Punisher: War Journal #17(2008).
© Marvel

Mania Grade: B+
Issue: 17
Authors: Matt Fraction, Howard Chaykin, Edgar Delgado, Jesus Aburto
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $2.99

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PUNISHER: WAR JOURNAL #17

In Matt Fraction’s in-continuity Punisher: War Journal, Frank Castle operates in the Marvel Universe proper. But, he doesn’t work alone. In the series’s first issue, Castle recruited escaped criminal inventor Stuart Clarke to serve as his sidekick and tech guru. As a super-villain that escaped during the infamous Raft riot—see New Avengers #1—Clark had little choice but to cooperate with the man wearing the skull shirt. In the course of the series, Fraction has devoted a generous amount of time to Clarke’s internal struggle as a criminal genius that works closer to—but not on—the side of the angels. In this issue, Fraction uses an encounter between Clarke and two former accomplices to flash back to his past as Rampage—a technological villain that fought the Champions and, above all, hated Tony Stark for his success. He still does. In the present story, both Sunset Bain and Parnell Jacobs have pieces of Stark’s War Machine armor. With the prices for Stark-tech soaring in the black market, each wants the other’s parts to complete the suit. Each wants to play Clarke against the other to retrieve the parts. And in the end, Clarke’s troubled relationship with the Punisher may be the only thing that can save his life.

Fraction continues to write Punisher: War Journal with the character-driven sensibilities of an independent comic. His internal monologues feel lifted from a slice-of-life small press book, but applied to the Marvel Universe. It lends an oft-missing human and realistic voice to the genre. Though he writes the Punisher to that effect, Castle remains an admittedly opaque character. At his core, he remains a single-minded killing machine incapable of moral discourse. But, by focusing so much on Stuart Clarke, Fraction gives the reader a relatable, first person view of one of the most frightening characters in the Marvel Universe. Think how it must feel to ride next to Castle in a van on the way to a murder. But, this issue emphasizes the title character’s creeping influence on his protégé. Though Clarke remains a somewhat-reformed villain, his increasing propensity for violence under Castle’s employ becomes clear. And, though not particularly graphic, the issue’s end still feels a bit shocking for the unflinching coldness with which Clarke resolves his dilemma.

Howard Chaykin draws this issue of Punisher: War Journal, with colors provided by Edgar Delgado and Jesus Aburto. Without disparaging Chaykin’s groundbreaking work on American Flagg or any other comic, his art has declined in quality. It shows the heavy use of Photoshop or some other graphics program, and looks angular and rough—like a first draft turned in to make a deadline. Only polite dishonesty could justify praising this work. Delgado and Aburto fair better on the colors, which look fine, albeit surprisingly bright for a work of such grim subject matter. 

This 17^th issue of Punisher: War Journal continues Fraction’s strong run on the title, and serves as a fine starting point for new readers. However, Chaykin’s art disappoints and drags down the experience. Pick this one up, but exercise patience.

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