Monday, July 24, 2023

For a Punisher comic, this almost qualifies as compassionate care.

Also, the Punisher gets a new ride, presumably from Wayne Industries, in today's book: from 1991, Punisher War Journal #34, "Blackout" Written by Mike Baron, pencils by Ron Wagner, and a ton of inkers.
A former Wall Street trader has had a psychotic break, and to defend earth from the Martian invasion, has been blowing up Con Ed power stations. (In a rant, he mentions his dad made him work at a quarry as a kid, where he picked up the demolition know-how.) The ensuing blackouts have exacerbated racial tensions between the Korean and African-American neighborhoods, which also have a local drug dealer shaking down both groups. Frank has a new toy, an "unlimited urban assault vehicle," which he commissioned for $8 million in 1991 money--in the neighborhood of 18 million today, which seems kind of light, but I suppose nobody pads the Punisher's bills, either. Frank turns the water cannons on some looters, but also straight-up murders one that pulls a knife on him, which felt a bit excessive? He could've broken both of his arms without breathing hard if he wanted to. (Back in '91 looting, in some circles, was seemingly considered a more heinous crime than murder. The looters were stealing from a smaller, probably family-owned business; but they would've been insured? And when Frank blasts them with that water cannon he doubtless destroys whatever they looted as well. Which is probably a point for him, like no, nobody can have it then.)
Frank guns down a lot of thugs with his new murder-mobile, and happens upon the trader-bomber, who thinks Frank is "the man in black," a superior officer in the resistance against the Martians. Getting the backstory from him, Frank locks up the guy's explosives, and gives him a nice new tinfoil hat to keep the Martian transmissions out. And a matching beret to wear over the tinfoil! Boy, Frank can accessorize. He saves him from a bum-burning, and notes that he'll set up insurance and treatment for him through a dummy company. Geez, Frank does more for mental health than most states! Still, kinda feel like he's all over the place on this one.

1 comment:

Mr. Morbid's House Of Fun said...

Please tell me Frank named his not-a-Batmobile something other than UUAV. Please!
'91 huh? I guess he didn't bother to head west & stop the looting done during the riots the year after did he? *Rolls eyes hard*

I wonder what Frank would think of the guy Michael Douglas played in the movie "Falling Down." Would he approve of his brand of vigilantism or probably just kill him too?