Rating: 
Summary: Slow, but solid beginning of the Ennis monthly Punisher
Review: After the success of the excellent Garth Ennis/Steve Dillon Punisher maxi-series that re-defined the character, Marvel released yet another monthly volume of the criminal killing vigilante, with the Preacher creative team at the helm. While Army of One is solid blood and bullets entertainment, the restrictions of the PG+ rating don't allow Ennis to steer into that ultra bizarre territory that made his earlier works such a smash. Not to mention that the Russian, who was previously decapitated in the max-series, makes a return, and while that in itself is a hilarious moment, it doesn't help the book. Besides that, Ennis' disdain for superheroes shows when Frank and Spider-Man "team-up" against the Russian (that in itself is worth the price of admission alone) and Dillon's art is excellent as always. The next volumes of the Marvel Knights Punisher series had their ups and downs, but the current Marvel MAX Punisher series is where Ennis' talent really shines, and those issues and volumes are what to pick up.
Rating: 
Summary: Gettin' Spacked, Again!
Review: Although not quite up to par with their previous work on the 'The Punisher' maxi-series, the amazing Ennis-Dillon duo did manage to put together a pretty good follow-up. And, as one would expect from this legendary team, their latest tale of vigilante mayhem is filled with all sorts of bizarre & over-the-top moments! In the first chapter alone the dynamic duo of extreme comics put the most entertainingly disquieting spins on two of the comic-book world's most cliched & hackneyed staples: the resurrection of a character believed dead (the return of the Russian from the 12-ish maxi), and the moment of incredible coincidence (Detective Soap, also from the 12-ish maxi, and an eerily familiar-looking older woman). Both moments unfold quite differently from what most jaded comic fans would expect, but that's what makes them some of the greatest laugh-out-loud scenes I've ever experienced in the four-color medium this side of Barry Ween!
Issue two features our beloved anti-hero's resourcefulness as he comes up with an off-the-cuff (so to speak) application for the unconscious Spider-Man's web-shooters. And as a follow-up to his barroom exploits in the previous ish, the always-hapless Soap is basking in the... um... aftermath of a most disturbing indiscretion.Part three puts the Punisher in a familiar predicament: he's outmanned, outgunned and is being hunted down. In this particular adventure, it's on a remote island run by a cell of military castoffs and mercenaries. Needless to say, his pursuers don't stand a chance! This particular ish is especially memorable for me 'cause Marvel printed my e-mail in the letters column. I mentioned a few potential No-Prize-winning errors I saw in the 1st issue (they haven't gotten back to me on that No-Prize yet), along with a bit of kissing-up to Garth, Steve, and Co. Unfortunately, none of the letters columns are reprinted in this TPB, so if you wanna see one of my few published writings outside the realm of Amazon customer reviews, just hit the back-issue bins at the local comic shop. Take all the time you need, I'll wait right here 'til you get back... Wow, back already? That was fast. See, I told you I'd still be here! In part four Frank gets his kicks playing 'chicken' with a jumbo jet laden with troops & weaponry. You wanna guess who wins? Part five features the obligatory final confrontation between Pun and the leader of the mercs. The Russian also has a bit of fun in the end as Frank helps him re-enact Slim Pickens' classic performance from 'Doctor Strangelove'! And finally there's the epilogue, which you'll just hafta see to believe! Here's a hint: guess who's back on the sauce? Topping things off for this collection are a couple of one-shot stories. The first adventure is quite different than what you'd normally expect from Ennis & pals. There's no wacky supporting characters or zanily over-the-top situations here, just a straightforward and surprisingly poignant tale of one man's returning a favor to a wayward friend. The second one-shot, a wordless adventure both 'penned' and rendered by Dillon, features our beloved vigilante stalking the streets of the Big Apple, searching for a mobster who's trying to lay low. This ish features a tribute to-- or, to some, an outright ripoff of-- one of the more memorable scenes from 'Crocodile Dundee'. Or was it 'Crocodile Dundee II'...? Well, it's not like it matters all that much. Now, THAT'S a knife!
Sadly, this collection represents the conclusion of Ennis' & Dillon's continuous collaboration on the title. Fortunately, they promised to come back & try their hand at more Pun tales in the future, so there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Hopefully, Marvel will consider moving its legendary vigilante to their MAX imprint, and let the boys do what they do best: use decent helpings of gratuitous ultra-violence that's NOT off-panel, throw in an occasional nudie (preferably female), and maybe even-- *gasp!*-- use naughty words! Oh, the possibilities...
Rating:
Summary: Gettin' Spacked, Again!
Review: Although not quite up to par with their previous work on the `The Punisher' maxi-series, the amazing Ennis-Dillon duo did manage to put together a pretty good follow-up. And, as one would expect from this legendary team, their latest tale of vigilante mayhem is filled with all sorts of bizarre & over-the-top moments! In the first chapter alone the dynamic duo of extreme comics put the most entertainingly disquieting spins on two of the comic-book world's most cliched & hackneyed staples: the resurrection of a character believed dead (the return of the Russian from the 12-ish maxi), and the moment of incredible coincidence (Detective Soap, also from the 12-ish maxi, and an eerily familiar-looking older woman). Both moments unfold quite differently from what most jaded comic fans would expect, but that's what makes them some of the greatest laugh-out-loud scenes I've ever experienced in the four-color medium this side of Barry Ween!
