PUNISHER STORYTIME
All this year I'll be storytiming Punisher comics. I'll mostly focus on the pre-Ennis era, but there'll be a few Ennis era stories at certain points. Expect at least 1 storytime per week.
Yesterday I storytimed all 3 of The Punisher Back To School Specials (which you can still read right here: >>95044226 ).
Today I'm going to be posting the original War Zone arc by Chuck Dixon and John Romita Jr.
I've already posted a number of Chuck Dixon's Punisher stories, both from his run on War Journal and his fill-in issues during Mike Baron's run on The Punisher. But so far I have not posted ANYTHING from War Zone. Not a single issue from any writer. Today that changes, beginning with the first arc of Chuck Dixon's first run on War Zone.
The Punisher War Zone was launched in 1992 as a third ongoing series for the then ULTRA popular character. The "hook" used to set it apart from the other 2 ongoings was basically that it was "name writers and/or artists doing long form story arcs". Dixon wrote over half of the issues of the entire series over the course of 2 separate runs, and collaborated with artists like Mark Texiera, Joe Kubert, John Buscema, and, most famously, John Romita Jr. (in his prime when he was still one of the most unique and most popular artists in comics).
This particular story arc that we're starting off with is considered by many to be the best of Dixon's work on the character. It sees The Punisher go undercover in attempt to infiltrate the mafia and was a MAJOR turning point in the development of The Punisher's relationship with Microchip. It also sees (IIRC) the debut of the Carbone crime family, who would go on to become MAJOR players in The Punisher comics. It also features a rare appearance of Shotgun, one of the most underrated and most badass Marvel characters EVER.
In general, this arc is one of the best of its time and I seriously HIGHLY recommended that all of /co/ read it.
PUNISHER WAR ZONE #1-6
STORYTIME
>>95065674
PREVIOUS STORYTIMES HERE:
Circle of Blood
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/88815455/
Return to Big Nothing
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/88890646/
Marvel Preview #2 / Marvel Super Action #1
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/89163408/
Punisher #1-10
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/89314601/
Daredevil #257
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/89328851/
Assassin's Guild (Marvel Graphic Novel #40)
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/89514921/
Punisher #11-20
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/89630150/
Intruder (Marvel Graphic Novel #51)
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/89872272/
Punisher War Journal #1-7
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/90057656/
Punisher War Journal #8-9 / Punisher #21-25
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/90256890/
Shadowmasters #1-4
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/90266172/
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #15 / Daredevil #182-184
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/90424952/
Punisher War Journal #10-19
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/91415649/
Punisher War Journal #20-24
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/91603354/
Punisher #26-34
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/91789401/
Punisher #35-40
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/91949530/
Punisher #41-44
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/92177730/
The Punisher Armory #1-5
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/92381649/
The Punisher Armory #6-10
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/92386592/
The Punisher Armory "Extras"
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/92392093/
Punisher #45-49
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/92589441/
Punisher #50-52
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/92772989/
Punisher #53-62
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/92978294/
Cage #3-4
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/93120045/
Punisher War Journal #25-30
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/93144066/
Punisher War Journal #31-37
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/93299524/
Punisher Summer Special #1-4
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/93344539/
Kingdom Gone (Marvel Graphic Novel #64)
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/93578406/
cont.
>>95065706
AND HERE:
Punisher #63
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/93759059/
Punisher #64-70
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/94017367/
Punisher #71-75
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/94104047/
No Escape
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/94384224/
Ghost Rider & Wolverine & Punisher - Hearts of Darkness / Ghost Rider & Wolverine & Punisher - The Dark Design
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/94434440/
Punisher War Journal #38-44
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/94580959/
Punisher War Journal #45-47 / Daredevil #307-309 / Nomad #4-6
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/94628990/
Punisher Back To School Special #1-3
http://desuarchive.org/co/thread/95044226/
>>95065726
BUMP IF YOU'RE READING
>>95065755
FUN FACT: John Romita Jr. was going to draw a Shotgun ongoing at one point, but it got cancelled before it came out for unknown reasons.
>>95065783
>>95065803
>>95065823
>>95065848
>>95065868
>>95065889
>>95065909
>>95065940
>>95065961
>>95065987
>>95066003
>>95066022
>>95066038
>>95066059
>>95066084
I forgot to mention in the OP that this arc also sees the debut of Mickey Fondozzi, who was basically The Punisher's "main" mafia informant during the 1990s.
