Punisher by Garth Ennis Omnibus
Punisher by Garth Ennis Omnibus
The bodies of drug dealers, murderers, and the scum of the Earth litter the streets…the Punisher is back, courtesy of writer Garth Ennis! The critically acclaimed creator that brought you Preacher restores one of the most popular characters in the Marvel Universe to his former glory and ultra-violent roots. Stripped of sidekicks, spiritual directives, and other excess baggage, the vengeance-crazed vigilante hits the mean streets of New York city with a renewed sense of purpose! Lawbreakers beware: Frank Castle is locked, loaded and waiting for you to slip up! Collecting Punisher (2000) #1-12, Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe, Marvel Knights Double Shot #1, and Punisher (2001) #1-7 and #13-37.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Great way to own out of print Punisher stories
This book represents the first half of Garth Ennis’s incredible run on the Punisher. It’s not the MAX books, so the humor is played up to make up for the lack of gratuitous violence, blood and guts, and nudity that featured so heavily in the later books. However they are still enjoyable reads. The artwork is great, and what really stymies me is the fact that Jimmy Palmiotti got to ink so many issues. His work is crap (and one of the few low marks in this book), though things get righted because a few of the later Steve Dillon drawn issues allowed him to ink his own work. The other stories included here (Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe and Marvel Knights Double Shot) are interesting additions. A great collection for any fan of the Punisher, or Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Buy it! Buy it now!
5 Stars A fine collection indeed
I’ll just say this: its over 1200 pages and I finsihed it in less then a week. Enjoy.
4 Stars Garth Ennis meets Frank Castle
Garth Ennis had made quite a name for himself by the time he had come to Marvel to reboot The Punisher. After a revered run on Hellblazer, Ennis and artist Steve Dillon created Preacher for DC’s Vertigo imprint, and the rest is history. When Ennis took on The Punisher, he had in his hands a character that started out oh so promising when he was first created, and then went on to overexposure and pure mishandling over the years that followed. Ennis changed all that, taking Frank Castle to the grim and gritty streets of New York in the Marvel universe, which you can see for yourself in this massive hardcover omnibus. Collecting Ennis’ 12-issue maxi-series “Welcome Back Frank”, as well as issues 1-7 and 13-37 of the Marvel Knights series that followed, plus the Marvel Knights Double Shot and the Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe one-shot; these are the stories that began Ennis’ defining journey in re-inventing The Punisher. There are a few downsides to this collection, including the fact that issues 8-12 are mysteriously missing. Also, since these comics were before Ennis launched the mature themed, and brilliant, Punisher MAX series, it often feels as if Ennis’ patented blend of black humor and blood curdling, hard hitting storytelling is a little held back. Flaws aside though, this is a wonderful collection that displays Ennis’ disdain for superheroes, and the fun that he has at their expense. The artwork is mostly great as well, including great work from frequent collaborators Dillon, Darick Robertson, Dougie Brathwaite, and John McCrea (as well as some less than stellar work from Cam Kennedy). All in all, while not as masterful as the MAX series (which hopefully will find its way to the Omnibus format), Ennis’ Marvel Knights Punisher series is (mostly) here in all its glory, and this Punisher Omnibus is definitely worth your time whether you are a longtime fan of Ennis’ Punisher work or just a newcomer to the character.
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