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zechs27 (zechs27) wrote in scans_daily,
@ 2009-10-29 11:52:00

Entry tags:

char: punisher/frank castle, creator: garth ennis, publisher: marvel comics, series: punisher week, title: punisher

Punisher: The Cell
The story where I've never been more terrified of Frank Castle, who is at his scariest in this tale.

A 48 page one shot (no ads) that has Frank putting himself in prison to get a dude named Drago. Of course every inmate wants to give their piece at Frank. Alas for them, the first scumbag who tries get's an icepick to his neck. Nobody but the guards tries anything after that (they beat him twice). Frank is then put in solitary confinement.

The mobsters and other scum know Frank is here for a reason. Though they don't care what it is, they just want Castle dead. Yet, the corrupt guards want no piece of it hence why they haven't gone after him. Frank during all of this breaks free of his cell and begins going around the place getting a feel for everything in this place. Every room and person. Plus he pays a visit to an Aryan fellow.

After Frank does this little deed of punishment Drago and the other mobsters had enough. They let the guards know that they want the cells opened and scores will be settled tonight. The head guard Leonard taunts Castle with this since it was his fuck buddy that Frank iced. Frank proceeds to grab him by the arm and force him into his cell. After dispatching Leonard he take's his guard uniform. Not soon after Frank take's out another guard and take's his weapon.

Drago and his gang decide to use this time to leave prison. Instead they find a "messenger" repeatively stating they should turn back. They do and go back wondering what the heck is going on. Why would someone go to these insane lengths to make sure. And before I say anymore Frank show's up.

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	mullon 2009-10-29 05:47 pm UTC (link)
	This has been a depressing day on s_d. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	zechs27 2009-10-29 05:48 pm UTC (link)
	LMAO! I blame.. um.. points to av (Reply to this) (Parent)

alschroeder
2009-10-29 06:03 pm UTC (link)

Actually, though as a rule I HATE, loathe, and despise the Punisher...

I actually kind of like this one. At least it's powerfully written, and sort of combines the randomness of real life (sort of like when Deadman found out his assassination was "nothing personal") with the cold inexorability of Greek tragedy, or an EC horror tale.

And yes...it definitely makes you afraid of Castle.

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	thandrak 2009-10-29 06:14 pm UTC (link)
	Quite so. This was a _good_ story. It's not a nice story. It's not a pleasant one. But it is well written, and it has... more than a plot, it has a theme and harmony to it, a strong sense of self. It is pretty much the antithesis of the blood and guns male power fantasy one often sees in the Punisher, and other, lesser comics of the Dark Age. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

(Anonymous)
2009-10-29 09:38 pm UTC (link)

"Quite so. This was a _good_ story. It's not a nice story. It's not a pleasant one. But it is well written, and it has... more than a plot, it has a theme and harmony to it, a strong sense of self."

Indeed, and it is interesting to me because it sums up Steven Grant's interpretation of the Punisher as an existentialist. He avenges his family but still continues the war because he knows he will die anyways and that is the choice he made and the only meaningful one he feels he can make.

-- Adam C.

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jlroberson
2009-10-30 06:50 am UTC (link)

I hate the Punisher except when Ennis writes him. Because his preference is to depict Frank as cold and methodical, and because, the Wolverine story(and i liked what happened to Wolverine) and anything McCrea draws aside, he tends to use violence a lot more seriously and less South Parky--more in a way he does in his war stories(in a way, his Punisher IS a domestic, urban war story)--it's a chance to look at this side of Ennis' writing, which I don't think even here a lot have a problem about. The coldness, the starkness are great and it's at the very least good crime fiction style.

I had this but hadn't got around to reading it, but after looking at this post I did, and I have to say--it's really good.

