Punisher Max

PunisherMAX is the second comic book ongoing series published under the MAX imprint of Marvel Comics featuring vigilante and anti-hero the Punisher.[1][2][3] The series was written by Jason Aaron and drawn by Steve Dillon.

PunisherMAX
Variant incentive cover to PunisherMAX #1 (January 2010).
Cover art by Steve Dillon.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
MAX Comics
ScheduleMonthly
FormatOngoing series
Publication dateJanuary 2010 – February 2012
No. of issues22 issues, plus 1 X-Mas Special
Main character(s)Frank Castle / The Punisher
Creative team
Created byJason Aaron
Steve Dillon
Written byJason Aaron
Artist(s)Steve Dillon

Unlike the concurrently running Marvel Universe-proper series[4] featuring the Punisher, the MAX imprint allows the creators the freedom to write more realistic and hard-edged stories that cannot be seen in regular mainline Marvel Universe stories.[5][6] Also unlike the previous MAX series, which focused mainly on Frank Castle/The Punisher's war against the mob, this series has him squaring off against MAX versions of popular Marvel super villains, such as Wilson Fisk/the Kingpin, Bullseye and Elektra. The series came to a conclusion with issue #22.[7][8]

The series was a primary influence on Marvel's Netflix television series Daredevil and the second season of its spin-off The Punisher, both set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the former in terms of the characterisation of Vanessa Marianna-Fisk (portrayed by Ayelet Zurer), and the latter in the adaptation of the Mennonite, John Pilgrim (portrayed by Josh Stewart).[9]

Story arcs

"Kingpin" (#1-5)

Interrogating a mobster, the Punisher discovers a meeting place where many of them will be in the same place. After the meeting with the mob bosses, the men determine that the mythic "Kingpin of Crime" should be fabricated by them in order to throw the Punisher off their trails. One of the bosses' bodyguards, Wilson Fisk, is apparently chosen as this new figurehead. When the Punisher crashes the meeting, Fisk gets the bosses to safety and has a chance to kill the Punisher, which he does not take. He goes home to his wife and sleeping child, when he receives the call that will seat him as the Kingpin. Smiling, hinting at an ulterior motive, he accepts.[10]

"Bullseye" (#6-11)

Immediately after Wilson Fisk becomes the "Kingpin of Crime", he cancels all of the former bosses' appointments. However, Fisk's secretary calls and informs him that one man refuses to have his appointment cancelled. The man is known only as Bullseye, the world's deadliest assassin. Bullseye never misses his target, and has set his sights on the Punisher.

"Frank" (#12-16)

After the cruel fight against Bullseye, Frank gets arrested and sent to a high-security prison with a thousand people who want nothing more than to see him dead.[11] Frank reflects back on his time during the war and immediately after returning home, while struggling to understand his Punisher persona and refusing offers from crime bosses. He contemplates a life of peace versus continuing his violent methods.[12]

"Homeless" (#17-21)

Frank escapes prison and goes into his final confrontation with Wilson Fisk a.k.a. the Kingpin of Crime, and his new bodyguard, Elektra.

"War's End" (#22)

The series concludes with issue #22, which covers the death, funeral, and burial of Frank Castle. At the end of issue #22, the Punisher's death sparks a public uprising, with citizens purging New York's criminals.

Reception

The series holds an average rating of 8.6 by 85 professional critics on the review aggregation website Comic Book Roundup.[13]

