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.
Please tell me Frank named his not-a-Batmobile something other than UUAV. Please!
ReplyDelete'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?