by Randy Lander

PUNISHER #4 "Dirty Work" Recommended (8/10) Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights imprint Writer: Garth Ennis Pencils: Steve Dillon Inks: Jimmy Palmiotti Colors: Chris Sotomayor Letters: Comicraft Editors: Nanci Dakesian & Stuart Moore Price: $2.99 US/$4.50 CAN What do you know, looks like the somewhat one-dimensional Ennis version of the Punisher has a little life left in him after all. The ongoing series has thus far been a treat, from the comedic first couple of issues to the more action-intensive pair that followed, and I found this one to be akin to some of the stronger Punisher stories I've read, but with a self-aware sense of humor that ironically makes it easier to take the character seriously. It's ridiculous that a man can be that skilled, and Ennis and Dillon play off that fact for humorous effect, treating this almost like a tongue-in-cheek parody of 80s action movies starring the likes of Stallone and Schwarzenegger. The result is a high-action story that should satisfy fans of the Punisher, whether they like the "classic" character or the Ennis/Dillon version. Frank Castle's narration is what has made the series work, in many ways. His sardonic sense of humor and matter-of-fact dispensation of torture and violence makes it perfectly clear that he's a psychopath, not a hero. But Ennis has done a nice job of making his foes even worse, so that we can still root for him. However, this hasn't been done by making the villains too one-dimensional. Oh, sure, The Russian and Colonel Kriegkopf are cartoonish super-villains, but the soldiers who do his bidding are often just smart mercenaries with loose morals, who seem like enjoyable enough fellows to drink with, at least. And Hackett was a hilarious little bastard who made for some fun comic relief. The change in setting has done the character quite a bit of good, as another issue of the Punisher gunning down mobsters (after seeing twelve issues of it already) could have gotten quite old. But the Punisher falling back on his Vietnam experience and taking on an army of trained mercenaries is just different enough to spark my interest, as it forces him to adopt different tactics. And the threat he faces, preventing a plot that a super-hero would usually be involved in stopping, is a nice incidental way to make him seem more heroic. Of course, all of this mayhem wouldn't work without an artist who could carry it off. There's a balance to be struck between realism, clear storytelling and humor, and Dillon has it down cold. Ennis and Dillon have worked together for so long that it's clear they know each other, and the result is that there are few wasted word balloons, as Ennis knows when to let Dillon do the work. Frank's grim resolve and the Russian's goofy grin make for nice contrasting default demeanors, and the visual gags of the Russian's appearance or Frank's methods of dealing with his pursuers come through loud and clear. It has occurred to me that perhaps some readers might think Ennis is missing the point of the Punisher as much as I think he missed the point of Nick Fury. But for me, this is a fun read with a character I never originally liked that much in the first place. Email Randy Lander comments about this review.