The Punisher (USA) di Greg Rucka

[Azrael]

Hell hath no fury like a lover scorned. Three characters seem to have a lot more in common than previously thought, and it all comes down to this moment.
The Good
I see what you did there, Greg Rucka; you created the ultimate trifecta over the course of the last few issues of THE PUNISHER. Frank Castle has teamed up with former Marine Sergeant Rachel Cole-Alvez whose husband was murdered on their wedding day. Both she and Castle have experienced tremendous loss; their spouses taken from them in cold blood. Both are seeking revenge. It's been interesting to see the relationship between these two characters develop over the course of this series. Theirs was a contentious relationship at first, and now they have definitely eased into working together to accomplish their goal. The pair have just murdered former A.I.M. scientist Stephanie Gerard in an act of revenge -- setting off Christian Poulsen, who was deeply in love with the woman. Now all three have experienced the pain of a similar experience (what it feels like to lose someone you love) and all three are in the same building. It's a pretty powerful way to bring the three of them together. Furthermore, the three characters act out in very similar ways. After experiencing tragedy, they each turn to murder -- the very thing that took their loved ones away as a means for retribution. I just thought it was so neat to see that these characters are depicted as having so much more in common than previously thought, and it all comes together in this issue.

Rucka definitely has a way of capturing grit, suspense and darkness in his PUNISHER series, and this issue was no different. There was definitely a lot of build up to Alvarez's big moment in issue #14; and while some people argued that it was underwhelming (I personally liked it), I think that this issue really did a service to the last one. It served to reinforce the events that transpired in the last issue and managed to do so really effortlessly. There is a ton of suspense in this book, and both Rucka, Marco Checchetto and Matt Hollingsworth are really great at creating a heavy atmosphere for the plot. Brilliant writing and equally brilliant art.

The Bad
I really enjoyed this issue -- definitely a lot of action, suspense and excitement. Nothing bad here.

The Verdict
As I mentioned previously, this issue was fantastic because of the way that it connected three characters through very similar experiences. It is interesting to see that although the characters are different, their motivations are different, they act out very similarly when they lose someone or something very close to them. It's a very powerful issue and feels really dense when you read it. It's paired with some pretty incredible art, too, so if you're a Punisher fan you really can't go wrong. I don't recommend reading this issue without at least checking out the previous one as I feel they really go hand in hand.

5/5

CVine

[Deadpool]

Che ve lo dico a fa ? GRANDISSIMA SERIE 

[Azrael]

PUNISHER: WAR ZONE #3 (of 5)
GREG RUCKA (W)
Carmine Di Giandomenico (a)
Cover by MARCO CHECCHETTO
• The Punisher vs. Thor.
32 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$2.99

[Deadpool]

Contro Thor ? Come sempre bisogna sminuire il tonante eh Marvel ? 

[Clod]

la cover suggerirebbe il contrario

[Deadpool]

la cover suggerirebbe il contrario

Si beh, visto il numero a cui fa riferimento si sa già come finirà 

[Azrael]

PREVIEW: THE PUNISHER #16

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

Spiacente, ma non sei autorizzato a visualizzare il contenuto degli spoiler.

[King Mob]

Ma da quando Snake è entrato a far parte del cast di The Punisher? 

[Deadpool]

Ma da quando Snake è entrato a far parte del cast di The Punisher? 

Da quando lo disegna Checchetto 

[Azrael]

"The Punisher" #16 is the end of the line for the tenuous partnership between Frank Castle and Rachel Cole-Alves. It's also the final issue of this series. Greg Rucka manages to put a bow on his work here, but leaves just enough to the readers' imaginations as the final image is definitely not the end. However, Rucka's narrative is complete and this act of the drama is over, but he leaves the characters with a huge amount of untapped potential.

Frank Castle doesn't kill anybody in this issue, but that's a key part of Rucka's game plan. While Punisher is still able to scramble and prepare for the fight of his life, this issue illustrates what Rucka has been working so hard to do: evolve the Punisher from a one-dimensional killer to a man with depth and conviction. Until the bitter end, Punisher stands beside Cole-Alves seeing her off on her new journey to a place he'll never be able to find for himself.

Rucka transformed Cole-Alves through the course of the series from a character desperate for revenge to a competent killer who could go toe-to-toe with the Punisher to a cop-killer. Granted, killing Walter Bolt in the previous issue was unintentional, but the NYPD do not see it that way in this issue. Through Cole-Alves journey, which is completed in "The Punisher" #16 with the Punisher as the witness and jury, Rucka has transformed the Punisher from a one-note character to a much deeper and more intriguing person who, while still true to his mission, has grown in conviction and compassion. Rucka throws some surprises in this issue, which shape both the character of the Punisher and the course of this story.

Marco Checchetto's linework melts nicely into the colors of Matt Hollingsworth while Joe Caramagna's lettering shines the visual up to a nice polish. At times, this run of the Punisher's battles has been gorgeous, other times painfully brilliant. Checchetto has consistently produced visual highlights for this series with every issue he has worked on and this one is no exception. Moving forward, Checchetto's design of the Punisher clothed in a black shirt with the hastily screenprinted ghostly version of a skull is the quintessential one. His look for Frank Castle has pushed the iconography further and made it more stylized. Checchetto's storytelling is fantastic and his characters are actors frozen in time.

Rucka makes "The Punisher" #16 a story that celebrates the history of this series. The more you know going in, the more you gain, but prior knowledge need not preclude you from reading. This issue certainly would deserve a perfect score when put in the context of the entire run, but with this issue, a little more background is needed to provide testimony to what Rucka has accomplished with the transformation of Frank Castle. That's an interesting spin for the final issue of a series. So many final issues struggle to cover all of the dangling subplots and many of those issues just cut bait and run. Not "The Punisher."

"Punisher: War Zone" is on the horizon with bombastic promises of the Punisher gunning for the Avengers (and yes, I guess I am including Spider-Man and Wolverine in that "Avengers" label). While that series is sure to offer up a different, louder level of excitement and adventure, I'm going to miss these characters. I've grown to really enjoy reading about Norah Winters hounding Walter Bolt and Ozzy Clemons as she plays coy to their questions about Rachel Cole-Alves while the Punisher brings hell down upon the villainous. Rucka and crew have done what no one has ever done before: they've made me a fan of the Punisher.

4.5/5

CBR

[Kaos]

Ma quindi dopo 16 numeri finisce la storia Rucka - Checcetto ? 

[Clod]

Sì, per via delle scarse vendite

[Sef-]

Dite che questo Puni è difficile da leggere in inglese? 

Non so, ci sono 3 balloon per numero