Rating: 
Summary: No holds barred fun
Review: The creative team behind the return of the Punisher, Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, were also responsible for the entire 66-issue run of the best comic of recent years, Preacher. This graphic novel, which collects all twelve of the Punisher series from 2000 - 2001, almost matches the standard set with Preacher. Never a dull moment, Ennis seems to really enjoy writing the Punisher (how many comic book writers give you that impression?). Dillon's artwork is crisp, clear and entirely suited to the character. The gruesome but highly entertaining treatment of the Punisher's main foe in the story, crime boss Ma Gnucci, is one of the best examples of comic writing I've read. Don't expect subtelty - it's fun, there's humour that no previous Punisher comic even approached and it paid off, with the comic never out of the monthly top ten best sellers. Ennis and Dillon returned to produce an on-going Punisher series in June 2001, with Ennis scheduled to write the first six editions. Whoever follows him has a high standard to maintain.
Rating: 
Summary: Bloody goodness
Review: The first time I became a fan of Garth Ennis' work was when I started picking up the Preacher papaerbacks, and then Hellblazer. This guy is a genius, not because he fills every frame with cuss words and exploding heads(credit also goes to artist extraordinare, Steve Dillion), but because he dishes out intellectual and all-too-true observations on society, politics, and above all, religion. I immediately ran out and bought this book, including Vol. 2, without leafing through it first or anything. The two names on it alone was why I shelled out the 20 bucks. At first I was a bit disappointed because he was afterall writing a Marvel title and it kind of held back his freedom to do whatever he wanted like he did with Preacher and Hellblazer but trust me, it strangely gives each issue more gravity and showcases even more how creative Ennis is, even though I cringed at times reading the mobsters' dialogue. There is still a ton of violence(the body count is unimaginable), and Dillion's artwork is still captivating, but it's the story that will keep you reading to the last page. I liked Frank's relationship with his freakish roommates Spacker Dave, Mr. Bumpo, and Joan the Mouse. The nice subplot involving miserable Detective Soap is both laughable and depressing at the same time. I could go on and on about how great this book is, but it has to be read to be truly understood. Get it. Here's to comics' duo of unstoppable revolutionaries.
Rating: 
Summary: Welcome Back Frank Indeed!
Review: The Nineties can pretty much be written off for Punisher fans. Frank Castle became a shadow of his former self and was no longer the deadly force of vengeance that struck readers as both horrifying and sympathetic at the same time. He had for all intents and purposes become that party guest who overstayed his welcome. A combination of woeful creative teams and overexposure condemned the Punisher to mediocrity and not even an intriguing new "angelic" take on the character through the Marvel Knight imprint could breathe new life in him. Then along came Ennis and Dillon, the creative duo responsible for the most inspired comic series of the 1990's - Preacher. They approached Frank Castle in a way never seen before. They composed a narrative filled with a combination of irony, parody, and tongue-in-cheek humor that still maintained enough of the psychotic killer and man on a mission elements that long-time readers remembered from Punisher stories from decades past. This unusual approach makes for the most entertaining Punisher read in a long time. The material is not as strong as Ennis' and Dillon's work on Preacher, and the story is a little longer than it needs to be, but the end result is a complete revitalization of Marvel's most famous vigilante. The chase sequence through the zoo is particularly inspired but as with the Preacher series, it's the characters that make the story. Ma Gnucchi, Detective Soap, The Russian, Mr. Bumpo, Spacker Dave, and the lovable Joan all make strong and lasting impressions. If you haven't checked out Frank Castle for a while then perhaps it's time to welcome an old friend back by picking up this book.
Rating:
Summary: Great story -- but NOT a children's book
Review: This 12-issue revitalization of The Punisher works, for the most part. A lot of the grim-and-gritty angle is gone, replaced with dark (pitch black) humor. But I can't imagine why someone listed this under Children's Books and put reading level as ages 9-12. True, there aren't a lot of obscenities in there (as compared to Ennis and Dillon's Preacher), but the violence in here is a bit extreme for that age category.
Rating:
Summary: So outrageous.
Review: This book is a fairy tale, a fantasy, an illusion and above all a piece of art. It lives in magic and should be immediatly considered for a movie. The characters are defying the laws of storytelling. You have a depressed cop, an obsessed middle-aged killer, a russian who thinks as an eight-year old kid, and an old woman wanting to kill the killer so she can continue killing. Of course, the circle is broken. Order it and have a wonderful time!
