@spideysense44: Prefers no but he looked great

@jonny_anonymous: For a tv show I've heard people say Dylan Mcdermmot,John Hamm , I've even heard someone say Colin Farel if they rough him up a bit

@tensta: which do you prefer

Hm I don't like any of them

@jonny_anonymous: i actually think Thomas Jane should comeback his short film on youtube is awesome

Jim Lee´s face in recent clothing (skull shirt, army looking pants. packing an arsenal)

Thomas Jane looked the part, Dylan McDermott sure, John Hamm perhaps, Colin Farrell no way.

A young Clint Eastwood. Colorization, copy and paste - they could do it

Hi guys! I recently began picking up this book and I'm currently enjoying it alot. Dropped Hulk and other titles for this and can't express how happy my decision was.

@vandersexxx: Once you go Punisher you don´t go back

he really does hit the right spots

Newsarama: Nathan, what is bringing the Punisher and Black Widow together here?

Nathan Edmondson: Both are on journeys that have led them to the same place at the same time. Pure chance. And yet it’s a crossing that will affect both of their journeys.

Nrama: As taken from the solicitations, Crossbones versus the Punisher seems like a natural pairing, just with their shared skull insignias. But what does Crossbones and his Skull Squad bring out in Frank and Natasha?

Edmondson: We’ve seen Punisher against Crossbones in the previous issues (which Kevin Maurer co-wrote with me). Bringing in Crossbones was Kevin’s idea, but it did feel right and natural for Punisher, and we carry all of that forward a bit. The real villain for both Black Widow and Punisher in these crossover issues, however, is time.

Nrama: And what about Frank and Natasha and their connections. They both carry guns, but have a different set of goals it seems. What do they think of each other?

Edmondson: Their motivations and internal dialogue and moral codes are very different, though they both are on similar paths, though they wouldn’t admit it. They both might travel from point a to point b, too, but how they make that journey is very different. Black Widow sees Punisher as someone unfocused, uncontrolled, and purposeless; but Punisher would see Black Widow as an emotionally-driven “corporate gal” in a sense. They don’t have time or use or patience for one another, really.

Nrama: Black Widow does a lot of travelling, but The Punisher for the most part has taken place in Los Angeles. Is that where this crossover will take place?

Edmondson: All I can say about the crossover now is that it takes place primarily on a ship.

Nrama:You've writer of both of these two characters' solo series; has this crossover been in the works since the beginning, or something that's came about since?

Edmondson: The rough idea was in the works since the beginning, but we weren’t in a rush for it. We waited until the stories were both ripe for it, and when both books would have devoted followings that would seek out the other side of the story —and readers will really want to see both sides...

Hard to say anything intelligent about this yet so I'll just go with the obvious - sounds interesting, looking forward to read this crossover and that cover is bloody amazing looking

I miss Greg Rucka's Punisher :( This Punisher series is not doing much for me.

What a weak Punisher

@lsrotj: What?

Let's dip into the fan questions from the CBR Community: true_believer616 is curious about Marvel's mature readers imprint and asks, "Are there any plans for new series in the MAX Imprint? Any ongoings?"

Alonso: We've got one series underway already, true_believer616. I'd get punished if I said one more word.

More Punisher MAX?

@jonny_anonymous: sounds like it. Weren´t Ennis on the go again? Hope so

not sure

@jonny_anonymous: Likely just rumors. Wouldn´t mind Ennis or Dixon writing some minis now and then though

Ennis just confirmed some months ago he was working in the early stages of a Punisher MAX miniseries called the "Platoon".

It's probably what Alonso was talking.

@bionder: Great. Thanks for letting us know

Good stuff.

WHat did everybody think of this weeks issue?

@jonny_anonymous: Got no complaints story or action wise. Plenty of it, new interesting characters (some more interesting than others) and a nice cliffhanger.

My only gripe is with the character himself. Edmondson started off great, can´t take that away from him. Punisher were his usual ass kicking, oneliner self but in this weeks issue he felt old and tired. I know this is a more human and realistic Frank but no matter who´s been writing Punisher over the years he´s never given up and I got the feeling that´s what he did reading the monologue.

To me the Punisher is the Marvel mortal who scares super-humans and super- villains alike and I think Edmondson taking some of that away from the character in almost making him too human

Bit of a childish rant and in short - I would like to see more ass kicking and shock value but other than that it´s fine.

What did you think?

@tensta: You nailed it. But this book is in 616, he doesn't have to behave like a "normal" human, for that we have Punisher MAX.

I miss the "WOW" factor in this comic, which they lost it in the last 2/3 issues.

Why making Electro in this comic if Marvel wouldn't let him be killed? At least they could make a clone of him for the Punisher kill it, nothing that AIM couldn't do with the technology they possess. This was what i thought when i saw Electro in it.

This wasn't a bad issue at all but i think this creative team are moving away from what the Punisher really is.

He isn't Bourne or James Bond, he is the Punisher. He doesn't have doubts on what he does he knows that is only way to end it, destroying it.

My Punisher after recovering from his wounds, would go after AIM and try to make as much damage as he could and who knows stealing some tech for his personal use.

@bionder: @tensta: the entire point of that monolog was to show why he hadn't given up

@jonny_anonymous: Also to humanize him.

Through this whole run I´ve had Steven Grant´s words in the back of my mind;

"I wouldn´t say humanizing him is a good idea. That renders him just another character and suggests trying to give the audience something to identify with and there´s already something: He´s a guy who knows who the bad guy is and does something about it. But psycologically, he´s not open to humanization. He has no doubts. He´s emotionally dead."

I agree. That need to explain why he fights or doesn´t give up and saying "I can´t win" three times personally felt like reading about just another character, not The Punisher.

