By Rick Remender (Writer), John Romita Jr. (Pencils), Klaus Janson (Inks), and Dean White (Colors)
Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’m a casual Punisher fan. While I haven’t been following the ongoing series (which I hear is really good), I will definitely be jumping on board when the Franken-Castle arc starts. So, in preparation, I decided to check out The List-Punisher to see if there’s anything I need to know about the current direction of the ongoing.
The Story: Norman Osborn pulls out all the stops in order to bring down Frank Castle. When that fails, Norman sends out Daken…
What’s Good: Whether it’s in the form of shock, awe, disgust, or the classic “Holy Shit!” you are bound to have some sort of gut-level reaction to the events that take place in Dark Reign: The List – Punisher. Why? Because Rick Remender and John Romita Jr. tell one hell of a Punisher story. A Punisher story that is so brutal, so intense, and so ridiculously gripping thanks to the showdown between Frank Castle and Daken, it won’t soon be forgotten by this reviewer.
From Osborn’s obsession to Frank Castle’s thoughts, Rick Remender does a great job giving The List – Punisher a rather bleak tone. While Castle is certainly a one-man army, Remender quickly makes you realize that not only is he just a man, but a somewhat vulnerable one at that. And, somewhat surprisingly, the arrogant, efficient Daken turns out to be the perfect villain for Castle to take on as variations on the thrill of the fight is something that has driven both men down their respective paths. When Castle and Daken finally clash, it soon becomes clear that Remender isn’t pulling any tricks or punches. Their violent fight has such a sense of finality to it right from the start that I can’t help but give a round of applause to Rick Remender for truly putting the “Dark” into Dark Reign.
John Romita Jr.’s artwork only adds to Remender’s dark script. The fight between Daken and Castle, from the sewer to the rooftop, is gritty, dirty, and unrelentingly hardcore. You seriously won’t see violence like it in any Marvel book not slapped with the MAX label. It’s not all blood and guts though as Romita does an excellent job of driving the story forward. The hopelessness and inevitability that shines through in the script also shines through in Romita’s pencil work and Dean White’s grimy colors.
What’s Not So Good: For as awesome as The List – Punisher is, there’s no denying that the opening is a little bit lame. Seeing Osborn go all out on Punisher without any regard for anything, gets the book off to a rough, slightly silly start. The entire scene clashes with the rest of the issue in a bad way.
Conclusion: Go buy Dark Reign: The List – Punisher. Rough start aside, it’s truly memorable and one of, if not THE, best List one-shot so far.
Grade: A-
-Kyle Posluszny
Filed under: Marvel Comics, Other, Reviews Tagged: | Comic Book Reviews, Daken, Dark Reign, Dark Reign The List Punisher Review, Dark Reign: The List - Punisher, Dark Reign: The List - Punisher #1, Dark Reign: The List - Punisher #1 review, Dean White, Frank Castle, John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson, Kyle Posluszny, Norman Osborn, Punisher, Rick Remender, The List - Punisher Review, WCBR, Weekly Comic Book Review, weeklycomicbookreview.com
What did I tell you: Easy contender for WTF Moment of the Year! LOL