Weekly Comic Book Review

Garth Ennis (writer), Steve Dillon (pencils), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), VC’s Cory Petit (letters)

The Story: Several years ago The Punisher’s war on crime brought him head to head with the Gnucci family. The result was the now classic Punisher tale: Welcome Back Frank. War Zone is the direct sequel to Welcome Back Frank and a lot of familiar faces are back. Most notably, Ma Gnucci who when we last saw her, had her limbs chewed off and had “burned to death” in her own home. But lately, Frank’s been seeing what’s left of her around town. Could it really be her? Or is this some sick ploy of the mob? Only time will tell.

What’s Good? Garth Ennis’ take on The Punisher for most fans is the definitive version, so any chance to read new stories of his is great. Since this is a return to his Marvel Knights run, it makes for a lighter story than the MAX series required. I’ve always felt Ennis’ sense of humor is underrated. It may be an acquired taste, but once you get it, (see the zoo scene) it’s hilarious.

I also like that this mini-series is a weekly one. Since it took so long for the sequel to get made, it’s nice not to have to wait four weeks between issues. Another positive is the reunion of Ennis and Dillon. I normally can’t get into Steve Dillon’s art, but somehow I love his Punisher. Yes, everyone still looks the same. And yes, I may only tolerate that since WBF is one of the first Punisher/Steve Dillon stories I’d read. No matter how you cut it, it just works.

What’s Not So Good? There’s been a pretty big gap in time between War Zone and Welcome Back Frank. Sequels can do well many years later and this one’s off to a great start, but this is a big jump from the MAX series. Ennis’ work on Marvel Knights was just as good if not better than his MAX run. But this is a return to the realm of PG-13 after being R-rated for so long. It’s a hard PG-13 but it’s undeniably lighter than Born, or In The Beginning. That tonal shift might be tough for some readers.

Conclusion: I don’t think Garth Ennis will ever truly leave The Punisher. His run on the character was defining for both his career and character. Valley Forge was his final arc, now it’s War Zone, and I’m sure there will be another “ending” down the line. But, Ennis writing Punisher isn’t something anyone should complain about. The resurrection of Ma might seem like a stretch from a story perspective… her death appeared pretty final. But, that hasn’t stopped these two issues from kicking ass.

Grade B+

-Ben Berger