Rating:
Summary: Back to basics
Review: This book is basically the pinnacle of Punisher. I'd say every single comic fan out there would enjoy this trade, it's just awesome. If you're a fan of Frank, you're gonna love this trade for capturing Frank's character perfectly. If you're a newbie to the Punisher, you'll love this too because it's a complete start over, you need no prior history of the Punisher whatsoever except for the fact that he kills criminals. It should be said for this book as well, it is recommended for more mature readers due to extreme violence.
This book starts off completely cut off from the Punisher history. Frank comes to New York and realizes that he has a lot of work to do, and "work" is exactly what he does. Most of the story in this book ties around the overall story of the Punisher trying to take down the Gnucci NY crime family. The Punisher sets up base in a cheap NY apartment that he basically fills with weapons. He also has three annoying as hell neighbors that make for some very cool scenes. The head of the Gnucci family Ma Gnucci is one of the most ruthless women in New York, and she's not happy with what Frank's doing to her family. She tries to track down and kill Frank but that's easier said then done, eventually she calls her most psychotic assassin named "The Russian" to fight Frank, resulting in one of my favorite comic book battles of all time. Meanwhile, there are some awesome sub-plots of two detectives working on busting Frank and the Gnuccis and three "wanna-be Punishers" that try to follow in his foot steps.
Needless to say the story is classic Punisher but it's done very well. The art is fine, if not a bit too generic for my liking. My favorite part about this book is basically how awesome the Punisher is. It's extremely realistic in the way that he doesn't gun down like 50 criminals at once, and they way he thinks seems just like the way a Vietnam vet that kills thugs would. In lots of ways, this book is worth it just for the memorable moments. The Russian vs. Punisher fight is one of the best in comic history, the three wanna be Punisher vigilantes all have memorable moments (as well as what happens to them), and one of the best of all is the Punisher, Ma Gnucci, and a bunch of thugs in an old zoo after dark. You can figure out what happens.
And now for the flaws of the book. There are no real outstanding flaws, just a few nit-picks that I have. Garth Ennis has given us some amazing Punisher stories, but I honestly think Steve Dillion couldn't give us as much in the art department. The art in this is by no means bad, it's just a bit too generic, I'd like to see a bit more style as opposed to the flat drawings of characters. My only other problem is Daredevil. Daredevil is my favorite hero, so when I saw him turn up in an amazing book like this, I was enthralled. Unfortunately, my expectations were not met, Garth Ennis is obviously not a DD fan because Frank basically hands DD's ass to him and turns him into a crying little girl. DD would never go down like he does in this book.
In closing, I'm telling you to buy this book. Punisher fans and non Punisher fans alike will love it. And if you thought the Punisher movie was awesome (like I did), then definitely pick this up due to it loosely being based on this trade.
Rating:
Summary: Guilty Pleasure
Review: This book rocks!!! Ennis's taste for black comedy adds tremendeous flavor to the already twisted storyline. It's both violent and funny as... Daredevil's got the lesson in this story arc on how the Punisher must react upon his targets. The artwork by Steve Dillon is simple yet strongly suggestive a la Preacher. These two guys know how to wrench our guts.
Rating:
Summary: Garth Ennis is Perfect for the Punisher
Review: This book was great. The whole Punisher Mini Series in one book - Great Deal. I never really liked the Punisher much, becuase he was too violent and stuff. But after reading this book I can confidently say that the Punisher is still Violent! But it was good. Good writing, funny jokes every once in awhile. The Russian turns out to be a horribly scary and funny character. Get this book and catch up on the latest stories of the Punisher. It's so good even a religious person like myself can tolerate the violence and still enjoy the book. Not for little kids though. Also read the newest Punisher book "Amry of One" The 6th issue of the Punisher regular series is pure gold! Real good
Rating:
Summary: very entertainig book art not so great though
Review: This first installment in the punisher series by garth ennis is very well written and entertaining. Ennis mixes comedy with action and pretty much everything else you can think of some times you thing you are gonna die laghing and others you think you might puke your guts out. Punisher is as mean as ever in this book and he has to be when he's up against enemys like the russian and the Gnucci family. Overall a good book to pick up. The reason i only gave it 4 stars, however, is that the artwork could have been better and there are three kind of stupid characters that think they got what it takes to be with the punisher but they get what they deserve in the end.
Rating:
Summary: very entertainig book art not so great though
Review: This first installment in the punisher series by garth ennis is very well written and entertaining. Ennis mixes comedy with action and pretty much everything else you can think of some times you thing you are gonna die laghing and others you think you might puke your guts out. Punisher is as mean as ever in this book and he has to be when he's up against enemys like the russian and the Gnucci family. Overall a good book to pick up. The reason i only gave it 4 stars, however, is that the artwork could have been better and there are three kind of stupid characters that think they got what it takes to be with the punisher but they get what they deserve in the end.
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