PUNISHER #50 - Spoilers and Discussion

[Subotai]

"Congratulations...It's a bitch!"

And so, Frank Castle added pampers to the list of various melee weapons and ordnance on his weekly shopping list. I'll give Marvel this, when they said the last panel would be a surprise, they weren't kidding.

Ennis had some balls having Barracuda plug Yorkie and his wife; but I'm glad Barracuda is a serious opponent for Frank, even though I have no doubt who'll be last man standing.

[Erik B]

this issue was very good. i was surprised because i recalled Obrien sleeping with punisher before but i couldnt remember if it was the story in which she died. i went back to check back issues and it was in issue 23/24. Im sure that was two years ago or so correct? So IF that girl is Franks, that would make her two and it works. why didnt obrien tell him though? My guest is she knew he wouldnt be able to protect/take of it, or she didnt want to take the place of his already dead family

[Chiasm]

This issue is exactly why a law should be passed which deems that only Garth Ennis gets to write Punisher. Everything about this issue is so perfect.

I hope two things happen at the end of this arc:

1) The baby lives but Frank sends her to live with her aunt because he knows he is too ****ed now up to be a father.

2) Barracuda lives. The big problem with Punisher in mainstream MU is that he never gets to actually kill any significant villians and thus becomes a parody of a criminal killer. The fact that Ennis has him pretty much kill off everyone makes him much more realistic. So if Barracuda lives then the risk is there that Frank starts being seen as a joke here too since he keeps failing to kill Barracuda. The best way I can see around this is that somehow Frank lets Barracuda live in exchange for the girl. Simply because Barracuda is too cool to kill.

[Erik B]

This issue is exactly why a law should be passed which deems that only Garth Ennis gets to write Punisher. Everything about this issue is so perfect.

I hope two things happen at the end of this arc:

1) The baby lives but Frank sends her to live with her aunt because he knows he is too ****ed now up to be a father.

2) Barracuda lives. The big problem with Punisher in mainstream MU is that he never gets to actually kill any significant villians and thus becomes a parody of a criminal killer. The fact that Ennis has him pretty much kill off everyone makes him much more realistic. So if Barracuda lives then the risk is there that Frank starts being seen as a joke here too since he keeps failing to kill Barracuda. The best way I can see around this is that somehow Frank lets Barracuda live in exchange for the girl. Simply because Barracuda is too cool to kill.

you are completely right. I hate this damn Punisher War Journal now where he is masquerading as Captain whatever the hell. Its a disgusting way to treat the character and i have a feeling that Max isnt goign to last much longer. So far Max is the one title ive been completely satisfied with since issue 1. ive dropped ultimate xmen once, uncanny/xmen twice, astonishing once and new avengers once. i picked them all up again and im not satisfied at all. punisher max is a great book and i dont think he gets enough respect in these forums

[Arsh]

The reveal at the end with the daughter was initially a WTF moment for me. It's a great curve ball that Ennis has thrown us. I was sad to see Yorkie killed off so ignobly... but this is Punisher MAX. Very dreary world. I have a sinking feeling about what will happen to Frank's daughter... it's called 'Long, Cold Dark' for a reason. If anything, I almost hope dearly that Cuda meets a very bad end by the finale of this arc. My only problem with this issue is the art. At times it's really good, but other times... it's just kind of awkward. Despite that, I'm heavily interested in what will happen soon. Punisher MAX is my all-time favourite series. Ennis has not disappointed me yet.

[Erik B]

The reveal at the end with the daughter was initially a WTF moment for me. It's a great curve ball that Ennis has thrown us. I was sad to see Yorkie killed off so ignobly... but this is Punisher MAX. Very dreary world. I have a sinking feeling about what will happen to Frank's daughter... it's called 'Long, Cold Dark' for a reason. If anything, I almost hope dearly that Cuda meets a very bad end by the finale of this arc. My only problem with this issue is the art. At times it's really good, but other times... it's just kind of awkward. Despite that, I'm heavily interested in what will happen soon. Punisher MAX is my all-time favourite series. Ennis has not disappointed me yet.

Barracuda is the second character in Max that punisher has been the hell out of and they still came back. The first was that guy with Cavella in the first arc, the one who fell on the fence and still got up and even kept walking toward frank after frank blasted his face away. i really wish that frank would get some powerful long term villians here. Obrien's ex was a strange one, but he was cool. Cavella has guts but ultimately was a loser. These are the kind of villians punisher should be dealing with. Not blowing up men in stilts and making stupid jokes about it

[Subotai]

2) Barracuda lives. The big problem with Punisher in mainstream MU is that he never gets to actually kill any significant villians and thus becomes a parody of a criminal killer. The fact that Ennis has him pretty much kill off everyone makes him much more realistic. So if Barracuda lives then the risk is there that Frank starts being seen as a joke here too since he keeps failing to kill Barracuda. The best way I can see around this is that somehow Frank lets Barracuda live in exchange for the girl. Simply because Barracuda is too cool to kill.

I think that there is the slightest, remotest possibility that Barracuda doesn't want to kill Frank. I mean, he had the chance to kill him already; and if Frank cutting his fingers off and taking an eye out didn't make him want to finish Frank off back in Florida, I could see him allowing Frank to live here as well. Maybe he's looking for some acknowledgement that they are the two toughest guys on the face of the planet, looking for some respect. I don't know. Or maybe he'll just be happy to throw Frank's kid into the ocean and put two in Frank's head; I don't know.

[CBikle]

Why does Barracuda have all of his fingers ?

Didn't he lose a few last time we saw him ?

[Erik B]

Why does Barracuda have all of his fingers ?

