After reading this comic book, one could easily argue that Punisher writer Garth Ennis brings his over-the-top sensibilities and morbid sense of humor to the Bullseye character. The typical Ennis fare is to be found here. Weird, laughable mob villains. An unflinching embrace of violence. And maniacal protagonists of questionable moral and/or psychological makeup. But the thing is that this isn't a Garth Ennis script. Writer Daniel Way clearly takes a few cues from the Irish comics scribe with this new limited series, and he hits those cues well. Though one could argue the plot is a bit derivative of Ennis, it's morbidly entertaining, as Way succeeds in accomplishing what he sets out to do.
The Punisher continues to cut a swath through New York's organized crime families, and as a result one dim-witted lackey rushes to New Jersey to tell his boss of their family's impending destruction at the vigilante's blood-stained hands. This particular mob boss has been in hiding for three decades after his own narrow escape from the Punisher's gun sights, and he sees an opportunity to strength his weak family's position in the underworld while possibly eliminating the Punisher. A price is put on the Punisher's head, and a nervous middle man discusses the contract with one particularly effective assassin.
Given the weird villain and the brutality of the title characters, one would be hard pressed to find an artist better suited to the project than Steve Dillon. He handles the deadly serious crime drama just as adeptly as the black humor. He captures Bullseye's insanity and amusement in his eyes perfectly, while conveying the Punisher's unhealthy determination and controlled rage just as well. Some scenes are a bit sparse; I would expected more cluttered chaos in the opening scene, for example. Still, it's a minor concern; Dillon's performance overall is as strong as one has comes to expect from him.
The title characters actually play little role in this opening issue, as it's the mob guys who are in the spotlight. Actually, it's not so much a focus on those mafia types as it is the setup for the plot. The premise is a fairly obvious one -- the mob hires Bullseye to take out the Punisher -- but I'm pleased to find there's a little bit more to the story than just a mob hit.
Way wisely doesn't take things too seriously. It's not just that he's emulating Garth Ennis's style, but he realizes that a series pitting the Punisher and Bullseye against one another is gratuitous. The farcical tone is appropriate, because playing things straight would mean a celebration of senseless violence. Way seems to mock the uber-violent characters on the periphery of the Marvel Universe here, and it's a smart move. It's a surprising shift from Way and Dillon's previous collaboration -- Bullseye's Greatest Hits -- but it's an appropriate one. 7/10
