Garth Ennis asks a number of questions here. Is the Punisher insane? Is humankind inherently corrupt? Have we grown too complacent about the possibility of a nuclear war in the 21st century? The Punisher gets surprisingly but appropriately political in this story, and I can't help but read some of this script as a scathing criticism for the current U.S. administration and the danger of the electorate's apathy about it. Corben's art is well suited to bringing an Apocalyptic story such as this one to life. Of the various The End titles Marvel has released in recent memory, this one-shot is the most intense, harsh and intelligent one of the bunch.
Some years from now, the world has gone to Hell. What started out as a public-relations war on terror has escalated to the point that the world's nuclear powers have taken an unimaginable step: the missiles are in the air. At Sing-Sing Maximum Security Prison, the guards have been ordered to carry out a grisly task -- to kill all the prisoners -- but they don't do such a good job of it when it comes to one special detainee. Frank Castle's freedom means he's ready to carry out his mission once again, but in the wake of a nuclear war, is his mission still relevant?
Corben's twisted faces and the gritty detail in his art make him an ideal choice as artist for this story. There's an inherent ugliness to the story and characters (including the title character) throughout this book, and Corben captures that feeling quite well. Even though his figures are somewhat misshappen and exaggerated, there's a strong sense of realism at play here as well. The level of detail is stunning -- especially when it comes to the two-page spread in the middle of the book. Also impressive are the colors. This may be Lee Loughridge's finest effort to date. The slicker paper quality makes the most of his muted, dry tones, which serve to reinforce the inhospitable nature of the landscape in this story.
Though it reads like a fairly typical Punisher story at first, by the end of the book, it's clear that this is far more over the top, but fittingly so. Ennis presents a vision of the Punisher as dangerously blind to all concerns but his single-minded mission. He seems more like a force of nature here than a man. His determination in other stories transforms him into an anti-hero, but here, that determination is a liability, at least in terms of the big picture.
There's a thoroughly pessimistic tone that dominates this story, and it's one that's easy to relate to given the political climate in the world right now. Ennis's anger over political manipulation and lies as means to justify war really shines through.
