WAR ON THE STREETS
Written by Matthew Rosenberg
Penciled by Szymon Kudranski
Published June-Oct 2019
Penciled by Szymon Kudranski
Published June-Oct 2019
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| Let's be pals. |
Frank wakes up on a distant island, eventually surrounded by defected Hydra agents. It turns out one of his fellow prisoners managed to turn some of Zemo's former soldiers and then circled back to rescue him. Now trying to get their attention, he sets fire to some drug fields and the captors return. Of course, it doesn't take long for the Punisher to kill everyone, and he steals the only boat left and makes it back to the shores of New York.
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| "Home again, home again." |
Meanwhile, Baron Zemo meets with Mayor Wilson Fisk to discuss ways to kill the only man he can't seem to ever take out, Frank Castle. After some brainstorming, he assembles a crude team of D-list villains to form the Thunderbolts, New York's new Punisher task force. To counter it, Black Widow gives Frank some intel on the now-UN mandated troops hunting him - also all former Hydra agents.
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| You can handle it, Frank. They're just Hydra. |
It doesn't take long for the Thunderbolts to find Frank, and just as they move to take him out for good, someone mysteriously thwarts them. That just happens to be Natasha Romonoff and her friends Night Thrasher, Moon Knight and Rachel Cole-Alves. Knowing they’ll need just a little more firepower, the Punisher kidnaps Danny Ketch, forcing him to become Ghost Rider and not a minute too soon.
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| "I'm down. Just let me grab my hell bike real quick.." |
Soon after, the Thunderbolts mount their biggest offensive yet. Along with their troops they face off with the Punisher and his allies. Eventually Frank battles his way to the top of Baron Zemo’s tank and it’s a battle of wills and the blade of a sword. He’s interrupted though, and Rachel ends up captured in the back of a transport vehicle.
Frank uses Ghost Rider to give him a ride and they pursue them. With bullets flying, they blast through the forces of Fisk Tower eventually arriving at a stand-off. He fires a bullet through Alves to hit Zemo but ends up taking a sword to the chest. Either way, he eventually gets the upper hand until he’s stopped by Ghost. Zemo makes it to Fisk’s floor but the mayor explains that he’s small time, and will always be a liability. Ghost evaporates him and Nick Fury shows up just in time. Obviously the Punisher can’t decapitate the mayor but that doesn’t stop him from trying. Luke Cage stops the sword and Black Widow instinctively blasts Frank over the skyscraper’s edge. With that, the Punisher is dead... right? We’ll have to wait to find out as this series comes to a conclusion.
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| Maybe. But probably not. |
You know, I’ve ranted about Becky Cloonan’s Punisher writing enough to know that I was never a fan. That’s why when Matt Rosenberg took over, I really felt like it was the perfect shot in the arm this character needed. The fact it’s not immediately continuing in Rosenberg’s absence just gives me even more hope for it. So y’all just wait until your ready to bring our favorite vigilante back. As far as this story arc, and really even the series as a whole, I give it a 9/10.
You can also buy my physical copy of this book below:
The Punisher #13 (Already Sold)
The Punisher #14
The Punisher #15 (Already Sold)
The Punisher #16
Like comics? Check out my ebay wares HERE
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