Bullseye: Greatest Hits [Comics Safari]

"See, they're afraid that if I have a solid bowel movement, I just might kill somebody with it."

Hey, it's been awhile since I updated on here. Sorry about that-- the usual excuses apply.

Lately I've been picking up trades here and there that I think I may enjoy, and one which caught my attention is the Bulleye: Greatest Hits collection. I was curious, you see. I love Bullseye, and he's one of the few superhero/villain characters I really, really dig. Plus, it has Steve Dillon on art! Always a plus.

But Daniel Way, who some I know know call "Dreaded Danny", was on writing duties. Would it be good? Somewhat good? Or... awful? "Where there's Way, there is uncertainty and, honestly, fear," a fellow comic reviewer person once told me.

I am pleased to report that this Bullseye trade is a glorious headshot, kids. In fact, this is Daniel Way's best work. He weaves a story filled with pathos, lies and deception, and more red herrings than you can wave a fish market at. Even saying that much, I give things away, so I won't go into detail. Let's just say that the whole package is excellent, and you might learn a thing or two about my fave Marvel assassin. In the end, I was howling with laughter. Thanks, Mr. Way-- you totally kicked this geek's ass. Nice work.

As for the art? Brilliant. Steve Dillion has a certain style that only he can get away with. I have to be honest, most of his characters look similar across all the things he's worked on. You can always spot Dillion's work. And if someone tried to be like him they may be called lazy or in need of some new approaches. But dammit, Dillon totally pulls it off again and again. It's not just what he delivers, you see, it's how he delivers. His work is always clean and neat, easy on the eyes and never, ever bad. He also draws one of my all-time favourtist versions of The Punisher (who has a brief cameo in Greatest Hits, bless their hearts).

All told, this is a fantastic book and is well worth whatever money you drop on it. The flat-out tricky narrative and terrific visual style make this of of the must-have trades for me.

It's a good thing I have it then, eh?

If you love Bullseye and a fun, evil romp of a story that plays out like a Usual Suspects or Lucky Numer Slevin movie, then you are in for a treat.

For more information, go here.

Lethality: Boom. Headshots. That party will never fuck with a near-toothless hooker ever again.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

The Punisher #61 [Comics!]

"Thirty years and they still follow me."

Man, I've been busy; so I've been unable to update this for a few days. Well, the buck stops here and I need to get something up, yeah? My head has been full of Dracula's minions and high-ranking Nazis so I needed a break. Why not the "new" Punisher? The one after Garth Ennis left the series, I mean.

Probably perfect, I figured.

I will never accept an argument against the fact that Ennis' Punisher run is probably the most perfect in comic book history, especially considering it went on for sixty freaking issues. Now we are left with a left team on the book, and not long (what, a week?) after the slow-burn climatic and coldly approriate #60.

Gregg Hurwitz picks up where Ennis left off, and from what I understand Hurwitz is a "best-selling crime author". No small feat, I suppose, but does he have the chops? If you want a hardboiled, noir-detective and verbose version of Frank Castle, then yes.

Aside from the almost over-the-fedora-top narrative, I'd say Hurwitz is off to a good start. After yet another re-telling of how Frank lost his family (new writers are required to do this, eh?) we find castle being asked to come down south of the border to Mexico to help some people out who are having their daughters kidnapped... and then turning up dead. Will Frank take this battle on?

Well, not to be Mr. Spoiler, but I think it's safe to say he didn't pass it up. I suppose that one thing that mildly irked me. Oh, right, so Frank is going to refuse and then this story is over? Pretty cliche. Very crime-novel cliche, actually. But whatever, it flowed well and I liked it. Hurwitz delivers a gritty opener to his tale.

At least it doesn't suck and it leaves me curious to see what's next.

As for the art, Laurence Campbell provides a nice, almost "Criminal" perspective (he's like a darker Sean Phillips to me, but with his own style, of course) and it adds to the hardboiled feel nicely. I have not one complaint on the art. It works great!

Other than all that, I'm still at "wait and see". So far, so good... but so what? The next few issues are what will make or break this for me. Here's to Hurwitz and Campbell keeping up the good work.

For more information on this issue, go here.


Lethality: Four of the six party members are killed by a hail of gunfire. Sam Spade and his henchman get away clean, however. They're gonna have to watch their backs now, see?

The Punisher #60

"I don't do redemption."

