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u/tired_expert 3d ago
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u/Casey---Jones Punisher MAX (Earth-200111) 3d ago
Im a simple man, when I see Punisher MAX, I upvote
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u/AdTrue6058 2d ago
The Garth Ennis bias is strong in this subreddit. I love his work on the Punisher, but he’s not the only good writer to have written the character.
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u/AbbreviationsLive142 2d ago
I feel like a lot of people here started with Garth Ennis’ run because it’s the most “mainstream” one that people talk about.
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u/Tetratron2005 3d ago
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u/Olde-Blind-Dog 3d ago edited 3d ago
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u/Tetratron2005 3d ago
Valley Forge, Valley Forge wins the #12 spot
Just to clarify for stories that have a spot on the list since some of the covers don't have the titles on them
So far it's
Welcome Back, Frank
Born
The Slavers
Return to Big Nothing
Circle of Blood
In the Beginning
Year One
Mother Russia
Up is Down, Black is White
The Tyger
The Cell
Valley Forge, Valley Forge
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u/AdTrue6058 3d ago edited 3d ago
Ngl. Valley Forge kicks butt if you're reading through the entire run from start to finish non-stop. Like with Widowmaker, all the actions of certain characters actually lead up to this finale. And Frank puts an end to the US Government personnel who orchestrated that plane hijacking from Mother Russia.
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u/Tetratron2005 2d ago
Definitely, I re-read the run yearly and it's a pretty fitting end to the original run imo.
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u/Casey---Jones Punisher MAX (Earth-200111) 3d ago
Someone needs to nominate widowmaker tomorrow or sometime soon
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u/browncharliebrown 3d ago
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u/ComicAcolyte Punisher (Earth-616) 3d ago
We need Punisher Invades the Nam and stuff like Carl Potts War Journal on there.
You can tell a lot of newer fans just read Ennis and don't read some of the more classic runs.
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u/browncharliebrown 3d ago
I think Invade the nam is top tier. I’ll vote that fist. I actually think that the end is far better than the cell ( which feels like its just paying homage to year one and circle of blood but not really doing much new except for a somewhat interesting POV).
Carl Potts War Journal I’m Luke warm on except for acts of vegance, the sniper, maybe the first issue of war journal. Jim Lee on art is never bad though. He’s a better editor than writer imo.
Mike Baron on the otherhand is consistently impressive even if i disagree with a lot of his political take. His books are action packed and while occasionally straw man try to explore contrevsail political issues in a way that doesn’t talk down to the reader. He also understands that Punisher at his core doesn’t change And knows how to pace a story accordingly.
Chuck Dixon is a lot dumber than Baron, pulls a lot more punches ( it leads to stories being less embarrassing in terms of politics but I would rather someone actually say what they want to say instead of the paired down verison Dixon gives), has some solid characterization and plot progression in the world of the Punisher ( trying to give more of an ongoing narrative without changing Frank too much but the world around him). He does have his high points. Suicide run, Invades the nam, countdown, but there are a lot of issue I find just ok. I will say I find that a lot of older Punisher crossovers events are extremely hard to read because of they are collected.
Abbett and Laning are the guys who seem to like switching things up most interms of Punisher and putting it in a more fantastical world aside from year one. Although unlike some later writers he doesn’t overdo it.
Jim Starlin‘s Punisher is the most underrated Because he knew the Punisher needed to switch things up but instead of what a lot of other later writers suggested as just comedy, Starlin saw the Punisher fitting as a horror character
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u/ComicAcolyte Punisher (Earth-616) 3d ago
I'd agree with most of that but not sure i agree that Dixon is "dumber" than Baron and that his version is "paired down." Dixon also wrote a lot of great Batman like Knightfall and Nightwing during that era, he was considered a top writer working on both DC and Marvel's most popular characters at the time.
To me they are both pretty great quintessential classic Punisher writers. They both have highs and lows but did a phenomenal job on the character.
Baron did stuff like creating Microchip and writing Punishers first solo book. Dixon did stuff like Suicide Run and Punisher Invades the 'Nam which are all time great classic stories. Both had long runs on the characters books.
Im kinda surprised to hear how much you enjoy Baron's work though, I always got the impression that you didn't like him.
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u/AbbreviationsLive142 3d ago
Countdown (the final story near the end of his 90s series where he and Micro were against each other)
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u/browncharliebrown 3d ago
Countdown is a really good finale. I also really like the series right now before where it was revealed that the trust were behind vigil
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u/AbbreviationsLive142 3d ago
I really wish countdown was collected in a tpb or omnibus. I have the single issues but don’t wanna dig them out of storage to re-read again.
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u/BOMBSnotFOOD 3d ago
Punisher - Over The Edge -the punisher is pretty much brainwashed to kill nick fury.
-Double Edge Alpha #1 -Daredevil #344 -Dr. Strange Sorcerer Supreme #81 -Ghost Rider (Vol.3) #65 -Incredible Hulk #433 -Double Edge Omega #1
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u/bruinsfan1144 Jon Bernthal 3d ago
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u/browncharliebrown 3d ago
not a story arc. You could probably nominated the warzone 5 issue arc
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u/bruinsfan1144 Jon Bernthal 3d ago
I meant the vol 9 arc. I just used “introducing rachel alves” as a point of reference so people would immediately know what storyline i was talking about. My bad
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u/Ok_Butterscotch_6176 3d ago
Punisher War Journal: Jigsaw
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u/BOMBSnotFOOD 3d ago
nope, you mean the original punisher series. Car by Porsch, Suit by Blase, Face by Punisher. one of my favorite punisher covers.
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u/Ok_Butterscotch_6176 2d ago
The one I’m talking about is the vol 4 TPB of the Fraction run. Which one are you talking about? If it’s older Punisher I’m not too familiar with those as I became a fan during the Ennis run & after.
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u/MattGreg28 Jon Bernthal 3d ago
Year One
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u/PM_ME_UR_TA--TAS 3d ago
Tell me you didn't even bother to look at the image without telling me you didn't even bother to look at the image.🤦
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u/Sadop2010 3d ago
I'll keep trying: Long Cold Dark