Writer: Chuck Dixon
Artists: John Romita Jr.(p), Klaus Janson(i)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Plot:
Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, goes deep undercover within a powerful New York Mafia family. By forcing an alliance with a street-level mob enforcer Castle works his way up the chain of command, seeking to eliminate this particular family with extreme prejudice.
Comments:
Writer Chuck Dixon is a very capable storyteller who handles the super-hero form quite well; his tremendous work on Nightwing and Robin are solid, recent examples. But “War Zone” is a crime story and unfortunately conventions welcome in a Bat-book don’t work in this genre. Moreover his pacing is flat and he relies entirely upon clichéd characterizations. Seriously, do we really need to see another Mafia Don depicted wearing an expensive suit with slicked-back hair and a menacing squint?
Dixon starts off strong. Frank Castle’s anti-crime crusade has alienated everyone in his life. His last remaining friend and ally, someone for whom he shares a kinship and relies upon for tactical support, gives up when Frank suspects his motives. Now isolated, Castle must resort to squeezing street punks for information on the dim chance that it will lead to something larger. Naturally, Frank snags the one guy with the right connections and manipulates him into the graces of the parent organization. It’s just the kind of obvious, saw-it-coming-a-mile-away plot point that keeps Warzone from becoming anything more than a poor-man’s Schwarzenegger knock-off.
Though Warzone is unrelentingly violent, Dixon does include a few scenes of black humor. In one gruesome segment Castle “convinces” a low-level mob enforcer to give up some key information with a blowtorch and a Popsicle – seriously, it’s one of the high points of the book.
Story issues aside, I really fault Dixon for never trying to expand Frank Castle as anything more than a one-note assassin. It may be that there isn’t much range to an immoral killer who is all but omnipotent, but shouldn’t he at least give it the old college try? Consider the potential: Castle has reached the bottom of his existence by playing the part of a contract killer for the mob; he has become the very scum that he has sworn to eradicate. But Dixon never forces Castle to face his own reality. An escalating body count shouldn’t be a substitute for character development.
There are a couple of secondary players. A shadowy government operative lends Frank his double-barreled assistance. Then there’s the vengeful sub-boss with amnesia whose actions parallel Frank’s. Both of these guys could counterpoint The Punisher, but they distinguish themselves from Frank only by their choice of weapons.
Punisher: Warzone is somewhat redeemed by some exceptional artwork. When you pair the inks of Klaus Janson with the pencils of John Romita Jr. and you’ve got something special. In a recent interview John Jr. revealed that he is much more motivated and challenged to draw stories depicting common people in everyday life. It definitely shows in Warzone. There are literally hundreds of distinct characters within, covering a wide variety of age and ethnicity. Seldom do two faces look alike. One of JR’s particular strengths is at conveying differing body types, here he shows how just how different fat, skinny, fit and slovenly can be.
Finally, there are no extras beyond the final story page. Marvel included cover reprints from the six comics that comprise this collection but that’s it. I feel gypped when I buy a collected edition and don’t even get an intro page. I truly respect guys like Mike Mignola and Erik Larsen who create additional content and tweak their stories above and beyond what was originally printed, even going so far as to throw in concept sketches and miscellaneous bits of nonsense just because fans dig it. Honestly, couldn’t the editor have written a few paragraphs just to setup the story or maybe describe an amusing anecdote about how the creative team was assembled?
Final Word:
Punisher: War Zone is purely a movie-of-the-week formula, all action and no brains. Neither the story nor the characters take any chances. Considering the talent of the creative team this book should have been an event.
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