I haven't binged the entire thing yet -- we're only at ep 8 - but my wife and I are really enjoying it.
It's not at all what you'd expect. That is to say, there is mayhem, but its relatively restrained and very focused. Instead of Frank going after mafia types, as he does in the comics, this show is about some bad things that happened in Kandahar when Frank was in the service. It features a number of his fellow vets, whereas in the comics his supporting characters are few and far between.
And Frank is no unstoppable killing machine. He takes more punishment than is plausible and keeps going, but it's within suspension of disbelief. And he is limited to merely human feats, so there's genuine suspense as to how he can possibly prevail.
That brings us to Micro, who does come from the comics. This version is a former NSA analyst, instead of a computer hacker (or whatever the comics version was supposed to be). He's good with computers, but he doesn't have the comics Micro's cliched body type -- that is to say, he's not a fat guy subsisting on soft drinks and Cheesy Poofs.
He is, however, both poignant and funny. He's kind of a dweeb, setting up a lot of punchlines with tough-guy Frank. They actually act like an old married couple, which is a lot of fun. But it's poignant, too, in that Micro is separated from his family, something Frank can understand, but that family is still still alive, which he can resent. He actually interacts with the family, much to Micro's chagrin, but it's disturbing for us, because we know what happened to Frank's family, and he's not exactly the most stable person in the world.
On the other side of the fence, you have the government criminals Frank is chasing, which will likely -- given what I know of the comics -- result in the creation of one of Frank's longtime foes. I will say no more, except that most of these critters are appropriately slimy.
There's also the two Homeland Security officers who are after Frank, not knowing they're all after the same thing: The officers who did some really bad stuff in Kandahar. So they might end up allies, although it's hard to say how at this point. They remind me of Maria von Richtofen and Martin Soap from Garth Ennis' "Welcome Back, Frank," which is probably deliberate.
Come to think of it, Micro actually says the words "Welcome back, Frank" in the first or second ep. There's definitely some ties there.
And what to say about Jon Bernthal? Playing a taciturn hardcase doesn't usually lend itself to great acting, but he's terrific at bringing humanity to an almost inhuman character. And on occasion he looks exactly like a Tim Bradstreet cover.
A subplot with another vet suffering from PTSD isn't going anywhere yet -- it has only tangential connections to the main plot -- but at the moment serves to remind the audience that PTSD is what this show is really about. Frank wasn't driven 'round the bend by what happened to his family -- that was just the last straw. What he did in the service is what drove him nuts, and this show doesn't let us forget that.
This show is so good my wife likes it, and she won't even read Marvels, which she calls "fight comics." Definitely recommended!
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I'm enjoying it, too (I think I'm about three episodes in). Count me as another non-Marvel reader for the most part. I don't think I've ever read a Punisher comic, although I'm familiar with the character in a general way. I suppose if Garth Ennis writing it couldn't get me on board, nothing could!
Haven't watched it yet (but intend to eventually). Also, never read/collected any of the Punisher comics, although I purchased the very first comic he appeared in, Amazing Spider-Man #129, for 21 cents when it was brand new. Also got his appearances in Miller's Daredevil and other titles. I've read enough good things about Ennis' run that I might eventually check out one of the TPBs collecting his run. Admittedly, the era when the Punisher and Wolverine became big solo stars at Marvel was a period during which I generally had no interest in collecting what Marvel had to offer, with so many X-Men & Spidey spin-offs, one massive multi-title epic after another. On the other hand, I've enjoyed the various Marvel Netflix series.
Extremely good storytelling. I'm very impressed. Terrific PTSD subtext, which was also sometimes the text. Even my sister is watching it, and she's not exactly the target audience.
In case there's anyone who didn't know, "Billy Russo" is the real name of comic book villain Jigsaw, the man with the messed-up face, whose TV origin we just witnessed.
One thing that struck me is that who'd have guessed that it would end with ...
The Punisher saying, "I'm scared." A terrific ending, not only for it being such a surprise, but how the entire series led up to it.
Binged this the other day and thought it was pretty decent. Definitely better than Iron Fist or Defenders.
Bernthal is really good. Although it did seem like he morphed into his Shane character a couple of times. And he needs to stop doing that sh-sh-sh-sh thing that he does. Still he's by far my favorite Punisher. I had a hard time liking Micro because I hated the actor's character in Girls but he eventually won me over here. And really the whole cast was quite good in my opinion.
The whole thing had a little bit of an 80s action movie vibe to me. But it managed to mostly just take the good stuff from those movies and trim off the bad. Also, there was a little bit of the circular plotting that we've seen in some of these Marvel shows. But in this case I don't think it detracted from the story too much. I think they pushed the gore levels to new extremes for a Marvel property as well. Again, not a complaint, just an observation.
Also got the first comics to feature Jigsaw, a two-parter in ASM written by Len Wein and guest-starring Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler.
Captain Comics said:
I had been putting off watching Punisher. I think the character was underwritten in his Daredevil appearance on top of his not being a favorite of mine. Having only read comics featuring him in his early Spider-Man appearances, I was unfamiliar with any supporting characters or enemies. I had read a lot about the handling (and mishandling) of the character over the years, which put me off. I am playing catch-up with the Netflix Marvel series, just now starting the second season of Jessica Jones.
Given center stage, Jon Bernthal made the character painfully human and as relatable as is possible for Frank Castle. It was nice to see Karen Page, unnecessarily murdered by Frank Miller, played once again by my favorite from True Blood, Deborah Ann Woll. In the second season I hope we see her character and Agent Dinah Madani, played well by Amber Rose Revah.
Agent Dinah Madani has been confirmed for season two.
It's on Netflix now.
Richard Willis said: