The Good
I'm going to start this off by saying I'm a little biased towards journalism stories. I find those types of chracters a perfect fit for trying to get under a characters' skin, and I really liked the main "character" in this arc.
I'm also very happy that Ben Urich showed up, and his relationship with Spider-Man was referenced. Also, Officer Bolt's storyline seems to be rolling along as well, bringing Frank's supporting cast together quite nicely. There hasn't been a lot of dialog/inner monologe from Frank himself, which I think is genius; we're getting to know him through other people, and it's emphasized that the surface has only been scratched.
The Bad
If I can complain about anything in this issue, it's that the storyline reminds me a lot of Punisher MAX, and how an unwilling female is made into Punisher's accomplice. I think it's a good idea for a character to brush with Frank from time to time, but I just hope it doesn't become a habit.
The Verdict
Like I said above, this is a story that does the "slow burn" right by shifting viewpoints and allowing us to get a refreshing look at Frank without tiring the source material, so to speak. I mean, we've been explained the Punisher's origin a bunch of times by now, but reading it again at the beginning of the issue didn't seem forced.
The fact that Rucka tied it into the news story at the end made it amazing, and the atmosphere of the whole issue felt very "Gotham Central" with a "The Wire" twist. Great stuff all around.
---
Like what I have to say and want to read more? Want to yell at me about comics, the Internet and whatever else? Follow me on my Twitter or my personal Tumblr!