Garth Ennis brings his Punisher series to close... again. And he'll do it again in the future, it seems. This second volume of Ennis's violent vigilante stories is ending to make way for a new Punisher MAX series under Marvel's mature readers imprint, allowing for more violence and cursing, I suppose. The writer brings a certain air of finality to bear here, but it really has little to do with the main plotline. It feels tacked on a result, and the shift from super-hero spoof to a more philosophical tribute to the Big Apple is jarring.
Daredevil has recruited Spider-Man and Wolverine -- both heroes with a bone to pick with Frank Castle like he does -- to help him bring the Punisher's reign of terror on the New York underworld to an end. Unfortunately for them, Castle's managed to recruit his own super-powered ally: an amnesiac behemoth known to the world at large as the Hulk. While the Green Goliath keeps Wolverine and Spidey busy, Daredevil learns how the Punisher's decision to unleash the power of the Hulk in the middle of a densely populated area isn't contrary to the criminal-killer's vow to protect innocents.
McCrea's exaggerated sstyle certainly suits the zanier quality of the main plot here. The super-hero action is played for laughs here, and McCrea drives home the over-the-top tone that's called for in the script. McCrea's dark artwork here reminds me of the styles of such artists as Kyle (The Hood) Hotz and Kelley (Sandman) Jones. McCrea adapts his style nicely, though, for the concluding scene, which is meant to harken back to a key scene in the first issue, illustrated by Steve Dillon.
I'll admit it... Ennis's resolution of how the Punisher can control the Hulk hits all the right notes. It's clever and funny. It reflects the title character's resourcefulness and military mentality. It makes the Hulk work in the Punisher's world, though only briefly. And on top of that, it incorporates a little bit of constipation humor at the same time.
Diehard fans of DD, Spidey and Wolverine won't much care for their portrayal in this comic book. Ennis examines the inherent silliness of the characters, and by extension, the conventions of the super-hero genre in general. The problem is that we've had five issues of this by now, and it's just getting repetitive. Furthermore, Ennis suddenly drops that point altogether by the issue's end in order to explore the Punisher as a New York kinda guy. References to Sept.11 suddenly pop up, bringing a sombre tone to a story arc that's meant to be irreverent and ridiculous.
