After taking care of a disease-maddened Hulk, the Punisher comes across a couple of survivors who may hold the answer to the plague's cure... or they may just be bait for a trap.
The Good
Parlov was my favorite artist on Punisher Max and he's really one of the most underrated talents in comics right now. There's a stoic strength to his lines that infuses every subject he renders with true heft and personality. I'm amazed at how he's able to use just a few choice lines to convey such subtle emotions in the characters and such subtle clues in the scenery. I'll compliment Maberry too for giving some actual dramatic weight to such an outlandish premise without making it seem overly-serious or force. This was actually pretty bad ass and it actually feels like it could stand on its own outside the Marvel universe. Frank's fight with Hulk was awesomely mean and his dealings with Deadpool later on were actually quite chilling. I'm impressed with how many subtle suggestions Mabbery was able to pepper throughout those scenes while still keeping DP true to his motormouth self.
The Bad
I can't help but think of this series' treading some ground that's already been covered in Marvel Zombies, except pushing it in a direction closer to the Ennis/ Burrows series Crossed. The execution's so good that I really don't care, but it's worth bringing up.
The Verdict - 4.5/5
This a great companion piece to Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe and definitely something you shouldn't overlook. Given the sticker shock, though, it might be worth it to wait for the trade. I hadn't paid attention to Maberry's name before this but, after looking him up on Comic Vine's trusty databases, I realized he was also behind the awesome Doom War, which shows he's got quite a range. I'm definitely going to be watching for his name in the future.
