Devil Comics Review | Cosmic Ghost Rider [2018] Donny Cates

Following the Thanos series, Frank Castle enters Valhalla where Odin makes him the Cosmic Ghost Rider. He heads to Titan to find baby Thanos and kill him however the baby is an innocent so he adopts him instead. He visits Galactus who wants to destroy Thanos however the Cosmic Ghost Rider decides to raise the child himself. The Watcher arrives and warns the Cosmic Ghost Rider that by having the Punisher raise Thanos another timeline will be created. Then the Guardians of the Galaxy arrive lead by Cable, Captain Marvel, Jubilee, Rocket, and Juggaduck.

Cosmic Rider fights off the entire Marvel Universe until baby Thanos and an adult Thanos arrives as the new Punisher. The Punisher Thanos takes the Cosmic Ghost Rider to another universe where he was raised and discovers he died however Frank Castle lives with his wife. However the Punisher Thanos punished the rest of the world which the Cosmic Ghost Rider did not want. Now the Punisher Thanos now wants the Cosmic Ghost Rider to be his herald as he once was before. The Cosmic Ghost Rider kills Thanos and takes the baby Thanos back to his own time only to discover that he taught Thanos how to kill. Now the Cosmic Ghost Rider seeks redemption so he will be joining the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Marvel Action Figure Covers [2015-2016] John Tyler Christopher

Punisher: Trial of the Punisher TPB [2013]

   

PUNISHER: TRIAL OF THE PUNISHER TPB

Frank Castle arrives at a police station with a body of a dead district attorney. As the trial begins the defense brings in their witness Matt Murdock. Castle asks for the trial to be pushed to the middle of next Wednesday. Castle takes the stand and reveals the district attorney was taking bribes. He has a video confession which he wants to view along with everyone else. The Punisher escapes while distracting them with the video and tying his attorney and the judge up. He plan was to kill someone he has been tracking for 5 years and the only way to get to him was through going to a trial.

The first issue was drawn by Leinil Yu while the second was Mico Suayan. This two issue special costing a whopping $8 bucks could have been spent elsewhere with better plotting. The second issue was better than the first one since it was meant to set everything up. This story would have been better if it was a single one shot issue.

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT – 3 OUT OF 5

Space: Punisher TPB [2012]

SPACE: PUNISHER TRADE PAPERBACK

The Punisher is presented into another alternative Marvel Universe in the four-issue Space: Punisher which reimagines the Marvel Universe as a galactic crime saga. Marvel went through a period of too many limited series that were set in continuity however the alternative universe series Marvel Universe vs. Wolverine was nominated for the prestigious Bram Stoker Award. Marvel wanted to produce high quality content that is special and not connected with current continuity.

Artist Mark Texeria brings an alternative Marvel Universe to life with Space: Punisher. The Punisher plays a rogue Space Ghost and Buck Rogers character with the help of his sidekick Microchip. He faces a symbiotic-infected Brood, the Rhino, Barracuda, and the Starjammer Corsair. The Punisher walks into a bar with Thanos, Annihilus, and Jango Fett searching for information about the Six-Fingered Hand consisting of the Sym-Brood Ant Queen, Dr. Octopus, the Green Goblin, Magneto, the Red Skull, and Ultron. The issue ends with the Punisher facing Sabretooth, Deadpool, and the Leader.

These limited series gives Marvel to explore another take on their heroes without devoting too much resources or promotions for an ongoing series. The series is more art than story however the curiosity to see Marvel characters in a different setting and universe gives the series unlimited potential compared to the regular Marvel Universe.

SERIES HIGHLIGHTS

- The Hulk takes down Sam Samson and his Hulk Busters

- The Hulk arrives and stomps the Leader while killing both Deadpool and Sabretooth

- Microchip arrives and rescues the Punisher then takes the Leader back to question him

- The Punisher finds Doctor Octopus and questions him before killing him

- The Six-Fingered Hand is revealed to be six Watchers

- The Punisher heads towards Assemble City on the Avengers Planet

- The Punisher attempts to steal from a museum’s trophy room guarded by Jarvis

- Marie beams Jarvis into space afterwards the Punisher heads towards the Watchers base

- The Punisher uses the Ultimate Nullifier against the Watchers

- The Six-Fingered Hand were banished by fellow Watchers because they wanted control

- Marie has been broadcasting a frequency which is sending the Hulk to the Watchers

- The Hulk rips open his chest to reveal Bruce Banner who wants to be killed

- The Watcher’s control over the universe has ended and it brings chaos

- The Avengers Federation rises to deal with the threat

This paperback collects

Space: Punisher #1 – 4

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT – 3 OUT OF 5

      

PunisherMax #11 [2011] by Jason Aaron & Steve Dillion

PUNISHERMAX #11

After killing a dirty cop the NYPD have been raiding Frank’s safe houses and arsenal. The Kingpin has hired Bullseye to assassinate Frank however he must first find out what makes Frank tick. Now Frank has taken the direct approach towards Fisk Enterprises deciding to eliminate both the Kingpin and Bullseye. Both Frank and Bullseye go at each other with the passion for killing with tear gases, axes, machine guns, knives, sledgehammers, and nails. Leading Frank cornering Fisk on the rooftop until Bullseye arrives revealing what Frank told his wife before she died in Central Park. This stops Frank in his tracks while Fisk shoots the window ceiling allowing both Bullseye and Frank falling to the ground surrounded by NYPD Police.

This issue feels like a cop-out especially from series writer Jason Aaron. Building up the confrontation was amazing with the dialogues matching the action sequences. However Bullseye made an effort to find out what is in Frank’s head and to allow him to whisper what he said instead of letting the audience in on it seems like very poor planning. Imagine watching a great movie until the ending revealed the mastermind was either aliens or God. During One More Day Mary Jane whispered something to Mephisto however it was revealed during One Moment in Time. Whether Mr. Aaron plans to reveal to the audience what was said with his next arc Frank remains to be seen.

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT - 4 OUT OF 5

PunisherMax #10 [2011] by Jason Aaron & Steve Dillion

PUNISHERMAX #10

The Kingpin who survived his own assassination attempt by his wife Vanessa after the death of their son has now hired Bullseye to assassinate Frank Castle. During the course of tracking Frank, Bullseye along with a dirty cop kills Franks’ old army buddy which results in Frank killing the dirty cop. Now the NYPD are after Frank raiding his safe houses and arsenal for the death of a police detective
.

Bullseye debates on what makes Frank tick so he can kill him by reviewing when the Punisher was born either in Vietnam or Central Park. Meanwhile Frank takes the direct route towards Fisk Enterprises to eliminate the Kingpin. The last issue of PunisherMax was released on July 28, 2010 due to Steve Dillon working on both the Ultimate Avengers 3 with Mark Millar and this series simultaneously. Now after the conclusion of the Ultimate Avengers 3 Dillon is back drawing the Punisher. Jason Aaron doesn’t miss a beat as he builds the issue towards the conclusion next month.

RECOMMENDED – 4 OUT OF 5