Issue two features our beloved anti-hero's resourcefulness as he comes up with an off-the-cuff (so to speak) application for the unconscious Spider-Man's web-shooters. And as a follow-up to his barroom exploits in the previous ish, the always-hapless Soap is basking in the... um... aftermath of a most disturbing indiscretion. Part three puts the Punisher in a familiar predicament: he's outmanned, outgunned and is being hunted down. In this particular adventure, it's on a remote island run by a cell of military castoffs and mercenaries. Needless to say, his pursuers don't stand a chance! This particular ish is especially memorable for me `cause Marvel printed my e-mail in the letters column. I mentioned a few potential No-Prize-winning errors I saw in the 1st issue (they haven't gotten back to me on that No-Prize yet), along with a bit of kissing-up to Garth, Steve, and Co. Unfortunately, none of the letters columns are reprinted in this TPB, so if you wanna see one of my few published writings outside the realm of Amazon customer reviews, just hit the back-issue bins at the local comic shop. Take all the time you need, I'll wait right here `til you get back... Wow, back already? That was fast. See, I told you I'd still be here! In part four Frank gets his kicks playing `chicken' with a jumbo jet laden with troops & weaponry. You wanna guess who wins? Part five features the obligatory final confrontation between Pun and the leader of the mercs. The Russian also has a bit of fun in the end as Frank helps him re-enact Slim Pickens' classic performance from `Doctor Strangelove'! And finally there's the epilogue, which you'll just hafta see to believe! Here's a hint: guess who's back on the sauce? Topping things off for this collection are a couple of one-shot stories. The first adventure is quite different than what you'd normally expect from Ennis & pals. There's no wacky supporting characters or zanily over-the-top situations here, just a straightforward and surprisingly poignant tale of one man's returning a favor to a wayward friend. The second one-shot, a wordless adventure both `penned' and rendered by Dillon, features our beloved vigilante stalking the streets of the Big Apple, searching for a mobster who's trying to lay low. This ish features a tribute to-- or, to some, an outright ripoff of-- one of the more memorable scenes from `Crocodile Dundee'. Or was it `Crocodile Dundee II'...? Well, it's not like it matters all that much. Now, THAT'S a knife!
Sadly, this collection represents the conclusion of Ennis' & Dillon's continuous collaboration on the title. Fortunately, they promised to come back & try their hand at more Pun tales in the future, so there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Hopefully, Marvel will consider moving its legendary vigilante to their MAX imprint, and let the boys do what they do best: use decent helpings of gratuitous ultra-violence that's NOT off-panel, throw in an occasional nudie (preferably female), and maybe even-- *gasp!*-- use naughty words! Oh, the possibilities...
Rating:
Summary: More of the same...
Review: Basically more of the same. Garth Ennis isn't quite "there" yet and this is essentially a retread of Welcome Back, Frank with a new set of bad guys. There are some welcome returns (Soap) and some unwelcome encores (The Russian). If you thought The Russian was too "cartoony" last time, wait 'til you see him now. The character really drags down the book and is a bigger part of this one than he was in Welcome Back, Frank. Still provides enough mindless entertainment to make it worth parting with your dollars, but the REALLY good stuff doesn't come until the next book.
Rating:
Summary: ARMY OF ONE IS A "HIT AND MISS" AFFAIR
Review: Don't let the rating fool you, even though ARMY OF ONE isn't as strong as Garth Ennis' WELCOME BACK FRANK, it's still stronger that the character has been portrayed in years. This TPB reprints the first seven issues of the Punisher comic title that was relaunched in 2001. It tells three tales: 1 - The Punisher locks heads with a renegade military general and his own personal island of mercenaries (including The Russian, from Ennis previous Punisher tales). Punisher gets to do all the things we like to see him do; shoot, kill, maim, and get creative with the tools that he has on-hand. 2 - A character driven story about life in NYC and how it is still capable of crushing even the strongest of people. The tale shows the Punisher attempting to track down an ex-army friend that has...lost his purpose in life. 3 - A picture driven story (no dialogue at all) showing the Punisher chase down a criminal and how these actions can not only effect the lives of innocents, but how a similar action can be viewed as heinous when coming from a different character. I like the Punisher, and I am a HUGE fan of Mr. Ennis work on other titles (notbably the Preacher series). The problem with his take on Punisher is it feels like a half-way effort. We don't get the violence, swearing, or grotesqueness that we expect to shock us in a tale about one man's war against crime...it just feels watered down. On top of that the first story-arc features The Russian who is placed into a comic element that just doesn't work in this type of story (Punisher afterall is not Preacher). So when all is said and done we have a version of The Punisher that shows signs of what a brilliant character he could be. Marvel needs to loosen the reins on Ennis and allow him to cut loose with all the gusto that we know he and artist Dillon are capable of. The Punisher's tale is the simplest of any comicbook character: REVENGE ON CRIMINALS (usually through extreme violence on a shocking level). So in future endeavors I hope the writers will steer away from the comedy and focus on the driving force of Frank Castle, THE PUNISHER!