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	sherkahn 2009-10-29 06:04 pm UTC (link)
	I actually liked this. Frank took his time and was very methodical. He did his homework and put in the blood, sweat and (someone else's) tears to get to this point. Castle was smart and ruthless and hard core. This isn't the anti-hero with the skull costume. This is the Punisher. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	proteus_lives 2009-10-29 08:23 pm UTC (link)
	This is how Frank is supposed to be. He's not a berzerker or wildman. He's soldier who plans his ops to the last detail. He's not about emotion. He's so past emotion, he probably barely recognizes them anymore. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

jlroberson
2009-10-30 06:57 am UTC (link)

He's Batman taken several stages further and without the privileged background. So of course he's methodical. If Batman's energies were directed at hunting and killing criminals, instead of just finding and catching them, and if his heart was completely gone, he'd be Frank. One reason his relationship to Daredevil is interesting is that in some ways, together, they're the ideas in Batman split between two characters. DD believes in justice, Frank retribution. Batman wants retribution but holds himself to justice.

To elaborate on that last thought, a personal analogy. When I look at most serial killers, or rapists, or similar levels of scumbag in real life, my gut wants the death penalty. But I am not a supporter of it. Because regardless of what would satisfy my gut, to me it doesn't change that the state hasn't the right to take a life. What my gut wants can feel right, but still be very wrong. That's why our brains moderate it.

Batman would be a similar case. Whereas Frank dropped that concern, and focuses his brain on the hunt and killing alone, having already accepted the premise that justice doesn't exist. Batman would be more one who believes justice is possible.

If any of that makes sense.

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proteus_lives
2009-10-30 07:55 am UTC (link)

That makes quite a bit of sense. In some ways Batman stops where the Punisher begins.

I think that DD and Frank set each other off because they could be each other. In another life Frank could have been a street-level hero like DD and Matt is only a few steps from becoming like the Punisher.

I'm pro-death penalty because I can't justify some people remaining on earth. Some crimes are beyond forgiveness. I get what you're saying about the state but some people need to be voted off the island.

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	jlroberson 2009-10-30 08:06 am UTC (link)
	Well, it's not something I care to debate, but I respect your stance. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	mugiwara 2009-10-29 06:10 pm UTC (link)
	I'd say they are quite lucky he killed them so quick, considering what they've done. (Reply to this)

starwolf_oakley
2009-10-29 07:54 pm UTC (link)

Hmm. Do they do a lot of retconning of the Punisher finally tracking down the goons who killed his family? I mean, we're still not sure how old Matt Murdock was when his father was killed and Batman's confrontation with Joe Chill is redone every ten years.

But MAX seems to have its own continuity. This version is a full-on firefight instead of the Castles stumbling onto a mob hit in the middle of Central Park in broad daylight.

Info on the original story via the "Marvel Appendix."

http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/costabruno.htm
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/hmontoya.htm

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	jlroberson 2009-10-30 06:58 am UTC (link)
	I think it's been more than a few times he's tracked them down and killed them. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	(Anonymous) 2009-11-13 12:57 am UTC (link)
	Put that way, it's almost sad. It makes it sound like the comics are Frank's own personal Hell, where he tracks down the murderers of his family and gets vengeance over and over and over, but it never makes him better and it never sticks. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	proteus_lives 2009-10-29 08:21 pm UTC (link)
	This was a great one-shot. Cold, practical, hardcore and well-planned. Frank to the core. (Reply to this)

	punishermax 2009-10-29 09:05 pm UTC (link)
	You can find this along with the also amazing The Tyger in the First to Last Punisher hardcover. The tyger is the start of the Punisher as a kid of 11. The Cell, what you read here, is the present. Unfortunately you also get the fucking AWFUL Punisher: The End, with the single worst art choice for a character in comics history. (Reply to this)

	afewboltsloose 2009-10-30 01:14 am UTC (link)
	Now this is how the Punisher should be written. I've been wondering though: has Frank ever killed an undercover agent (for any bureau) by accident before? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	proteus_lives 2009-10-30 07:51 am UTC (link)
	Like the latest movie? I don't think so, he's killed plenty of corrupt cops and other officials. (Reply to this) (Parent)