Marvel MAX

My review of PunisherMAX #2 is up on the main site

http://panelsonpages.com/?p=16075

Only problem I had with Punishermax #2 was the scene where a younger Wilson Fisk and his crew are hauled before the Don for ripping of his cigarette truck. There's no way Fisk would have been allowed to take a gun into that meeting!

Man this is a brutal comic.

Aussiemandias wrote:Only problem I had with Punishermax #2 was the scene where a younger Wilson Fisk and his crew are hauled before the Don for ripping of his cigarette truck. There's no way Fisk would have been allowed to take a gun into that meeting!

Man this is a brutal comic.

Yeah its so brutal! I must be going soft as I get older, cuz this book had me cringing a lot lol...especially what Kingpin had done to that guy's wife

Very brutal comic, but also a very good comic. Jason Aaron is the master of dark crime books.

Punmax #3

If you thought the last issue made you cringe...just wait 'til you see this. Jason Aaron's version of Punisher is now the Sopranos all Marveled-up and MAXified. Or should we say, version of Kingpin? You'll sell more books calling this Punisher--I think--but this has definitely become the Kingpin book. Other than the usual "being exploitive 'cause we can" feel from Aaron and Dillon, Kingpin's personification is worthy of the purchase alone.

I'll explain.

While the gratuitious violence, nudity and language all say HBO, it's the double life of Kingpin, in the case of Tony Soprano, that makes this book so engaging. He knows what he wants and just how to get it, but he's almost too intelligent to jump the gun. He reacts three steps ahead, he baits his time, he does only what needs to be done. This Kingpin isn't even the boss just yet, though he aspires to be; just seeing his methodical leap onto the world of crime makes it all worth it.

Issue #3 is one of those wildly entertaining books that you know doesn't have the most inspiring premise, you know it's simply sickly for the sake of being so, yet you don't want to put it down. Unless you're a prude.

3.5/5 Bags & Boards - Reads better than my score indicates, as only time will tell if the happenings in the book amount to anything more.

Well I must be a prude because I'm dropping Punishermax as I find the violence in it to be pointless and exploitative and pretty uninspired. I'm not finding this particularly well written.

PunMax #4

Some are dropping the title because of its inane violence and overtly graphic depections. Some are dropping Punishermax due to its snail-like pace. With only an issue or two before the series heads to its Bullseye arc, I plan on sticking around. So far Jason Aaron has created a certain moral compass about Kingpin not seen since Brubaker's one-shot take on him late in his Daredevil run. And we all know how that turned out. Well, no surprise here, Kingpin is launching to unleash his wrath. But not just yet.

Steve Dillon doesn't haunt us as much as previous issues, though a few neat tricks are pulled during Frank Castle's fight with a hired hitman-turned-Amish farmer; the guy's a bad ass. Other than a few lines earlier in the ish ("You gonna hoe him to death?"), the story also lacks the absurdist humor of say The Boys. If you're going to make a book this graphic, at least make it a little fun. But I suppose with Kingpin's light-hearted nature gone astray, so does the series' vibe. Despite the series inconsistencies, and with the arc winding down, I'm not going to give up on how special Aaron's Punisher can be just yet.

3.5/5 Bags&Boards - Another solid read, picking up the steam from last issue with a bad ass brawl and some fine characterizations. Might not be enough for some readers.

I'm waiting until the the first trade drops to buy PunisherMAX

An Amish hitman fighting Punisher to the death? What's not to like?

Bigtymin504 wrote:An Amish hitman fighting Punisher to the death? What's not to like?

I have to admit it nearly did get me back in but not quite enough. #4 is my last issue. I haven't hated it but I just find it kind of nasty. Anyway, I'm getting a lot of comics and something had to get the Mennonite axe!

Aussie, pick this one up since it's the conclusion...


PunMax #5

I know it's a guilty pleasure. I mean, really, all MAX titles tend to stick to that script. The best part is Jason Aaron has added dimension in his top villain, even when readers already presume of a likely outcome. Thankfully, the team of Aaron and Steve Dillon create gratifying ways to blow down the house. In other words, their graphic violence is a thing of beauty. Sick, I know.

Although the conclusion to the Kingpin arc is an awesome one, I'll have to agree with Dan (Philips, of ign.com) that Aaron's handle on Frank Castle hasn't been the greatest. There's nothing about the Punisher in this MAX series that seperates himself from the rest; unlike Remender's off-the-wall extremeties of FrankenCastle.

This arc was only stunning because of Kingpin's moniker, so I fear the swordfight between Punisher and Bullseye will come off as standard action fair. If Aaron does his best to avoid what's already been told in Bullseye: Human Targets and Dark Reign: Hawkeye, we may have yet another winner.

If you liked the Sopranos, you won't be disappointed with the Kingpin arc.

4/5 Bags&Boards - It is what it is, and "it" is highly enjoyable. With little-to-no competition, Punishermax #5 is the Marvel Book of the Week.

LOOSECANNON wrote:Aussie, pick this one up since it's the conclusion...

Seeing it's such a small week for me too, I might just do that.

PunisherMax #6

Solid issue of violence and black humor that's shaping up what appears to be another intense arc.

3.5/5 Bullseye-Sponsored Toilet Tissue

PunisherMax #7

Really enjoyed Aaron's interpretation of Bullseye MAX despite how far-fetched this character has gone. But you know what? That's the whole point of MAX--taking it to the extreme. If all Ultimate or Max versions of characters were too similar to their 616 counterparts, there'd be no point to those lines at all. Of course, Bullseye shouldn't be like Dr. Doom and Kingpin shouldn't be like Thor; you know, there are exceptions. For someone so highly dangerous and cunning as Frank, I don't blame Bullseye for taking such extreme measures in his plots to murder Castle--and wow are those measures extreme!

4/5 Bags&Boards - I actually didn't really expect much from this issue and it was one hell of a wild read. As you could tell by the review, a certain crazy with a target on his forehead dominates the issue; however, for the first time maybe yet, Punisher feels like someone with something on the line.

I'm LOVING this book, and I've never been a big Punisher fan. Seven issues in, I'm going to go ahead and say that Aaron's Punisher is better than Garth Ennis'. Yep.

Debaser77 wrote:I'm LOVING this book, and I've never been a big Punisher fan. Seven issues in, I'm going to go ahead and say that Aaron's Punisher is better than Garth Ennis'. Yep.

Yeah this arc has been really good. Just when you think Bullseye can't be any more of a psychotic cold-blooded murderer...

Review of PunisherMAX #8 is up on the main site.

http://panelsonpages.com/?p=24463

Have there been any trades for PunisherMAX released yet?

Yeah the Kingpin one.

PunisherMAX #8

More shocking than ever, Jason Aaron uses these scenes of exposition to push the vigilante's machinations to the forefront. In other words, this isn't horror for the sake of; Pun and Bullseye are playing a game of chess that can only turn for the worse--and they know there's no other way.

The book has really pushed the pace quite a few notches, now since character is out of the way, allowing readers to feel like a full war is upon us. The art continues to be menacing. While Aaron's quips and facetious way with words take center-stage, Dillon's expressionist pencils tell much of the story. The last few pages prove to be all the more chilling for it.

4/5