... @ancientdark - Tumblr Blog

Do you mean in terms of a split personality? Or– this may sound odd, but I don’t know if you’re a religious man or not, so even if you’re only speaking figuratively: do you mean the Devil?

Fuck, no. No, someone way more badassed than that. I mean… you know, speaking figuratively… but if it was the Devil, I kind of think he’d have been smiling, don’t you? And I doubt this boy ever cracked a smile again in his life.

Punisher: Born + Punisher MAX #59

Garth Ennis + Darick Robertson

#reblog

mythicaldarkofcastle-deactivate

The Origin of the Punisher and the Narrative Power of War

…An issue in Ennis’s earlier run of The Punisher supports this formation of identity. In issue 6 of volume 4, a single-issue story entitled “Do Not Fall in New York City”, Frank is narrating to readers about a fellow Vietnam vet who had just killed his family. He is stating that every man came back from Vietnam a destroyed person, whether it surfaced during a traumatic experience and never healed, or remained under the surface until one snaps because of an inability to deal with society. This is suggesting that no one escaped Vietnam unscathed, even those who led normal lives for 30 years. Frank Castle is no exception to this, as Vietnam created the Punisher.

This is an important distinction to make, as it changes the entire perspective of war in Marvel’s comics. No longer is Castle an honorable man seeking vengeance for his family’s unjust murder and using his military training to do so, but he is a destroyed man who resorts back to destruction in order to force the world to make sense. In the MAX series, Ennis does his best to separate the morality of the readers from the actions of Frank Castle, to the point where he is simply a monster. In doing so, Ennis emphasizes the horrors of war and establish a sense of political corruption, as we are all too ready to send people into this horror.

War is able to change a man, as well as the world around him. This is not limited to just Frank Castle. One of the great ironies of war that is implied by Fussell is the unknown and permanent effects on society. I think Ennis’s characterization of Castle and his origin story are the smartest uses of the character ever, and though one may interpret the book as over-the-top violence for the sake of shock, the influence of war on the narrative roots the series with deeply profound political agency. Ennis does not stop there. War is such an omnipresent constant in the modern world, even if we do not necessarily think about it daily. There are characters throughout the series that are near equivalents to Frank Castle in terms of how war has changed their lives, whether they are from Russia, Ireland, or Yugoslavia etc. Perhaps that is one of the greatest ironies of all; it can charge particular people so violently while creating an equally alarming obliviousness in the rest of us while we are at home with our families.

http://sequart.org/magazine/2824/the-origin-of-the-punisher-and-the-narrative-power-of-war/

#reblog

marvel

Friends. Enemies. Frank Castle. “Marvel’s The Punisher” is coming soon.

ancientdark

the official punisher Twitter (@/thepunisher) is tweeting morse code

potentially episode titles

ancientdark

1 - 3 AM 2 - Two Dead Men 3 - Kandahar 4 - Resupply 5 - Gunner 6 - The Judas Goat 7 - Crosshairs 8 - Cold Steel 9 - Front Toward Enemy 10 - Virtue of the Vicious 11 - Danger Close 12 - Home 13 - Memento Mori

the official punisher Twitter (@/thepunisher) is tweeting morse code potentially episode titles

wholemeasure-a

s o…. hey… i heard you guys liked the punisher, and i just so happen to be the asshole that skipped to the very end of the defenders to find my son frank.

here he is.

#reblog

why-i-love-comics

Punisher War Journal #8 - “Sunset” (2007)

written by Matt Fraction art by Ariel Olivetti

#reblog

theprettynerdie

The Punisher Vol. 2 Issue #3: The Devil Came From Kansas (1987)

In one of the first publicized issues of The Punisher, Frank Castle shows us the only proper way to deal with Nazis.

#reblog

why-i-love-comics

Punisher War Journal #8 - “Sunset” (2007)

written by Matt Fraction art by Ariel Olivetti

#reblog

cole-alves-blog

here’s frank mowing down a bunch of hitlers

#reblog

kf2-art-things-deactivated20200

Reblog if your icon would punch a nazi

cole-alves-blog

as a matter of fact… frank spent an entire arc in punisher: war journal murdering the fuck out of some nazis, in true punisher style. please enjoy the following excerpt from an article found on arousinggrammar written by jason levine:

“Because Castle has such a strict system of justice, he doesn’t and never will kill good guys. He’s after the wicked. Add Captain America’s reputation and his past as a war hero like the Punisher, you can bet your Archie comics collection that the Punisher respects him. Which led to this fantastic arc in Punisher: War Journal:

Yup, allow me to introduce you to Hate Monger. He’s a racist supervillain. Unfortunately, it’s more of a title because Hate Mongers tend not to last very long. Especially not when the Punisher is coming.

Castle isn’t bulletproof. He can’t just flip a jeep into the white supremacist camp and gun them all down. The Punisher has to plan. To infiltrate. To time his attacks. But he’s had 30 years of practice, and no one knows how to go incognito like the Punisher:

Luckily, not too many neo-Nazis hold doctorates, so he gets into the club. Unluckily, turns out they’re not just a ragtag team of biker outlaws. We have a new generation, one who learned that burning crosses and spitting on Jews may not be the best way to accomplish their ultimate goals. Which means Castle now has to deal with this:

Okay, so maybe the neo-Nazis do have some doctorates. H-Rays, in true comic book fashion, are invisible and undetectable, but upon ingestion brings up dormant rage and hatred. Secret plot discovered. Now it’s up to Confederate Punisher to stop this madness from the inside. But y’know, what’s the fun in hiding?

Just because Castle fights a hell of a fight doesn’t mean he’s always successful. Even Captain America gets captured occasionally. Besides what’s the fun in having the good guy win every brawl he’s in? We enjoy seeing how James Bond gets out of cackling villains’ traps. So despite utilizing all the cacti in the area, the Punisher is found out, captured, and tied to a post. More importantly, it gives the Hate Monger time to rant.

In the next few panels, the Punisher is wearing a new costume. Why? Well, there just so happens to be an opening for a new Captain America.

Half of the captain’s rogue gallery is Nazis. Cap was killed by a henchman of the de facto Nazi leader, Red Skull. So while the other heroes give emotional eulogies and toasts, the Punisher honors Captain America the best way he knows how.

Didn’t stop him from getting defeated, but let it be known that the Punisher isn’t known for being enjoyable to be around.

Because of the narrative direction I wished to pursue, you’re hopefully clear that the Hate Monger is an asshole (and not just because of that terrible soul patch), but you’re missing hard proof to justify my claim. Well, I’m not going to let you down. Before we get to the exciting conclusion of our tale, let’s go back a few pages to an inspirational speech.

In summary, the Hate Monger, seeing Captain America’s death on TV like the rest of the world, decides to adopt a version of the costume for use in his evil plans. The Punisher, normally outraged by crime but in this case, H-Ray crazy outraged, makes his own Captain America costume to deal with this douchebag. Because although Castle may not be a homing beacon for the country’s morality and patriotism, he sure as hell knows it’s never going to be Hate Monger.

The Punisher definitely isn’t afraid of death, and some critics will argue that he’s secretly hoping to die so he can see his family again and blah blah blah, but it certainly would ruin the literary flow. Castle’s allies, which include that skinny guy with glasses and a government agent out to arrest Castle, ambush the execution scene, bomb the hideout, and pandemonium ensues. Punisher wins, because he always wins. Plus, who wants a Nazi victory?”