- Written by: Jason Aaron
- Art by: Jesús Saiz, Paul Azaceta
- Colors by: Matt Hollingsworth
- Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
- Cover art by: Jesús Saiz
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: May 31, 2023
Punisher #12 brings the Punisher’s war to a close as the Avengers close in on the Hand’s compound. What punishment will the Punisher endure for his crimes?
Is It Good?
I’m not sure what I was expecting, if anything, from the end of Jason Aaron’s Punisher run. According to the epilogue, Punisher #12 is the end of Punisher, both for Jason Aaron as the writer and the character in general, so for better or worse, this is goodbye.
When last we left Frank Castle, aka Punisher, Frank took two mystical bullets in the chest from his wife Maria after the heartbreaking revelation that Maria intended to ask for a divorce on the day she was murdered.
Now, the Archpriestess intends to resurrect Frank (after he dies) to realize his true potential as the Fist of the Beast, but the Avengers arrive to save Frank’s life and take him into custody in preparation for his ultimate punishment. What follows is a series of visits from assorted Avengers as each tries to connect with Frank from a different angle while facing their own mistakes and even hypocrisies. In the end, Frank accepts the only punishment that makes sense.
As an ending, Jason Aaron opts for quiet introspection and reflection rather than a big finish, so readers used to big action spectacles from Punisher will come away mildly disappointed. On the other hand, this is a mature, thoughtful bit of writing designed (I think) to examine the nature of the Punisher, free of distraction or flash. Ultimately, Aaron paints Frank as a broken man who becomes so invested in killing that it consumes his entire identity, so Aaron paints an interesting moral dilemma – how do you punish an unrelenting killer without killing him? Is there any option besides death?
Does Punisher’s final punishment work? Yes, the punishment is the only option available to take the Punisher out of circulation for good.
Is this really the end for the Punisher? According to Marvel, yes, but Marvel’s decisions are only as final as their cash flow will allow. Odds are we’ll see Punisher again, but there’s no telling when or how.
How’s the art? Saiz and Azaceta have consistently delivered Grade-A art in this series since the beginning. Their styles are radically different enough from each other that readers will likely favor one over the other, but their disparity in styles fits the way Arron constructed the narrative flow.
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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Bits and Pieces
Punisher #12 brings Jason Aaron’s run, and the character’s presence in Marvel, to a close with a thoughtful and quiet ending to the Punisher’s war. The character moments are surprisingly mature, and the art continues to maintain the high quality offered in issue #1, but readers looking for the Punisher to go out with a big bang may find this ending anti-climactic.
Weird Science Marvel Comics 