This is it. The last issue of Garth Ennis' Punisher MAX run. Holy hell, has it been GLORIOUS. Sixty issues of near-perfection. It's probably one of the greatest runs in comics, sadly overshadowed by the fact it isn't Superman or Spider-Man or some hip indie comic.

No, this is the motherfucking Punisher. The way he should be: hardcore. I've loved Frank Castle since the original mini-series. Sure, I was aware of The Punisher as a character before that, but I was pretty young. By the time the mini-series came out, I was ready for Frank.

And I loved him.

But Frank started getting old, and I don't mean age-wise. His tricks became pretty stale, and writers just started phoning it in with him. Then he had some story where he was an abenging angel or something. Poor Frank.

Then, like an angel himself, Garth Ennis rode in with "Welcome Back, Frank" and Punisher was good again. No, not just good-- AMAZING. Not long after, Marvel had Garth start doing the MAX titles, and one of the best comic book runs in the history of comic books was born. And now... now it ends.

We knew this day was coming. We knew Ennis would drop off at #60. We knew it would be terrific and we'd feel good, that there would be no pomp or circumstance, that Frank would just keep on goin'... and killin'. And that's how it happened.

Valley Forge, Valley Forge has been one helluva final Punisher MAX arc for Ennis and artist Goran Parlov; who, I must say, brings a very welcome Guy Davis like quality to the title. His stark, almost simple take on things really compliments Garth Ennis' solid and unflinching script. The book excerpts interspersed within the comic are pure genius and massively add to the feel, reminding me a lot of Michael Herr's Dispatches. You know, Garth Ennis should write a military history book or something. I would buy that without any hesitation.

This last Ennis issue covers many things. Justice, revenge, punishment, loyalty, debts owed, a nice twist. It's all here. And I don't want to spoil the end, but I will say it's very fitting, if somewhat anti-climactic.

Just the way it should be.

Oh, and Nick Fury? Always a bonus.

After Ennis' run wraps up, we are then treated to a preview of #61 and the fresh new team attached to the title now. Writer Gregg Hurwitz and artists Laurence Campbell and Lee Loughridge do a fine job from what I can tell, but sadly it tells us nothing more than "we can do the Punisher you know". Will they bring something cool and new to the table? Is that even possible? I'll reserve judgment until #61 hits shelves. Until then, I'll have no fear because it looks like Frank will be alright.

Pertinent data here.


Lethality: Total Punishment Kill. Thanks for the goddamn outstanding run, Garth. You will be missed on this title. I hope you do some more with Frank in the future. I'll be on the hunt for more of Parlov's work as well!

Punisher War Journal #22

Okay, I have some other things to get done and do, so I'll try to keep this one brief.

Although I was that reviewer Marvel liked to quote for Punisher War Journal #1, the damned series lost me by #7 or something. It's not that hate Matt Fraction or anything-- he's one of the best writers out there today. I just thought PWJ started to, you know, suck. So I dropped it. Then I heard Rick Remender was coming on as co-writer. He's one of my favourites (FEAR AGENT!!!!!!111), so I started picking up PWJ again. So far, so good!

Well, with the writing anyway. The art? Freakin' terrible. I can't stand it and it makes me feel really torn about PWJ these days because the writing has gotten really, really good. Thing is, I like Howard Chaykin, too! But I guess I don't dig him as an artist on PWJ. And it's really strange how #21 looks way different than #22. What the hell...?

In a nutshell, Punisher War Journal has me reading it again, but it looks like poo. Dear Marvel, please change this, and have Chaykin write a kick ass series or something. Thanks. I am loving Jigsaw, but who wouldn't? Thanks again.

What's PWJ #22 about? Get the data here.

P.S. The Alex Maleev covers are awesome.


Lethality: Word spreads that the party was wiped out, but once an artist's interpretation is done, everyone realises that only three of the five died. Or was that two? Four? Are those flowers or penguins??

Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe

"You're sorry?"

(This covers the original 1995 release and 2000 re-issue. Another re-issue is due out soon.)

By the ancient year of 1995 CE I had grown incredibly disenfranchised with comic books in general. Mostly ones involving superheroes. I cannot tell you much about supes comics in '95 because I was too busy with work, school, and chasing women. My hair meant more to me. It was blue or something. Still, I love good 'ol Frank Castle. Sure, he'd been jerked around a bit by this point-- but at least he hadn't been turned into something like, say, an avenging angel or some bullshit like that.