Prints

Issues
No. Title Cover date Comic Book Roundup rating Estimated sales (first month) Rated
#1 Kingpin: Part 1 January 2010 8.2 by five professional critics.[14] 29,106, ranked 67th in North America[15]
#2 Kingpin: Part 2 February 2010 8.5 by five professional critics.[16] 23,110, ranked 92nd in North America[17]
#3 Kingpin: Part 3 March 2010 7.8 by four professional critics.[18] 22,887, ranked 87th in North America[19]
#4 Kingpin: Part 4 April 2010 7.6 by six professional critics.[20] 22,472, ranked 82nd in North America[21]
#5 Kingpin: Conclusion May 2010 8.9 by six professional critics.[22] 22,432, ranked 91st in North America[23]
#6 Bullseye, Part One June 2010 6.1 by four professional critics.[24] 22,246, ranked 87th in North America[25]
#7 Bullseye, Part Two July 2010 8.1 by four professional critics.[26] 22,198, ranked 91st in North America[27]
#8 Bullseye, Part Three August 2010 8.2 by two professional critics.[28] 22,053, ranked 93rd in North America[29]
#9 Bullseye, Part Four September 2010 8.9 by four professional critics.[30] 21,453, ranked 97th in North America[31]
#10 Bullseye, Part Five October 2010 9.1 by three professional critics.[32] 19,236, ranked 93rd in North America[33]
#11 Bullseye, Conclusion March 2011 9.2 by five professional critics.[34] 19,243, ranked 107th in North America[35]
#12 Frank, Part One April 2011 9.7 by three professional critics.[36] 18,740, ranked 93rd in North America[37]
#13 Frank, Part Two May 2011 9.1 by four professional critics.[38] 18,448, ranked 99th in North America[39]
#14 Frank, Part Three June 2011 8.5 by seven professional critics.[40] 17,965, ranked 133rd in North America[41]
#15 Frank, Part Four July 2011 7.7 by three professional critics.[42] 17,706, ranked 122nd in North America[43]
#16 Frank, Conclusion August 2011 7.8 by three professional critics.[44] 17,625, ranked 133rd in North America[45]
#17 Homeless, Part 1 September 2011 9.5 by one professional critic.[46] 17,540, ranked 122nd in North America[47]
#18 Homeless, Part Two October 2011 10.0 by one professional critic.[48] 17,541, ranked 133rd in North America[49]
#19 Homeless, Part Three November 2011 8.0 by one professional critic.[50] 17,473, ranked 126th in North America[51]
#20 Homeless, Part Four December 2011 8.9 by four professional critics.[52] 17,191, ranked 123rd in North America[53]
#21 Homeless, Conclusion January 2012 9.5 by four professional critics.[54] 17,267, ranked 109th in North America[55]
#22 War's End February 2012 8.9 by six professional critics.[56] 17,738, ranked 115th in North America[57]

Specials
Title Pages Release date Comic Book Roundup rating Estimated sales (first month) Rated
Punisher MAX X-Mas Special #1
"And On Earth Peace, Good Will Toward Men"		 35[58] December 3, 2008 7.7 by three critics.[59] 21,242, ranked 129th in North America[60] EXPLICIT CONTENT[61]

Collected editions
Title
[Tagline]		FormatMaterial collectedPagesPublication dateISBNEstimated sales
(North America)		Note
Punisher MAX vol. 1: Kingpin Hardcover
Trade paperback		 PunisherMAX #1-5 August 2010
November 2010		 978-0-7851-4596-7
978-0-7851-4071-9
Punisher MAX vol. 2: Bullseye Hardcover
Trade paperback		 PunisherMAX #6-11 May 2011
November 2011		 978-0-7851-4755-8
978-0-7851-4756-5
Punisher MAX vol. 3: Frank Hardcover
Trade paperback		 PunisherMAX #12-16 120 October 2011 978-0-7851-5208-8
N/A		 Cover by
Dave Johnson[62]
Punisher MAX vol. 4: Homeless Trade paperback PunisherMAX #17-22 128 October 31, 2012 0785152113
978-0785152118
Punisher MAX Omnibus Hardcover PunisherMAX #1-22
Punisher MAX X-Mas Special #1		 544 June 4, 2014[63] 978-0-7851-5429-7
Punisher MAX: The Complete Collection Vol. 7 Trade paperback PunisherMAX #1-22 December 2017 978-1-302-90912-3 Cover by Dave Johnson

References
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