Didn't he lose a few last time we saw him ?

he also had his teeth knocked out. who knows...continuity error? or artist misconception. At least he's rocking the glass eye

[StoneGold]

he also had his teeth knocked out. who knows...continuity error? or artist misconception. At least he's rocking the glass eye

Teeth are easy enough to replace. Considering they were fake to begin with.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Barracuda lives. The big problem with Punisher in mainstream MU is that he never gets to actually kill any significant villians and thus becomes a parody of a criminal killer. The fact that Ennis has him pretty much kill off everyone makes him much more realistic. So if Barracuda lives then the risk is there that Frank starts being seen as a joke here too since he keeps failing to kill Barracuda. The best way I can see around this is that somehow Frank lets Barracuda live in exchange for the girl. Simply because Barracuda is too cool to kill.


I'd rather have Barracuda live simply because he's that freakin' tough. Frank would kill him if given the opportunity, but Barracuda ought to be good enough not to ever give Frank that shot. Personally, I'd like to have some repeat foes that are as tough, if not tougher, than the hero.

[Chiasm]

Why does Barracuda have all of his fingers ?

Didn't he lose a few last time we saw him ?

There are some references in the comic by Cuda about how we went to the dentist, saw a doctor . . . . he stops there and skips to the end because Frank doesn't want to hear the whole story. So essentially they implied he visited a lot of doctors and left it at that. Not sure how he got new fingers but then again this is Marvel where Misty Knight can lose her hand and get a new one and many other characters have done similar. Money buys anything and Cuda has a lot.

[Brock]

Now he's gone and killed Yorkie I can't see Barracuda living past the end of this story. Remember Ennis' "two strikes" rule with the Punisher Max villains.

No doubt he'll be entertaining as ever before he goes though. (I loved the bit in this issue where he pretended to be all upset that Frank didn't accept his offer of truce on the boat, and then immediately laughs it off when Frank sees through his bs).

What will be odd is changing artist halfway through the story, when Goran Parlov comes in with #51. This will be the first time Punisher Max has put more than one artist on the same story arc. Parlov is great, but its still a bit of a shame they broke their tradition.

[ultramandingo]

........ man the punisher must hate those trees !!!!!
i never would a thought of teaming chakin and ennis up , but it kinda works perfektly . love big fat family man frank.

[Trey]

OK ish. Man Chaykin's art is bad. Real bad. As in no flow panel to panel. His Barricuda looks like Lamont Sanford, age 48. And the Faces on Frank's family in the dream? (shivers)

Did Obrien have red hair?

Oh, and the baby gets it at the end, cuz that's how Ennis rolls, bitches.

[Young Avenger]

2) Barracuda lives.

Won't happen. That will go against Ennis two strike rule.

[NimNams]

OK ish. Man Chaykin's art is bad. Real bad. As in no flow panel to panel. His Barricuda looks like Lamont Sanford, age 48. And the Faces on Frank's family in the dream? (shivers)

COMPLETELY agreed. As much as I love Punisher MAX, I found Chaykin's terrible art to be very distracting. Ennis was his usual brilliant self, but every time there was a close-up of some misshapen face, I got angry. It's especially disappointing, since the story and dialogue in the first issue were fantastic.

I genuinely hope that, after the arc is over, Howard Chaykin never touches a Punisher title again.

[Erik B]

COMPLETELY agreed. As much as I love Punisher MAX, I found Chaykin's terrible art to be very distracting. Ennis was his usual brilliant self, but every time there was a close-up of some misshapen face, I got angry. It's especially disappointing, since the story and dialogue in the first issue were fantastic.

I genuinely hope that, after the arc is over, Howard Chaykin never touches a Punisher title again.


this art seems very familiar. did this guy draw the captain america issue of New Avengers disassembled? and yeah i didnt like it either. the only ones ive like whas the guy who drew the Up is down and black is white story. and a few others but i dont recall right now.

[Young Avenger]

did this guy draw the captain america issue of New Avengers disassembled?

Yes he did. He also drew the only canceled Blade ongoing.

[zebop]

Chaykin has done some fine work in the past, but he's never been an artist who could do action worth a damn. It's just not something he does well and that was apparent when Barracuda shoots up the gangsters in the penthouse.

Some guys get The Punisher and some don't. Howard Chaykin don't.

[Erik B]

Yes he did. He also drew the only canceled Blade ongoing.

thats right i remember now. i had the blade civil war issue and i thought the art was familiar. he didnt seem to bad in those books but this was horrible. maybe its the inker. ive noticed alot of times that some artwork is made to look like poo because the inker is horrible. like Yu's work on Avengers. When he was on Wolverine i hated him, now its actually pretty decent. Garney's work on ASM is different from his work on Uncanny Xmen in the early 2000's. i liked his art there better then it was now.

[StoneGold]

Yes he did. He also drew the only canceled Blade ongoing.

No, there was a previous canceled ongoing. And all the rest were minis that made no money.

[Nick MB]

From the solicits, it looks like Goran Parlov (of the previous Barracuda arc and Barracuda mini-series) is taking back over on art next issue.

[NimNams]

Oh, thank God. That's fantastic news.

[Erik B]

Why does Barracuda have all of his fingers ?

Didn't he lose a few last time we saw him ?

i just noticed yesterday that if you look at the solic for the nxt cover, he is missing his fingers and he only has nubs. also if you go back in the issue he does indeed have the nubs there too. His right has only has a third of the fingers, just like he lost int he first arc.

[rexcase]

I haven't seen anyone post on this issue yet, featuring the long-awaited rematch between Frank and the Barracuda. The Chaykin art may not have been my first choice for this story, but the last page is one hell of a surprise!

[aut0matic]

i knew barracuda was too bad @$$ to kill off.. does it explain how he survived?

[Dr. Chaos]

I haven't seen anyone post on this issue yet
Actually, there was this spoiler thread on page four:

http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=184896