Punisher #8 Review

Written by: Jason Aaron
Art by: Jesús Saiz, Paul Azaceta
Colors by: Dave Stewart
Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover art by: Jesús Saiz
Cover price: $4.99
Release date December 7, 2022

Punisher #8 makes ready the dogs of war as Ares and his army prepare to storm the Fist’s citadel. Meanwhile, Frank Castle may have chosen to embrace his true nature.

Is It Good?

Punisher #8, much like most of the Marvel comics this week, appears to be taking its slow, sweet time getting to a fight that’s been in the works since the beginning of Jason Aaron’s run. This time, Ares and his army make it to the gates of the Fist’s citadel, paving the way for a battle between a god and a beast.

What, therefore, is so special about this issue? Not much. We see more of Frank and Maria’s marriage in the early days of their marriage, Frank makes a promise to a small subset of his ninjas in the present day, and Frank manifests the next of the Beast’s gifts – rapid healing. That may seem like a lot’s happening, but individually, these are quick small developments that don’t build any urgency or further the plot in any significant way. They’re small pieces to a larger puzzle, but they’re still small.

Still, the art is excellent. Fans of gory violence will have a few scenes to capture their attention. And the scale of the battle to come feels like it could be epic, even if the momentum going into the big battle feels more like a slow trolley than a runaway train.

In all, there’s nothing technically wrong with this issue, but it’s a slow drip in the plot movement department, and slow pacing takes away any sense of urgency or momentum heading into the big showdown.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts:

Punisher #8 gives Frank Castle a mild upgrade and continues to flesh out his backstory with his wife. The art is excellent, and the showdown promises to be epic, but the glacial pacing and lack of plot movement kill the energy and momentum heading into the war.