No, that sort of thing was yet to come.

Garth Ennis was already a big hero to me, what with his work on Judge Dredd and Hellblazer fresh in my mind. I'd already built a super-neat altar to him in my mind. In fact, I think he was the first comics writer I truly fell for (aside from the awesome Wendy Pini, who looked much better as Red Sonja than Garth. Sorry, Mr. Ennis, it's a true fact.). Yeah, what he did with Hellblazer was pure magic, folks. And Preacher... well, I'm not sure if Preacher was on stands before Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe. They were released in the same year, if I recall correctly.

What I do remember was that this one-shot didn't really gain much attention when it was released. I came across it purely by chance while at the local shop looking for the new Hellblazer. The whole concept snagged me right away: Frank Castle is going to kill all these motherfuckers. YES.

'Some of the best money I've ever spent! No, it didn't bring me back to superhero comics (I blame Mark Millar and Ultimates for making me interested again), but it sure reminded me of my deep, profound love for The Punisher and Garth Ennis (and later again with Steve Dillon, who did the cover art for the 2000 reprint-- one of my fave covers ever). At the time, I had two thoughts: 1) I sure wish Garth Ennis would write the Punisher, dammit and 2) I sure wish Garth Ennis would do a series that totally messes with superheroes. Both wishes would become true, what with Welcome Back, Frank hitting the stands 5 years later and then The Boys launching in 2006.

Anyhowitzer, let's get on point. Or some reasonably close approximation to it. The Punisher does indeed kill the Marvel Universe, and he does it a long, drawn out and brutal manner. From the point where he shows up on scene just in time to find out his family was accidentally wiped out by careless super-powered crime-fighters to the chilling, but not-very-shocking conclusion, Frank goes full tilt taking out them pesky caped convention rejects. Another thing which is interesting is how Ennis weaves daredevil into Castle's life, making him and Matt Murdock know of each other from childhood. And just how does the Punisher get all outfitted if he doesn't have criminals to, er, solicit "donations" from? Easy-- he's supported by a group of people who've been harmed and/or lost loved ones from super-powered related mishaps. That bit sound familiar? Yeah, it reminds me of The Boys a little, too. Totally a good thing, mind.

It may seem like this story shouldn't work, but it does. I feel this is mainly due to Ennis just using common sense in the matters of superhero hunting-killing. I mean, how Frank takes out Hulk? Makes sense. In fact, it makes so much sense that it reminded me why I don't read Hulk stuff all that often (save for Planet Hulk, of course). And the X-Men? Well, let's just say destructive technology finally served a noble purpose. Wolverines death was great... that is until they made him heal back from being burned to the bone in a Civil War crossover issue of Wolverine (but he'll always be killable to me, dammit). The slaying of Cap? COLD. Seriously.

I suppose I could have easily read 400 pages of Marvel heroes being murdered in various way. Hey! Don't judge me. It's an alternaverse comic thingy. It's not real. In reality most of the 616 is utterly unkillable unless they stop making marvel money; and then, ironically, it's Punisher who kills them off. But yeah, no actual marvel characters were harmed. It's all just a fantasy, a What if...

I haven't mentioned the art... so allow me a few sentences to do so. Doug Braithwaite's pencils are visceral and perfectly bring across the grim nature of this issue. I don't know why there are so many inkers. I mean, there's like sic of them. There are two colourists, as well. I find this to be interesting, and I don't know if it improves or takes away from the finished product. Regardless, the art works. It looks pretty 90's in style, but not TOO nineties, if you know what I mean. It all probably wouldn't satisfy fans as much today, but for 1995 this comic looks sweet.

This is a terrific book, no doubt about it. If you love Punisher and Garth Ennis like me, then you should dig it. If you're into seeing different takes on superhero tropes, then you should pick this up. And I have great news! Marvel is re-issuing this bad boy for you unwashed masses to consume yet again! Mark your calenders, true believers, Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe re-hits the shops come Tuesday Wednesday.

I plan to buy it, oh yes I do. I must consume the good things, you know. And after I flip through this shiny new re-release, I'll post my thoughts on it.

Would it be in bad form to say "See you next Tuesday"?
("Yes, Steve, you damned fool. This comic comes out Wednesday, NOT Tuesday. Stop the crazy drugs, man!")


Lethality: Marvel Universe TPK. Naturally.