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PUNISHER #9
"You Talkin' To Me?"
Recommended (8/10)
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Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights imprint
Writer: Tom Peyer
Artist: Manuel Gutierrez
Colors: Steve Oliff
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Stuart Moore
Price: $2.99 US/$4.75 CAN |
Ennis and
Dillon were the reasons I was even remotely interested in the Punisher, but they
did capture enough of my attention to give the new team a shot, although I
doubted they would be able to keep my attention the way the over-the-top
Ennis/Dillon interpretation did. Peyer and Gutierrez have certainly captured the
goofy meets gritty style that Ennis and Dillon brought to this title, with
taxicabs at war, a very odd master villain and henchman and some cute details
about taxis in the Marvel Universe that kept me smiling throughout. I confess
that I'm quite interested to see if they can maintain what seems like a cute
joke over a sustained story arc, but for the moment, they definitely have my
attention.
One of Tom Peyer's great achievements was his work on DC's Hourman, where he
took an idiosyncratic look at the world of super-heroes. He applies the same
approach here, with the taxicab announcements by famous heroes serving as a nice
touch of Marvel Universe detail. His sense of humor plays out throughout this
book, actually, with the very disturbing habits of Medallion or the unusual
drink taste and appearance of his mechanic.
The story at the heart of
this arc, a war between taxicabs, is a distinctly New York idea, and it fits
perfectly into the atmosphere that Ennis set up for the Punisher. That the war
includes taxicabs outfitted with weapons was a nice little quirky touch. Taxis
are ever-present enough in New York City that this seems like a big problem, but
it's not Avengers or Daredevil or Spider-Man class... it is a distinctly
Punisher story, one where he fits right in.
One of the other important
aspects of the series is to capture the essence of Frank Castle, and Peyer does
that as well. He's got a streak of sadism in him with the way he deals with
criminals, combined with a tight-lipped stoicism that makes Batman look
downright chatty. His dealings with the taxi driver and the mobster are a
perfect introduction to the character for the reader, and involving a taxi
driver with one of Punisher's targets is a believable coincidence for getting
him involved with the "taxi wars."
The biggest change in the
book is in the artwork, as Manuel Gutierrez has more in common with gritty and
shadowy artists like Alex Maleev and Bill Sienkiewicz than Steve Dillon.
However, while the artwork is certainly shadowy, the storytelling is perfectly
clear, with cinematic qualities that fit Peyer's script to a tee. Though the bar
for this series has been set fairly high by Ennis and Dillon, Peyer and
Gutierrez show every sign of being able to clear it.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board. |
