To finish his war once and for all, Frank Castle is molding the ninjas of the Hand into his own army of unstoppable killers, by teaching them the Way of the Punisher. The secret lies in a story from his past that he's never revealed to anyone: the story of Frank's first kill.
PARENTAL ADVISORY
THE PUNISHER #3 opens the door to Frank's past, twists some foundational aspects of the character, and may cause some fans to be irate over these alterations. However, I absolutely loved the changes and loved the explanations showcasing the murderous drive that Frank Castle had always amassed. Aaron takes THE PUNISHER from anti-hero to mentally ill psycho killer in just one issue. Some may argue he's always been that way, which is a valid argument. Read Full Review
Punisher is slowly becoming the most compelling character study in superhero comics today. After three issues, we're getting new insights into Frank Castle with a unique angle on his relationship with death. Read Full Review
This is another series where you really need to have read all of the series to get what is going on but just the story about Frank Castle as a child makes this one worth checking out if you are a fan of the Punisher. Read Full Review
Punisher #3 is another solid entry in the series with plenty of violence, great art, a flashback that fills in lanks about his past to make his retcon a teeny bit more palatable, and strong emotional bits surrounding Maria. That said, the well-choreographed violence is starting to feel like more of the same without a clear direction for Frank's mission. Read Full Review
Perhaps there are other plans to subvert these early issues in the future, but given everything available to readers in the moment Punisher #3 is an ill-considered and repugnant comic without redeeming values. Read Full Review
Man this series is just so damn good. The story of Frank's first kill was a simple story, but it's the great execution of it that boosts its overall quality. Everything after that continued to be really good as well. Frank's interactions with the Archpriestess and some of the other ninjas in The Hand were cool, especially Frank, somewhat, demanding respect. The stuff with him and Maria was also done well, adding a touch of sadness to the issue. This is best issue of this series yet, in my opinion.
Definitely a weird read, reminds me of Home Alone but way more violent. And i kinda dig it(?)
Like, I get what this comic is trying to say, about how certain upbringings can make a person violent and even if the person thinks they are in the right, their actions are still way too extreme. this is the type of stuff i like to read so, yeah, enjoying where this series is going.
Frank reveals his first kill as a 10 year old boy to his Hand followers. He finds out who the leader of the Apostles of War is after leading the Hand against a Hydra stronghold. (Cover date: July, 2022)
Art is fantastic, writing is alright
On one hand, it's pretty good. It's got great art, the hand stuff remains entertaining. The reason is where I'm struggling. While I can understand him killing early in life, I can't get over the whole hand has been watching him forever business. It really ruins the character.
Art: 3.5/5
Story: 3.5/5
Total: 7/10
I don't like this volume. Each issue makes me change my mind about whether there's an objective basis for my distaste, though.
I'm calling #3 an objectively good comic that I just don't like. It's decently written and gorgeously drawn, and the concepts are interesting. I might loathe the idea of Frank working with the Hand, but I love the idea of him becoming the Punisher at age 10. If only it weren't tied to the Hand story!
And much as I dislike it, right now I can see that Frank taking over the Hand isn't really out of character. Making deals with the Devil? Letting the ends justify any means? That's *all the Punisher does*. Some of the best Punisher stories are tragic tales about Frank going too far down that road, more
I don't think shifting the Punisher's origin to even younger adds much to the character. Is there concern that he'll stop being the Punisher if he gets his family back or something? Is the next writer going to have to one-up this arc with a traumatic toddler Frank Castle origin next? Maybe he executes little Jimmy for shooting a bird with a BB gun?
I was very intrigued by the new Punisher run after the conclusion of Devil's Reign and how the character was introduced. However, I am a bit disappointed until now. I understand Frank would like his family back but the whole story with the Hand feels a bit weird and I do hope that in the coming issues The Punisher could reveal his intentions and maybe stop being a part of the Hand.
However, this third issue was the one I liked the most. It was nice to read about Frank's childhood and his first murder, even more, because he used a Cap America mask. The main story I do not think adds much and it starts to be a bit boring (excluding the part where Maria goes crazy because she cannot find the children).
Art, is fine, not more
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