Editor's Note: Punisher #6 arrives in stores tomorrow, June 17.

Plot: The Hood lays out the master plan for his resurrected gang of villains while Frank continues to cost Osborne's evil empire money.

Comments: Apparently, back before I began reading comics with any degree of seriousness, there was a villain called the Scourge of the Underworld. Sometime in the '80s he made it his mission to wipe out costumed villains – eliminating a few in the process and striking a bit of fear in the underworld.

Apparently, the Hood (and Rick Remender) have been checking out their Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, because he's brought the slain villains back to join in the fight against Frank Castle and his new tech man, Henry. He hasn't stopped at resurrection, either, going for the full power upgrade and costume revision to be more in line with the new millennial aesthetics.

Now, these second and third tier villains were killed by a nut who wanted to kill bad guys. The Punisher is arguably a nut who likes to kill bad guys. It's then not a stretch to convince his newly-resurrected killers and crooks that the man who took them out so many years ago is stalking the streets of New York only now he's wearing a skull on his chest.

I've gone into such detail about the basics of this plot because I appreciate that writer Rick Remender has taken the time out to think about a way to motivate his new characters: the carrot is the death of Frank Castle and the stick being a return to hell if they fail or simply get on the Hood's nerves. Character motivation is a simple thing, sometimes overlooked in favor of just getting the plot to work. Thanks, Mr. Remender for taking the time.

As for Frank – he's continuing to be a thorn in the Cabal's side, costing Osborne and Co. half a billion dollars in losses since the Punisher decided to take aim at the newly legitimized baddies. There's almost a hint of him having fun in this new mission, given new toys and tactics with the help of his new techie and tactician, Henry. Little is known about Henry at this point, and Remender provides an interesting (but obvious) answer to why Frank hasn't asked too many questions of his new partner. Barring betrayal, this is a subplot that will come to an interesting endpoint I'm sure.

Finally, on art Tan Eng Huat provides lithe, athletic pencils. My only concern is that his Frank Castle looks a little too lean (especially when compared to the grizzled, beefy design of the last arc). There are no complaints at all to be had with the designs of the resurrected villains – they look appropriately modern (the Hood's money was well-spent) but their designs remain evocative of some of the more garish costumes of the '80s (in a good way).

Final Word: An effective opening salvo in the Hood's first real direct assault on the Punisher, the issue is only hindered by the (relative) lack of face time with the resurrected villains. This is a minor issue I'm sure will be resolved in the coming months.

If you liked this review, be sure to check out more of the author’s work at Monster In Your Veins

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