What are the best Punisher TPBS?

[Lewismio]

Hey guys.

What in your opinion are the best punisher tps?

Im looking to buy them in a series too so i guess what is the best series? im new to punisher so..what can you reccommend?

[jsf]

Start with Welcome Back Frank. It re-established the character after some godawful stories in the late '90's, and sets the framework for everything since.

[deadbeat19]

Anything in the run of Garth Ennis is outstanding for Punisher MAX. My personal favorite is Volume 3: Mother Russia. Volume 6: Barracuda also introduces a great villain for Frank to battle. Please also check out Born, also by Ennis.

All of the Punisher MAX TPB volumes are great. No one has come close to Garth Ennis and his monumental work on the Punisher.

[Nordh]

I haven't read any of Jason Aaron's PunisherMAX, how does it measure up to Ennis'?

[deadbeat19]

I haven't read any of Jason Aaron's PunisherMAX, how does it measure up to Ennis'?

Aaron is doing a decent job, when the issues actually make it to the shelves. Nothing can compare though to the work that Ennis did on PunisherMAX.

Also, deadbeat Dillon is the artist working with Aaron, and in my opinion ruins the book. I hate Dillon more than any other artist and was mildly upset to say the least when I found out he was the artist of choice for the reboot of PunisherMAX.

[maniacthw]

Mother Russia

/Thread.

Also, the one shot they just put out is decent as well.

[Specimen 297]

Ennis' Punisher Born followed by Punisher Max Vols 1 - 10 and the From First to Last TPB.

[merrick97]

The Punisher omnibus is best.

[matthewaos]

There was a thread around here about best Punisher arcs.

Buy all the Ennis Punisher. MAX is way superior but Marvel Knights is fun and good.

Do this and come back latter for more, after the shock.

[Vlaad II]

Circle of Blood (The Punisher #1-5, 1986)

[JET ACE LOGAN]

The old school trade paper backs,(TPB) IE pre Ennis to get are:

Circle of Blood
Return to Big Nothing ( out out print but you can still get)
Punisher War Zone (1992) TPB
Barbarian with a Gun

PLUS,

All the Punisher arcs/storys, by Garth Ennis to begin with,

Start with The Punisher MAX run by Ennis, One of the most, underrated runs done on any comic character, when in fact it is one of the greatest , easliy!

All in trade paper back (TPB) form, starting with :

BORN

In the Begining

Kitchen Irish

Mother Russia

Up is Down Black is White

Slavers

Barracuda

Man of Stone

Widow Maker

Long Cold Dark Night

Valley Forge

also First to Last TPB which contains the Ennis one shots The cell, Tyger, The End.

And after this if you want more , pick up the Marvel Knights 616 mu Ennis Punisher omnibus which collects :

Welcome Back Frank

The ongoing Punisher series issues 1 to 37

Punisher Kills Marvel Universe

couple of specials...

Also get the TPB of Ennis's Punisher Warzone limited series which is a direct sequel to Welcome Back Frank .

Also now the TPB Kingpin (Punisher MAX) is great and well worth getting and by Jason Aaron and right up there with Ennis...

Also worth picking up is the three non Ennis Punisher MAX TPB's

Girls in whites Dresses

Six Hours to Kill

Welcome to the Byou.

[Candid Rook]

Mother Russia

/Thread.

Also, the one shot they just put out is decent as well.
I'm surprised. One of the major reasons you disliked In The Beginning was because it went all out with the shock factor of having a guy with his severed balls in a cup but you liked the last one shot about the guy with his severed dick in a jar?

[maniacthw]

Let me get this straight, one of the major reasons you disliked In The Beginning was because it had a guy with his severed balls in a cup but you liked the last one shot about the guy with his dick in a jar?

I disliked In The Beginning because of the unnecessary amounts of blood, gore, profanity, nudity, and shock value which all seemed to calm down at the end of that book. The balls in a cup was the epitome of what I was talking about. I also don't think we're talking about the same one shot as I don't remember a dick in a jar. This either means that it's another book, or they didn't use an entire page to show a man holding his bloody crotch with a paper cup overflowing with blood begging some girl to help him.

[Candid Rook]

I disliked In The Beginning because of the unnecessary amounts of blood, gore, profanity, nudity, and shock value which all seemed to calm down at the end of that book. The balls in a cup was the epitome of what I was talking about. I also don't think we're talking about the same one shot as I don't remember a dick in a jar. This either means that it's another book, or they didn't use an entire page to show a man holding his bloody crotch with a paper cup overflowing with blood begging some girl to help him.

Musn't be the same one shot. What was so unneccessary about the blood, gore and profanity of In the Beginning as opposed to, say, Mother Russia, which had just as much violence, gore and profanity in it - the shock of guy with balls in cup, aside?

[maniacthw]

Musn't be the same one shot. What was so unneccessary about the blood, gore and profanity of In the Beginning as opposed to, say, Mother Russia, which had just as much violence, gore and profanity in it - the shock of guy with balls in cup, aside?

I guess the fact that I didn't feel like I wasn't understanding most of the story. ITB seemed to be a book for people who were fans before whereas MR was a to the point story with next to no backstory needed. And the little you did need to know was explained in story.

[Candid Rook]

I guess the fact that I didn't feel like I wasn't understanding most of the story. ITB seemed to be a book for people who were fans before whereas MR was a to the point story with next to no backstory needed. And the little you did need to know was explained in story.

Fair enough. My advice to you is if you intend keeping on with Ennis' run then check out Punisher: Born because the last arc of the run touches on events that happened in that book and you may end up with the same feeling that you are missing out on something as with In The Beginning. Not to mention Punisher: Born is a great story in its own right.

[maniacthw]

I've picked up every trade up to Baracuda now. I will, eventually, finish it. I'm also reading Ennis's Preacher