A review by some_okie_dude27
The Punisher, Vol. 1: In the Beginning by Garth Ennis

5.0

Garth Ennis was among the later comic authors to come from across the pond of the UK (in Ennis' case, Ireland) along with Warren Ellis, Andy Diggle, and a few others to Vertigo at DC Comics. It was also around the time Ennis came that Vertigo was about over with their 'golden age' as I tend to call it. Ennis was one of the last great writers from Vertigo, penning a run on John Constantine (which many consider one of his best works) as well as Preacher, a fan favorite series he did with late, great Steve Dillon.

Ennis is well known for his rather distasteful views on superheroes, preferring such titles as Judge Dredd as well as writing about war (which I think he’s quite good at). But The Punisher is an exception for Ennis, along with John Constantine or Nick Fury. Ennis originally began his take on The Punisher as a darkly satirical comedy, beginning with the appropriately titled Welcome Back, Frank with Preacher artist and frequent collaborator Steve Dillon, which became a classic in Punisher lore. But Ennis decided to do something different and bring the character back to his roots.

The Punisher hadn’t had a good story in a few decades when Ennis took over, there were many badly written issues after badly written issues and many fans were often let down that their favorite skull clad vigilante wasn’t getting his just deserts, but then Marvel MAX came.

Marvel MAX was started as a sort of response to DC’s Vertigo, who were already testing the boundaries on what comics could do, so Marvel decided to try and even out the competition. They gave creators such as Ennis and Brian Michael Bendis free reign to do what they wanted with particular characters. The Punisher, being the vigilante that he is, seemed right at home with the new MAX line, which had more violent and mature stories. So editor Joe Quesada gave Ennis free reign to write The Punisher as long as he wanted and to do whatever stories he could, and as thus this epic run was born.

Many people would probably say that Hellblazer, Preacher, or The Boys are Ennis’ best works, and I quite enjoy them and I think they’re great works as well. But I’ve always had a particular affinity for Ennis’ Punisher MAX run, which began with his excellent miniseries Born. Ennis allowed himself to have a rare subtlety about what he wanted to do with The Punisher and he allows you to think about who you’re actually supposed to root for. Frank Castle in this run is a cold, efficient, borderline sociopath who is a barrage of contradictions that Ennis never fails to showcase. Such as he’s supposed to be the hero, yet he viciously and ruthlessly dispatches any criminal that crosses his path, also where we see that Frank might not just be doing it out of the goodness of his heart (if there’s any left of it), as well as illustrating that Frank is, quite frankly, not much different than the criminals he faces.

The first arc is probably as perfect of a beginning as you'll get to the series. Ennis' pace is immaculate and he manages to combine gritty atmosphere, great artwork, straightforward storytelling, and rather disturbing implications about the characters and their motivations. Ennis takes the tone that he set up in Born and runs with it, creating some of the best stories that The Punisher has ever had the privilege of being in. Lewis LeRosa's art work also brings a sense of grit to the atmosphere of the series, giving the world a sense of realism. Ennis also brings a hard edge to the world of The Punisher, as MAX, much like Vertigo, allowed Ennis to work without as much editorial oversight, allowing him to tell much more personal and haunting stories with The Punisher as a forefront. Ennis' depiction of Microchip is also strong, showing him as a man who's desperate to save Frank, despite that he knows, deep down, that Frank has no interest in being 'saved.'

Ennis’ Punisher MAX run is, quite simply, a masterpiece and one of my favorites from Ennis. It's a comic that proves just how great of a writer Ennis can be, and the most likely the best version of the Punisher that's been put to page.