.

The action is very dynamic and very well made. It's bloody when it needs to be and this creative team makes it flawlessly. 

I'm still not a fan of the Punisher being similar to his Netflix counterpart (Jon Bernthal). I still prefer a generic face than a character in the comic that looks like an actor. The cover artist Clayton Crain used to give us high-quality artwork and he delivers it. Great colors, great art, and great dynamic.

Overall Rate: 8.5 / 10 

review by Ivo Santos

PC POST #396: Marvel's the Punisher announces new cast with Mennonite? No 'Micro' for season 2?

Yesterday was the beginning of the very first day of filming the Punisher season 2, and Marvel officially unveiled three new actors.

Josh Stewart (Shooter) was cast as "John Pilgrim" a man whose calm exterior belies a ruthless interior. Despite having left behind a life of violence, circumstances will force him to use his old skills and bring him into Frank Castle’s world.

Floriana Lima will play the role of “Krista Dumont,” a smart, compassionate, and driven psychotherapist for military veterans.

Giorgia Whigham has been locked to play “Amy Bendix,” a street-smart grifter with a mysterious past.

This pretty much gives us some hint that the "Slavers" might be a theme that we will all see in the upcoming Punisher season 2.
"Krista Dumont" can be a similar character as Jen Cooke and "Amy Bendix" could be Viorica.

Jen Cooke

Viorica

The curious fact about the discription of "John Pilgrim" is that he remembered me a lot of Mennonite.

Mennonite appear in Jason Aaron's Punisher MAX, released in 2010. This character appeared in PunisherMAX #3-#5.
He was a highly trained assassin back in the day until he joined in the Mennonites. His wife saved his life and he left his past life of violence behind him, focusing in his wife health who suffered from severe illness.
Later on, he was contacted by the Mafia to take out Frank and once again he surrendered himself to the life he has left behind years ago and decided to hunt down Frank and he almost killed him.

The most strange fact is that in the article of Marvel, where they announced the cast they mentioned returning characters they didn't mention Ebon Moss-BachRach as 'Micro'.

"Stewart, Lima, and Whigham will join returning cast members Jon Bernthal as ‘Frank Castle,’ Ben Barnes as ‘Billy Russo,’ Amber Rose Revah as ‘Dinah Madani,’ and Jason R. Moore as ‘Curtis Hoyle.’"

So where is 'Micro'?

#Theory#

Lieberman is living a good life with his family. It doesn't make sense sacrificing his family to join forces with Frank, despite that he owes him for everything Frank did for his family. 

But, if Billy Russo is coming back, he knows who Lieberman is and his family. I expect that Billy might want to take revenge and he will start with the ones closer to Frank. I could foresee a major incident involving Lierberman's family and getting him back in the game more focused on Frank's war.

This is just a theory unless they want to give Frank a new sidekick and let rest Lieberman for a bit.

Let's wait and see what will happen.

There is no date for the release of season 2 but it's expectable to be in 2019. There are three shows ahead of the Punisher series such as Jessica Jones S02, Daredevil S03, and Luke Cage S02.


Article by Ivo Santos (FB/Twitter)