Rating:
Summary: Great series, but not quite as good as the first!
Review: Following in the steps of the previous series, the Punisher is no less violent or dark. But it lost a bit of its edge this time around. Don't be confused...the story is still great. A brief and rather funny, one-sided "team-up" between Spider-man and the Punisher against a familiar and unexpected enemy adds some great humor to the book. The Punisher finds himself later heading to a remote island where a traitorous para-military American force is planning a horrible terrorist act to deal out some indiscriminate justice. The Ennis/Dillon duo, along with Jimmy Palmiotti, manage to once again weave an engaging and action-packed story with its fair share of blood, violence, and wicked sense of humor. Its a great book because it takes itself seriously, but at the same time has just enough humor to get you to laugh to yourself. I would say this falls short of the standards set by the first one only because there are a few aspects about it that are a little silly, and some parts of the story just don't add up too well. Nevertheless, in the end, we have a good, solid story with great artwork and entertaining characters. Definitely worth the purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Great series, but not quite as good as the first!
Review: Following in the steps of the previous series, the Punisher is no less violent or dark. But it lost a bit of its edge this time around. Don't be confused...the story is still great. A brief and rather funny, one-sided "team-up" between Spider-man and the Punisher against a familiar and unexpected enemy adds some great humor to the book. The Punisher finds himself later heading to a remote island where a traitorous para-military American force is planning a horrible terrorist act to deal out some indiscriminate justice. The Ennis/Dillon duo, along with Jimmy Palmiotti, manage to once again weave an engaging and action-packed story with its fair share of blood, violence, and wicked sense of humor. Its a great book because it takes itself seriously, but at the same time has just enough humor to get you to laugh to yourself. I would say this falls short of the standards set by the first one only because there are a few aspects about it that are a little silly, and some parts of the story just don't add up too well. Nevertheless, in the end, we have a good, solid story with great artwork and entertaining characters. Definitely worth the purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome story. The Russian is what made it average.
Review: I have mixed feelings towards this comic. The Punisher is at his best in it. What I don't like about it is that the writer took his questionable sense of humor too far with the come back of The Russian (one of the bad guys in the story).
We all know that the goal of comic books is not to portrait reality, but resurrecting a previously decapitated villain, giving him a body that at the same time has an opening door in the chest, where he has three (!?!) hearts to support all the effort he goes through, and boobs due to the hormones they injected in the body (?!?)... Now, that is taking it too far (especially in a Punisher story).
The Punisher is perhaps the most realistic Marvel character and he does not deserve to fight that much nonsense.
In conclusion, the story would be a 5 stars one if they didn't have The Russian in it.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome story. The Russian is what made it average.
Review: I have mixed feelings towards this comic. The Punisher is at his best in it. What I don't like about it is that the writer took his questionable sense of humor too far with the come back of The Russian (one of the bad guys in the story).
We all know that the goal of comic books is not to portrait reality, but resurrecting a previously decapitated villain, giving him a body that at the same time has an opening door in the chest, where he has three (!?!) hearts to support all the effort he goes through, and boobs due to the hormones they injected in the body (?!?)... Now, that is taking it too far (especially in a Punisher story).
The Punisher is perhaps the most realistic Marvel character and he does not deserve to fight that much nonsense.
In conclusion, the story would be a 5 stars one if they didn't have The Russian in it.
Rating: 
Summary: A very terrible mess
Review: If there is any Punisher book that is worth picking up and buying in the series, it's the original collected 12-issue paperback by Garth Ennis. With "WELCOME BACK, FRANK", Ennis and Dillon were able to cleverly steer around alot of boundaries and constraints by withholding cussing and serious gore, but told a very entertaining story through and through. Every loose end was tied up nicely. Villains got what they deserved and the downtrodden achieved the hope they always dreamed of. It should have ended right there, but I found myself buying the second volume just like that, because I was really impressed with what Ennis and Dillon could do. Eventhough Ennis has a solid reputation of churning out brilliant goofiness and serious outlooks on life, as he did so well with Hellblazer and Preacher, what transpires in ARMY OF ONE is basically a s**t sandwich, and everyone who bought it and was unsatisfied with it had to to take a bite. One of the major problems with this volume was undoubtedly The Russian. He comes back to life as a cyborg with massive breasts, and Spider-Man serves as a useless cameo, whereas Daredevil's cameo in the original mini-series was pretty entertaining and well-written. We also meet up with Soap once again. Now I was really angry at the fact that all these fulfilling closures were carelessly torn open and ruined just for the sake of more issues being written, and it definitely shows with Soap's return. Soap is depressed once again, having been knocked from his recently attained position of Comissioner and returned unceremoniously to the impossible Punisher case(it is suggested that he sleeps with a woman-pretending-to-be-a-man in a drunken escapade, just before they share a rather creepy dialogue exchange where the "woman" hints at being his mother). I highly suggest you stand by the racks in whatever comic store you frequently attend, and read the rather good bonus stories towards the end, then return it to the empty void from which it was taken along with other, better graphic novels resting beside it.
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