Frank Castle will return to the streets of New York and wipe out crazed super soldiers early next year. We have the details here!
NewsFrank Castle is the sore thumb. The black sheep of the Marvel Universe. In a bright world of superheroes and gods, he’s a man working through the muck that is mankind’s innate darkness. He’s a mainstay of Marvel, but news on him has been pretty sparse in terms of the post-Secret Wars relaunch. That is, until now.
The Punisher is returning sometime next year in a brand new ongoing series by the team of Becky Cloonan and Steve Dillon. Cloonan’s been making a big name for herself with Gotham Academy off at DC while Dillon probably draws panels of Frank Castle while he's asleep out of reflex. Seriously, there’s a 67% chance that he’s currently drawing a picture of Frank while you’re reading this. You know I’m right.
The new take will see Frank back to New York City where a new drug is causing people to become insane super soldiers. Kind of like Captain America’s Commie-Smasher doppelganger. Maybe it’s connected. Regardless, someone from Frank’s military past is behind it and a lot of people are likely going to die.
If anything, it’ll add to the interesting pile of depictions of Frank we’ve seen in the past ten years or so. After Garth Ennis practically defined him, different writers have tried different spins on him. Matt Fraction tried to make him more relatable and jokey. Rick Remender engulfed Frank into the superhero world that surrounds him. Greg Rucka took him back to basics and tried to reinvent what makes him work while retconning his origin a bit to modernize him. Then Nathan Edmondson went with a more down-to-earth version of the character set in a story where the narrative and supporting cast treated him as a hero and not a damaged psychopath.
So bring it on, Cloonan. Let’s see what you got.
While there’s no announced date yet outside of it being next year, I imagine it would be somewhere around the time Daredevil Season 2 hits Netflix. The fact that Alex Maleev’s cover for Punisher #1 looks so similar to his iconic cover for Daredevil #50 surely can’t be a coincidence.
Locked and (Re)Loaded in THE PUNISHER #1!
New York, NY—October 27th, 2015 —The one man war on crime is reforged, reloaded and re-energized in 2016! Frank Castle is back to terrorize the underworld of the Marvel Universe once more in THE PUNISHER #1! From rising star writer Becky Cloonan (Gotham Academy, Southern Cross) and legendary Punisher artist Steve Dillon comes a new beginning for Frank, and an ending for anyone who stands in his way.
A routine drug bust on the streets of New York City turns out to be anything but. There’s a new drug hitting the streets. One that has the ability to create unstable super soldiers. As the threads begin to pull loose, the man behind the drug’s startling connection to The Punisher is revealed: An old associate from Frank’s military days! But as he follows the trail of drugs and digs deeper and deeper into the Northeast’s heart of darkness – it’ll be a fight for sanity and survival.
“I try and look for outside inspiration in everything I do, and this Punisher series is no different,” says writer Becky Cloonan, discussing her take on the series with Marvel.com. “My goal is to present a new take on Frank Castle but still have him ring true to the character.”
Mobsters, villains and drug runners beware. Frank Castle is back...and he’s coming for you. Be there as a new war on crime is waged in the new Marvel Universe next year when Cloonan & Dillon bring you THE PUNISHER #1!
THE PUNISHER #1
Written by BECKY CLOONAN
Art by STEVE DILLON
Variant Cover by ALEX MALEEVComing in 2016!
Gavin Jasper figures that somewhere out there is a literal Frank Castle, which is the home to the Hotdog King. Follow him on Twitter.
