Broken Frontier

Ennis is back on the Punisher and he brought his friend Steve Dillon.

The Punisher is a one trick pony. He’s the vigilante who is not afraid to cross that line. He’s maybe a little off. So in order to create a compelling Frank Castle story, a writer must surround him with interesting characters.

This is a valiant effort. Taking a page from the Marvel centric War Journal’s best issues, this book focuses on characters not named Frank. Much of the issue focuses on Charlie Schitti. A guy involved in organized crime because he doesn’t know any better, or really, anything else. He is also the supposed sole survivor of one of the Punisher’s more violent missions. Happenstance has made him a target for his new boss. However, the skull shirted anti-hero has other plans for him. Along the way, the reader gets the origin of a legacy villain, witnesses the unraveling of a police detective, and the shocking return of an old player.

With the new mini-series price tag and a weekly schedule, the creators know they have to work hard to get this book purchased. Of course, the creative team and the Marvel Knights logo are a draw as they place all the ingredients of a fan favorite run into the mix. Ennis also writes a dense script, which shows promise for the five issues that will follow. Most importantly, he has one heck of a cliffhanger. Assuming retailers do their job and make readers aware of the schedule, it should be enough to get Punisher fans back into the stores.

All those elements are great. Making Charlie kind of an anti-Forrest Gump is a stroke of genius. However, there are problems. First, there is the sequence with Detective Clinton. For new readers, there is little information on who she is or why they should care about her plight. There is also the jarring difference in storytelling for the story of the new villain named Elite. It is interesting, but hurts the story at the very beginning and is maybe too expository. It is unsure whether all the information is essential.

Both of these problems become even more confounding when compared with the brilliant recap of the fall of the Gnucci Family. Even for new readers, the last page holds impact after a master lesson in bringing the audience up to speed. Throughout the book, Ennis sprinkles everything with his usual flair for shock and awe. The thing is that all this ultra-violence is becoming old hat. Eventually, readers will be desensitized and will cease to be surprised.

While the story itself is a bit of a mixed bag, Dillon turns in some of his best work ever. As usual, his brilliant layouts and crisp storytelling are on full display. However, the stiffness that marred his work on Wolverine Origins, and much of his other work, is not as prevalent. With a smoother line and less busy renderings of his characters, the art is a fantastic package.

In the end, Punisher War Zone is a mixed bag. It works on many levels. Most importantly though, it seems to have rich build up for the rest of the series and leaves the reader with a tangible note of suspense. That last bit is what is most crucial for the success of a weekly serial.