Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe is more than just a reprint of a 1995 Garth Ennis/Doug Braithwaite one-shot of the same name. It also includes the fourth issue of Miniseries Marvel Universe vs. The Punisher, released in 2010 by the teams of Jonathan Mayberry and Goran Parlov. Both take place on alternative timelines, with the former following Frank Castle, and he follows the accidental death of his family in the midst of a daily super-powerful battle, all Marvel heroes and villains I’ll be revenge on. The latter sees Frank’s attempts to kill everything moving in the world like 28 days later (it dropped its name on the book itself). There, the world is destroyed by a cannibal plague that has been infected with heroes and villains. Both are completely on top, but one worked a little better for me than the others.
Nominal one-shots are overexercises, but what I find strangely interesting every time I revisit it. Yes, the story itself doesn’t go beyond Frank’s series of unlikely sets of killing various heroes and villains. But the pacing of the story and the brief moments of Frank’s self-reflection really help to make the book feel like a worthy companion to work with the characters after Ennis. It feels like Ennis really spent time thinking about how to get some of these heavy hitters out. One memorable sequence sees Frank dropping a nuclear warhead at a meeting of some of the world’s most powerful mutants, while another sees Punisher using Spider-Man and poison on each other . And, as mentioned in a recent episode of the AIPT Comics Podcast, my favorite dark comedy beats include Punisher, Doctor Doom and Sledgehammer.
Amazing
Beyond the Alt-Universe hook and some cynical moments that really made me laugh, there’s not much material in the story. Most of the one-shot consists of the aforementioned murder scenes, followed by a sudden, self-reflection moment that causes Frank to end his mission. The dialogue is largely filled with cliches about the nature of revenge and whether Frank’s mission is correct (the discussion continues in the next miniseries collected in this trade paperback). It’s important to note that Braithwaite’s artwork is amazing and offers some really awful action sequences from Frank. We need to believe in Frank’s beliefs. Even in the face of the hero of the plea, Brathwaite said this is, as I said, a person who, except for that sudden end, is never inevitable from doing what he has to do. It’s for sale.
Punishers are fun to kill Marvel’s universe, but only a few. Ennis clearly has a good time here (despite reports that some of his scripts have been changed behind his back), and between the storyline and Matt Murdoch , the story is convincing, even if it doesn’t get too far ahead of the story. Overall, this is a worthwhile storyline that seeks fans of Ennis’ later Punisher works, but that’s not exactly important.
The Marvel Universe vs. Punisher is great at setting the mood at the top. He is in the process of killing Deadpool, so we meet Frank. Frank feels more survivor’s guilt than usual, as it could have actually caused an outbreak that destroyed the world. This first issue tells some compelling backstory, revealing Frank feels personally responsible for the end of the world. The flashbacks up to the first day of the outbreak are truly calm, especially when the everyday battle between Spider-Man and the Rhinos makes for a super violent turn. Mayberry and Parlov really keep a lot of gory stuff from the panel smart, especially in flashbacks.
Frank’s distinctive features are also solid. It’s easy to see why Marvel chose to collect this story next to the Ennis/Braithwaite book, as I feel that the two versions of Punisher have a very similar spirit. On the other side with him as much as he can. Although neither story is a particularly deep reading of the characters, the iconography and Frank’s iron will are enough to advance the plot and action sequence.
Amazing
On the negative side of things, there is a bit of characterization of infected heroes inside the store. Some are portrayed as heartless, drooling demons, others are monoshirolabic yet hypersensitive, while others speak in full monologues and have all their physical and mental abilities. Some seem to be like that, while others are mania villains who don’t look like the heroes we know. Even Spider-Man appears to be changing the speech pattern between problems, from making a deal with Frank on one issue to “my Jane” in the next issue. The lack of cohesion makes the overall threat a bit unclear, and it’s interesting that Frank talks about adapting to the new threat, but the solution is more than “getting a bigger gun.” It will not become.
He also devotes considerable real estate to explain the origins of the breakout and how Frank became immune. This obvious discrepancy will be addressed in a sequel later to this miniseries, but when filmed independently in this collection, it reads a bit like a plot hole. Also, I would repent if I did not mention the appearance of Kingpin’s severed head in the first issue, despite it being revealed that Kingpin was a thriving warrior in the miniseries.
I’m also not wild about how this book completely removes any agency from Mary Jane, the only female character. Not only has she never been mentioned by name in the book, she is often referred to as Spider-Man’s “mate” or “spider bitch”, but she is also known as a blurry sub-red and red Sonja outfit I’m spending it on. Most of her time on the page is clinging to Frank’s feet like a rejected draft of a Star Wars poster. Mary Jane, still human after the outbreak, doesn’t seem to be a problem with the fact that her husband is a murderous monster.
That being said, the action is well-paced, especially in scenes where the battle and flashbacks are mixed. One of my favorite sequences is Frank reminiscing about Wolverine’s death at Hulk’s hands and how Frank brings things to a perfect circle with the arrows of Adamantium. I also really like some of the zombified character designs. Some of them seem to stick to old superhero costumes, while others have learned to decorate for wastelands with tooth necklaces and small pieces of armor. Deadpool in particular looks great, and his outfit looks great, as if it were a bag that holds all of his various pieces.
Amazing
Overall, Punisher kills the Marvel Universe collection. The stories collected here are thematically linked together, but Ennis/Brathwaite gave us a truly hilarious violence mixed with a strong tone balance and amazingly sincere patos. . It is a clear indicator that Ennis has seen Frank Castle in particular, and is the fun alternative universe companion/predecessor of his later Punisher Max works. In my opinion, the second miniseries has not been very successful in my opinion, as they struggle to balance Mad Max-inspired genocide with spiritual and philosophical sanctification. . (Not landing for me). Both stories are primarily parades of sequences that are increasingly unlikely for the Punisher to kill your favorite, and while neither is a high-level art, the former is a more mean-looking fun.
“Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe” TPB Review: Everyone gets punished
Punisher kills Marvel’s universe
“Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe” offers some thrills as Frank Castle takes in all the heroes and villains you cherish, but both stories gather together to hold the story Not much. Both feel like relics of trials in some respects, but there is still some pity in both stories.
The solid artwork of both stories, especially when it comes to action and Frank’s facial expressions.
When these stories become creative in the way that they send enemies, it’s an explosion
Some of the alternative takes on familiar characters are well-realized. Deadpool in particular, the second miniseries
There aren’t many in the first story besides a series of kills
The second story has unclear rules for zombie outbreaks and unfortunate traits