Which gives me three alternatives here 1) Frank is written way out of character 2) I´m not used to this character yet or 3) maybe I´m not so open minded when it comes to make him more human as I first thought

I don't mind to see a more "humanized" Frank Castle, but there are limits for that. Asking himself why he is doing this or that is out of character. He doesn't question himself, he knows why he does it, he doesn't get confused. He isn't Spider-Man or Daredevil question everytime why they do this and that.

The only guys who were succeed in a more "humanized" Punisher were Mike Baron, Steven Grant, Carl Potts and Chuck Dixon.

If you make a thread for MAX Punisher i'll be happy to help you. I think there should be different threads for different versions of the character.

This past issue was the only one I've disliked from the series so far. And that might change depending on if they close up some threads in future issues. But as it stands now I was unimpressed.

On the whole I really like this series and how Frank is written. I dont see it as "soft" or "lighthearted" I think Edmonson adding a little humanity to Frank is a good thing. I've always seen it like I see any other hero: there is a persona and true identity. The Punisher is a persona and I think the current series does a good job of establishing that.

I'm not digging the current run so far. It's a huge step down in the art and writing from the last Punisher book. It's kind of cute seeing the Punisher wear Hawkeye shirts and "I'm not Daredevil" shirt, but over all the book doesn't have the dark gritty feeling that makes me love the Punisher.

In the current run he only has wear it the Hawkeye shirt. The Daredevil was random artwork by Mitch Gerads. But both of them are way out of character.

Well the Daredevil one was one of the covers.

@teerack: Which cover? I don't remember this image being related to any issue.

@bionder: I was pretty sure it was a variant for issue 1, but maybe I'm wrong.

@teerack: And yet you love the DD run? That doesn't make sense.

I love that picture of him in the "I'm not DD" shirt.

Out of character perhaps but I don't care - it's great

I don't see the DD as out of character or out of DD's element. Matt is one of the best Lawyers in the world it be silly to not think he wasn't witty. The only thing I think is really different about Matt is he isn't depressed and is actually happy, I also think that after what happened in Shadowland Matt would have had to been pretty dumb to not be thankful and happy with the life he does have considering the perspective it gave him as he was almost permanently possessed by a demon. Which would have be a lot worse then dying even.

In This books Punisher doesn't really feel like a solider in it either and that's what makes me not enjoy it that much. I mean he and hangs out at bars in between murdering. I always like the Punisher books felt like he was a solider behind enemy lines all the time as he would slip back into bunkers and hide outs and try to heal up as much as he could before moving on.

Waid's Daredevil is 100% out of character, even when not depressed he's not running around ignoring all the problems that he caused and cracking jokes about the Kardashians, he's as out of character as Spider-Man was during Superior, he just doesn't have a mind swap as an excuse. Where as the Punisher is still mean and is still knee capping and torturing people, also this is the most soldier like Frank as ever been.

I don't see how he's ignoring his problems. Waid has even said the whole theme of the book is actions have consequence, and so far every choice DD has made has come back to him in some way.

Nothing in this book comes off as solider to me. Punisher was the Punisher all the time, but now it kind of feels like a super hero recreation thing where he has a life outside of being Punisher. You can think that killing people and touting people is all it takes to be "the most soldier" but I miss the strategy, the survivalism, the gear, and the military style precision. The kind of things that actually made him feel like a solider appose to some assassin.

@teerack: How can you not see that? DD f*cking built a giant castle in the middle of hells kitchen filled to the brim with murdering ninja and then completely ignored it the entire time even though it was HIS fault it was there in the first place. That's the most out of character thing I have ever seen Daredevil do in my whole time reading him.

I spent 5 years in the British Army and I can tell you from the kit Frank uses to the way he moves to the way he surveys his enemy he is 100% more soldier now than he's ever been. Nothing he's done is out of character considering what went down in his last series.

I don't think you're talking about Waid's run anymore.... You really can't expect Matt to want to go back to that place after he was possessed by a demon there... not to mention when he just got his life sorted out. He spend the first 14 issue trying to get Matt Murdock's life back to semi-normal. He not the man of steel he can't just fix all of New York's problems in one night before dealing with his own stuff.

I don't agree.

How am I not talking about Waid's run?

Well you're wrong considering they have an active military reporter consulting on the book.

@jonny_anonymous:

Forcing a writer in the start of a new book to go "Okay deal with all the past writers problems" is a really bad way to run a comic company. You can't put that on Waid.

I don't think I can be wrong since there is more then one way to represent something.

@teerack: Picking up where the last writer left off and not completely ignoring it is the sign of a good writer. A good writer takes what came before and a organically takes it in the direction he wants and builds it up, a bad writer does a complete 360 and pretends like everything that came before didn't happen.

Yes and I'm pretty sure I know what is trying to be represented better than you.

I just think the Man Without Fear has some very justifiable fears now, and doesn't want to go back to Shadowland. Very recently when Matt thought the police lady was going to say Wilson Fisk he looked like he was going to throw up before she said The Owl.

Alright... I mean you don't know what I know, but okay.

@teerack: Exactly and that's totally out of character, Matt would want to face his fears head on, he would want to take on the burden all by himself because he would see himself as solely responsible for what happened. Anyway we should stop derailing this thread now lol :)

Frank can pull off a beard better then any other comic male in my opinion. I hope they bring back the beard soon, because bearded Frank is HOT.

I agree with Johnny. Frank has never felt more like a Marine than he does in this series. I love the first person scope panels.

@teerack: He always reminded me of Snake when he looked like that lol

Snake is hot.

dammit why did you have to post that pic of Punisher with a beard. Makes me miss Greg Rucka's Punisher even more. It was so good.