Things aren't quite so funny anymore.
From Russian monsters with breast implants to a mob boss torso, from a bungling cop to spastic super-heroes, the bulk of Ennis's previous Punisher stories have been about black comedy more than anything else. It made for some fun reading, and we all had a good laugh. With this new relaunch, Ennis gets serious, and it's effective. He certainly makes the most of his new explicit-content label as well to the point that it gets gratuitous. Sometimes, though, the gratuitous quality serves the story well, reinforcing the ugliness that's at the heart of the Punisher's world and his motives.
It's the anniversary of Frank Castle's family's death, gunned down in the crossfire between two mob families. It's also the 100th birthday of a legendary mob boss, and the Punisher decides to crash the party himself. As he plots the murders of an army of gangsters, the vigilante reflects back on the final moments of his loved ones. Meanwhile, someone with whom the Punisher shares a lot of history returns to New York, and he's brought incredible resources and skilled allies with him.
Larosa's artwork here reminds me a lot of the style of Alex (Daredevil) Maleev. The sketchy and inky artwork suits the gritty and ugly tone of the characters and plot. The layouts remind me of those that artists offer up when following a Brian Michael Bendis script as well. The colors bring a creepy texture to the visuals, and I love the intensity that one can see in the title character's eyes.
The art does get quite gratuitous when it comes to the blood and gore, but it works with the harsh and shocking quality of the script. Violence is shown to be a horrific thing here, and the over-the-top representation really is what's called for here. Where the creators go too far is with a jarring and useless comment from a female antagonist who wonders aloud about the hero's endowment.
Ennis plays up the title character's military background here, adding plausibility to his thoroughly effective assaults on the underworld. Of course, given that wrote Born -- a limited series that told of Frank Castle's days in Viet Nam -- that emphasis comes as no surprise.
The Punisher isn't a character that the reader can relate to easily. The anger and hatred that burns within him is something most of us will fortunately never have to know. Somehow, though, Ennis makes it much easier to imagine how such burning seeds could have been planted in Castle's soul. His vivid description of the specific circumstances of the Castle clan's deaths pack a powerful punch, and the cold tone of the narration hides a worn but never-ending supply of ugliness in the main character's heart.
