Punisher Kill Krew #2 // Review
The Punisher is one of those grounded characters. That feels both perfect in the crazy world of Marvel, and also out of place. A man whose family was killed by crime dedicated himself to wipe it out feels like something out of a 1970s revenge action movie. And yet, in Marvel, it works to a degree because crime can be so outlandish and bizarre. However, a recent trend has been to put Frank in more outlandish situations than he belongs in.
Case in point: Punisher Kill Krew. Author Gerry Duggan and artist Juan Ferreyra have teamed up to create a bizarre book that looks into the aftermath of the War of Realms event. Letterer Cory Petit joins them on this journey to make sure we can read it.
The issue begins with some dark elves on Svartalfheim talking around a campfire, only to be ambushed and slaughtered by the Punisher in a jaunty Norse helmet toting a shotgun. The Punisher has chosen to avenge the orphans made by the War of Realms. Hunting down their killers and taking them all out. What results in this issue is a jaunt across obscure corners of Marvel and some weird supporting castmembers. Before heading to Joutenheim, Punisher takes a brief stop on Counter-Earth to take down a massive cyber-shark. Who rampaged across New York while the heroes were busy, all while pulled through the cosmos by one of Thor’s enchanted goats.
If you couldn’t tell, this comic is crazy in one of the better ways. Gerry Duggan has a great handle on Frank as a character, but a fantastic ability to make the absurd seem serious with Frank’s narration. While the first issue was a little slow, having Frank actually travel through the realms in a van pulled by a magic goat just feels pure Marvel.
As good as the concept is, it wouldn’t be much without a good artist. Which is where Juan Ferreyra steps in. Facial expressions alone in the book are wonderful, and you can see the delight someone like Frank takes in dealing out punishment to the fantastic denizens of the realms. When the art isn’t violent, it’s also surprisingly beautiful. Seeing the Punisher’s van soar over the ice fields of Joutenheim as the sun sets is downright stunning. The color given to this book makes it worth reading for anyone wanting to experience a visual trip.
This is a book most Punisher fans should look into, but anyone wanting to see military hardware going up against fantasy monsters would greatly enjoy it as well. Easily the best Punisher book on the market, Kill Krew looks to be making a motley revenge group that will be awesome to read.
