Writer: Dan Abnett
Artist: Matteo Della Fonte
Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Legends Never Die
I would be remiss if I did not mention Gerry Conway in this review. He was such a consummate storyteller. There is a reason his work is still talked about today. His legacy and impact on comic books will be felt forever. After reading this comic, I wanted to learn more about Conway. It was a delightful surprise to learn he did not stick to just comics. His other works include Conan the Destroyer, Law & Order, and Hercules: The Legendary. It just goes to show how brilliant his mind was.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Punisher vs. The Amazing Spider-Man #1 is an enjoyable team-up book set in the early days of both characters' respective crime-fighting careers. The early-day setting creates room for the start of their differing personalities and behaviors. I thought this issue was really fun. From the start, I realized just how much characterization this book would have. Frank and Peter sizing each other up the entire time did so much good for both characters. It totally made sense where they were coming from. The only expectation I had going in was that both characters would inevitably team up at the end. It is sort of a given with superhero books.
JUST LIKE OLD TIMES
Personally, I think you can easily pick this up and enjoy it. It is not so tightly tied to continuity and prior reading. That said, this book does reference things from that first story (Punisher’s first appearance), but it is no more than a nod to what came before. The big conflict of this book is the meeting of the minds between Frank Castle and Peter Parker. How will they handle fighting crime together? They beat up Father Crime, the Lukac Outfit, and Jackie’s Boys in only a few pages. Personally, having fairly little knowledge of them, if any, it was clear the focus was not on them as antagonists. The only thing left standing in their way is each other. I love how much narration Frank does in this. He is thoughtful. He is meticulous. His narration is full of different assessments he makes of people. He breaks down Peter as if he were giving him a grade at school. How much he talks, what that could mean, and how he is in battle. He even tells Smokeshow (Dana Robbins) that Spider-Man can be a valuable asset with a little discipline. It is such an interesting line of thinking with Frank. It reads as if he is actually trying to team up with Spider-Man, which is a far cry from how he is now.
CAN EVERYBODY BE SAVED?
The biggest talking point for me is when Punisher and Spider-Man subdue the villains in Central Park, and Frank realizes where they are. He is in the same place he was when his family was murdered in front of him. After fighting those villains, it’s as if he shuts down. He stops looking, hearing, and talking to Peter. Peter notices it and tries to create more dialogue, but it doesn’t matter. I think that changes everything based on how Peter acts afterwards. At the Daily Bugle, Peter talks to Robbie Robertson about all things Punisher. I love the line Abnett writes for Robbie, “That explains him, Peter. It doesn’t excuse him”. Peter knows the difference between right and wrong, but he also knows that what happened to Frank wasn’t his fault. So, not only would Peter try seeing how people think of the Punisher, but so would Spider-Man. During a conversation with Johnny Storm, a.k.a. The Human Torch, Peter tells Johnny that Frank is a good man. I also like the lines, “I’m not condoning him! I am right on him, all the time, making sure he doesn’t resort to lethal measures”. Johnny knows where he’s going with this and questions if he is truly trying to save the Punisher.
THE ART
I like the art. Della Fonte does an exciting job with the characters and action sequences. The characters actually remind me of the video game, Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects. I think it has a similar art style. The faces and shadows remind me of each other. The fight scene with Father Crime and other villains at the church is my favorite showcase of the art. I already praised Della Fonte for his characters and action, and I really mean it. Also, I like how he framed the panels. He chose dynamic shots. Rachelle Rosenberg is one of my favorite color artists. I think a lot of her books are so colorful, either by the intensity of her colors or the number of colors on a page. It’s interesting to me how she chooses to color panels of a repeated action, like a close-up of a punch or bullet sprays. She focuses on the foreground and the characters in it
FINAL THOUGHTS
Punisher vs. The Amazing Spider-Man #1 is an enjoyable read with nice art. Personally, I still cannot get over how good the writing is, especially the narration. I love how Abnett writes Punisher in this. Even when talking about his costume, Frank tells Smokeshow, “It's about intimidation, not identity”. That checks out! Frank doesn't care about Punisher's branding. He cares that if someone sees his logo, they'd think twice. I think it is lost on some writers today how Frank Castle is much more than just the Punisher. Yes, he brutally kills people with an arsenal of weapons at his disposal, but he doesn’t rush into anything. He assesses who he is working with and/or against. He figures out who runs what in the underworld. And if he can’t do it himself, he gets other people to. I think, as wild and dangerous as he seems, Frank Castle is very much in control of his actions. This aspect of his character has been dormant in his modern appearances. Hopefully, this is something Abnett won’t ignore in these next issues.