The Punisher #223

WAR MACHINE pt VI

Written by Matthew Rosenberg
Penciled by Guiu Vilanova
Cover by Clayton Crain
Published Apr 4, 2018

   As Frank rockets towards the missle, he orders his armor to drop all on board weapons in order to catch it. Later he’s interrupted by Nick Fury, but orders the armor to end the transmission. Suddenly the rocket explodes. Watching from the ground, 2 former SHIELD agents see he’s ignited the fuel. He catches the warhead and orders the rest of them out of their suits.

Don't make me drop this...

   Counting to five, he nearly blows up the nuke when Fury fries his suit with an EMP as well as the others from afar. Now just sitting in worthless armor, it’s man to man combat. The Punisher makes quick work of the former agents. And with them now out of the picture, it’s finally time to take on the big fish.

Anybody home?!

   Beating on his bomb shelter door, Frank orders Petrov to come out. He does so, but now in his own hulking war machine armor. Frank leaps behind a tank for cover, stepping out and tossing an explosive shell in the general’s face. Then using a dagger, he’s able to pinpoint the suit’s weak spots before getting blasted. Turning to recover, Petrov has his hand sliced off before blasting away as Frank grabs onto his legs.

   Rocketing to the sky, Petrov attempts to freeze him. But the Punisher is able to pry the power core from his suit and they both fall to the ground. With time for one more Hail Mary, Frank is able to wire the core and repels from the ground in spectacular fashion just before impact.

It's...all right... CUZ I'M SAVED BY THE BEEEELLLLLLLL!!!

   The issue wraps with Nick Fury watching the news about the general’s demise when Captain Marvel walks in. Not knowing where the Punisher is now, he turns up in the Bronx with his War Machine armor intact. Back underground, the crime world is in big trouble. But this issue and this story arc have finally come to a conclusion.

I'm sorry, but Punisher is the greatest War Machine of all time...

   So it only took 6 parts to wrap, but I don’t really care. This is exactly what I look for in a Punisher book. Maybe very, very little of it is actually believable but obviously you’re reading a comic book. It’s supposed to be over the top... and Matt Rosenberg knows just how to push all the right buttons. I give this one a 9/10.

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