Punisher: War Machine

There’s a scene in the first Robert Downey Jr Iron Man movie which sticks out like a bit of a sore thumb for me. It’s where Tony Stark has renounced his past as a maker of weapons, and has just developed his iconic MkIII armour, when he flies into a hostage situation in an unamed warzone, incapacitates a number of hostile soldiers and then destroys a tank with an incendiary missile. For a progressive pacifist, it’s a bit strange that the hero doesn’t give a second thought to killing the soldiers in the vehicle (not to mention any other collateral damage following from his actions).

I was reminded of this by the latest arc of The Punisher (#218 – #223), as the same sort of excessive force and disregard for human life is shown here, but this time the man in the shiny suit is Frank Castle. It’s a subtle difference, but Frank has not come to the warzone as a benevolent liberator of the people; he’s a one-man army and he’s come to win.

Written by Matthew Rosenberg, the plotting of Punisher: War Machine is quick and effective, as Frank steals the hi-tech armour from a SHIELD compound and promptly invades an Eastern European nation which is undergoing a violent military coup led by would-be-despot General Petrov. Frank is given sufficient motivation to wipe out his enemies with extreme prejudice, and over the course of the 6 issues, he pretty much does just that.

Frank doesn’t go unchallenged though; he’s up against well-trained opponents with similar (and sometimes superior) technology, and so has to rely on his wits and experience to see the mission through. The result is an ultra-violent action-movie, reminiscent of such ‘80s classics as Rambo and Blue Thunder. Live action comparisons are further encouraged by the realistic artwork, cinematic lighting, and uncanny likeness to Jon Bernthal used throughout. Dark, witty and consistently thrilling, this is a really satisfying read for action fans, that sets the stage for even bigger thrills to come.