The Punisher has been on-screen many times, in The Punisher (2004) and in Punisher: War Zone (2008). Both films had strengths and weaknesses but neither could fully get the character right. There was also a film in 1989 that doesn’t count as part of the modern Marvel Universe of today. For those of you who don’t know the Punisher, he is a guy named Frank Castle whose family gets killed and then becomes a vigilante known as “The Punisher.” So, in other words, he’s like Batman only he kills people with guns. The Punisher got his start in The Amazing Spiderman comic in 1974 as a foe to Spiderman. Military and law enforcement use his symbol which is up for debate if it is appropriate or not. The Punisher is an anti-hero that does not care about the law but just killing criminals so they don’t commit crimes again. There is even a comic where he kills everyone in the Marvel universe including himself.
The Netflix Punisher is a newer take on the character. He started out on the Netflix Daredevil show and he was so good that fans petitioned for this series. This could be because of actor Jon Bernthal’s performance. He is one of the most underrated actors and is now starting to get recognition. Most people know him from The Walking Dead as Shane or most recently in Baby Driver as the guy at the beginning of the film that you never see again. Just as Robert Downey, Jr. was born to play Iron Man, Jon Bernthal was born to play The Punisher.
The supporting cast is also terrific. I greatly enjoyed interactions between Frank and Micro. There were some reviews that said the series dragged but I found that it didn’t. The other Netflix Marvel shows like Luke Cage feels twice as slow to me. It does take some time for things to heat up but it is fun and refreshing to see Frank in a new environment.
It starts out with Frank living life day-to-day and dealing with the loss of his family. This show handles modern political issues like gun control and other topics such as how veterans deal with PTSD. The show gets better and better with each episode. Towards the end, there is a scene that is so brutal I could barely keep from turning my head away from the screen. The finale was satisfying and makes you want more. I have high hopes for another season since the series is though with all the character development. I highly recommend binge watching The Punisher whenever you can.
Rating: 9/10
Go to https://www.netflix.com/title/80117498 to start watching!
Once you finish the series watch IGNs Marvel’s The Punisher: The BEST Easter Eggs and References. https://youtu.be/bHTnKmz5iw8