What can Marvel do to get you to buy the current Punisher book?

[CTpitch]

I think the 616 Punisher works best as the straight man to the wackiness of the MU. A man with black and white morality in a world of grey, red, blue, pink and Kirby Dots. Play him straight when he's blowing off Stilt Man's head, or begrudingly teaming up with Neo-Nazi white supremacy leaders, or using Skrull Super-Sniper rifles to try and assassinate superpowered foes.

Let him stab a Gorilla again or something, not all these generic goons

He killed the new Vulture within a couple issues

[DaronK]

Let him stab a Gorilla again or something, not all these generic goons

Well he did kill the vulture...

But isn't fighting "goons" his bread and butter? Isn't that really what the street level guys are supposed to be doing while the Avengers are off saving the world from "insert this month's event here"?

[DaronK]

Have Bendis write him, and throw in characters like Luke Cage, Dare Devil, Spider-Man

Ugh to that part. But he is crossing over with DD and Spidey...

[Hockstatter]

The Avenging Punisher!!!

[Hulk_Is]

I hear he doesn't talk or make a ton of appearances in his own book. That's a problem for me. Bruce Jones tried that a decade ago with the Hulk and I didn't buy that pemise then. So, the chances are even less for the Punisher. What's up with writers treating any ol' character like they're Black Bolt? lol

[squashmaster]

Nothing. Punisher is too one-dimensional as a solo title. Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon said the most perfect thing there is to say about him.

He works best with other characters in the MU. I'll definitely be buying all three issues of this Omega Effect or whatever it's called crossover.

[CTpitch]

Ugh to that part. But he is crossing over with DD and Spidey...

They're trolling, if that were to happen they be moaning about how Marvel doesn't have diversty in their titles but when they actually get a title they don't buy it

[DaronK]

Nothing. Punisher is too one-dimensional as a solo title.

This was my thought too, until I read Rucka's take on him. And even though he probably still is a bit one-dimensional, the world and characters he's interacting with definitely aren't.

[DaronK]

I hear he doesn't talk or make a ton of appearances in his own book. That's a problem for me. Bruce Jones tried that a decade ago with the Hulk and I didn't buy that pemise then. So, the chances are even less for the Punisher. What's up with writers treating any ol' character like they're Black Bolt? lol

He does talk. He just doesn't say much when he does, and he only talks when he needs to. I think it works quite well for the character and makes sense. He's sort of the anti-Deadpool in that regard. And he is in the book a good deal. The first few issues not as much, but this last issue he's on just about every page.

[Captain Craig]

Punisher is one character above all where it's clear the adage "different strokes for different folks" applies. See, I consider the MAX material to be the most unrealistic version of the character. Not all but most runs in that line come off as a "wet dream of death by serial killer" imo. The 616 Punisher who works on street thugs, mob ties and the occasional C-level costumed nut...that is Punisher.

I'm loving Rucka's run and this crossover with DD will be my first excuse to sample the new DD material as well.

[CaptCleghorn]

This was my thought too, until I read Rucka's take on him. And even though he probably still is a bit one-dimensional, the world and characters he's interacting with definitely aren't.

Does he stab people sometimes, instead of always shooting them?

[CrazyOldHermit]

That's sad to hear...especially from someone with a Punisher avatar.

Yeah well, my avatar is from a MAX cover. :p

[destro]

Oh you want him back in goofy tights as well?

Hey he wore those "goofy tights" for most of his career and during the period he was arguably at his most popular (late 80s - mid 90s).

[Moose100]

Lots pf violence and gore. If you water it down it's a turnoff it's the frikkin Punisher!!!

[destro]

As someone who used to be a fan of the character when he 1st had his title, but later burned out on him...I have a few ideas on what to do with old Frank.

There was a time when the Punisher was a fairly unique character in the Marvel universe. There weren't many characters that killed in those days and there weren't as many grim/dark characters running around. Now there are many characters like that and many of them kill. I think the Punisher has kind of gotten lost in the shuffle and has lost some of that unique quality.

In the MU I feel he works better as an occasional guest star in other titles as a contrast to the heroes. He worked just fine this way for years.

I don't think the Punisher really works that well as an ongoing series. He can't really have any sort of character progression. He can't really have a girlfriend, wife, children, friends, different jobs, etc..the end of his story can only be death, jail or retirement. But what do you do in the middle? All he can really do is go after different sorts of criminals in different places. Even though Microchip was kind of silly, at least there was someone for the Punisher to interact with on a regular basis and there was some sense of the story moving forward in those days. But most of the fans I see today don't really want a return to that sort of thing, the more superhero-y Punisher with the tights and silly sidekick. They want the more hardcore stories in a more realistic universe.

I think one shots, graphic novels and limited series are the way to go with the character for the hardcore fans who want Punisher centric stories. These should have little to no involvement with the rest of the MU and should be done in the dark and gritty MAX style.

Keep his other appearances to guest shots in other titles as that contrast to the other heroes that makes them question their own methods.