Punisher Kill Krew #3 // Review
It's rare to get something enjoyable out of a comic intended to "clean up" an event. Often, we get some kind of editorial-mandated book that tries to cover up the weaknesses of the event, or spackle in comic form to try and fill in the cracks. Punisher Kill Krew is luckily neither of those. Instead, Kill Krew takes the unflappable Frank Castle and throws him into the Realms of Marvel's Norse Mythology and lets him have at it. The end result is surprisingly enjoyable.
Punisher Kill Krew issue 3 comes from Gerry Duggan's pen and Juan Ferreyra's artist chops. Cory Petit also provides the letters.
Picking up from last issue's cliffhanger, Frank Castle and just-rescued Foggy Nelson have stumbled across the X-Men villain (and sometimes ally) Juggernaut. As he's being tortured by the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. Can Frank take out the Frost Giants an… ok, maybe that question is unnecessary in a Punisher book. The real question is, how much fun are the creators having on this book?
Gerry Duggan and Juan Ferreyra have to be having a ball with this book. The entire setup sounds like a joke demanding a punchline, and both deliver in spades. From poor Foggy Nelson being roped into playing distraction for Frank, to the Frost Giants proving impervious to mortal weapons, the book feels like it is two parts comedy and three parts revenge thriller. The back and forth between Frank and Foggy is absolutely delightful, even if most of it is setting Foggy up for pratfalls. Cain Marko is also delightfully portrayed as more than a simple thug, even if he tends to be single-minded. Fans of all three characters will find something to enjoy in this book.
Juan Ferreyra has done it once more with the art. The book looks incredible, balancing the line between elastic cartooning and the house realism that Marvel prefers. Multi-page splashes of action flow smoothly with the reader's eye, yet showing how completely bizarre and awesome the action has become. Frank pulls a few pages out of the God of War book of combat, and it is genuinely fun to see the Punisher use unconventional warfare to his advantage. Perhaps the only weakness of the issue is that it is almost entirely one long action sequence… but with a title like Punisher Kill Krew, it's hard to expect any less.
While the Punisher can tend to be a troubling and problematic character in this day and age, books like Punisher Kill Krew show that Frank can still be an enjoyable experience. While the book will likely become another footnote like Frankencastle, it's a fantastic romp for anyone wanting sword and sorcery flavored Frank.