>>95066113
>>95066135
>>95066154
>>95066171
>>95066191
>>95066210
Back inside cover.
>>95066229
ISSUE #2
>>95066255
>>95066268
This is actually a vertical double spread!
>>95066292
>>95066308
>>95066329
>>95066353
>>95066377
>>95066402
>>95066428
>>95066446
>>95066466
Another vertical double page spread. You don't see many of those post-90s. Morrison's New X-Men Annual might have been the last time I can remember vertically oriented pages.
>>95066486
>vertically oriented pages
In the sense of being read sideways, is obviously what I meant.
>>95066505
>>95066523
>>95066541
>>95066581
>>95066632
>>95066654
>>95066671
>>95066689
Letters page
>>95066711
ISSUE #3
>>95066726
>>95066740
Bumping for punisher.
>>95066760
>>95066777
>>95066794
>>95066816
>>95066829
>>95066846
I think I remember reading this once.
Thanks
>>95066861
>>95066883
>>95066900
>>95066914
>>95066924
>>95066940
Yet another vertical double page spread.
>>95066951
>>95066970
>>95066985
>>95066154
He's got a weird sense of humor.
>>95067002
>>95067024
>>95067045
>>95067063
>>95067085
ISSUE #4
>>95067101
>>95067118
Another of these vertical double page spreads. Romita or somebody at Marvel must have LOVED these.
>>95067143
>>95067164
>>95067199
>>95067316
ANOTHER vertical double page spread! I'm genuinely surprised at how many of these they used in this arc.
>>95067347
>>95067376
>>95067408
>>95065674
>I'll mostly focus on the pre-Ennis era, but there'll be a few Ennis era stories at certain points.
Please, please make Tyger one of them. As far as I'm concerned that's the high water mark of the entire franchise.
>>95067427
>>95067464
>>95067485
>>95067454
Something I could hypothetically do is maybe a "backwards lead up" to The Platoon. Like do The Cell, then The Tyger, then Born, leading up to The Platoon on the day it debuts. Sort of a "MAX prequels series" to get /co/ ready for The Platoon when it comes out.
Or not.
I dunno.
I'll keep it in mind.
>>95067563
>>95067589
>>95067610
>>95067627
>>95067645
>>95067669
>>95067687
>>95067712
ISSUE #5
>>95067813
>>95067835
>>95067860
>>95067878
>>95067892
>>95067908
>>95067930
>>95067953
And yet ANOTHER one of these vertical double page spreads! There's been one or more in EVERY issue so far!
>>95067968
>>95067985
>>95068007
>>95068030
>>95068049
>>95068064
>>95068081
>>95068090
>>95068109
>>95068126
>>95068144
>>95068169
>>95068186
Letters page.
>>95068208
Bullpen Bulletins
>>95068230
ISSUE #6
>>95068253
>>95068270
>>95068286
>>95068308
>>95068326
>>95068340
>>95065674
bumpisher
>>95068357
>>95068370
>>95068392
>>95068412
>>95068429
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>>95068469
>>95068492
>>95068505
>>95068525
>>95068546
>>95068564
>>95068583
>>95068603
>>95068620
>>95068640
>>95068655
And that's that.
>>95068655
So he let Mickey go? Huh.
>>95066154
didn't they use this scene in the movie?
>>95067712
FORGOT TO POST THE LETTERS PAGE FROM ISSUE #4
>>95066879
No problem.
>>95067563
Please do
>>95068698
Yeah.
>>95066711
>>95068752
I actually have a scan of the B&W version of issue #1 that they're talking about here.
Are you guys interested in reading it? Cause I could storytime it.
>>95069165
do it. punisher storytimes are the best storytimes
Bump
Thank you OP. I was jonesing
>>95069165
>>95069383
Alright, here we go.
Here's the setup: Before the release of The Punisher War Zone, Marvel sent subscribers of some Marvel fan club (namely Wild Agents of Marvel) were sent an uncolored "preview" of the first issue.
This is a scan of it.
>>95069728
Is it weird that I like this art better than the colored version?
>>95069901
>>95069851
There are some pages in the original version where the coloring is like bare minimum, and those are some of the most striking in the original published version of the comic. This kind of applies that darker more noir-ish aesthetic to the entire issue. Whether that's "better" or not is up to you.
>>95070235
That's the end of the preview.
I MIGHT storytime the follow up to this arc tomorrow, so look out for that.
Yo thank you for doing these storytimes, I never read punisher before and I'm really liking it.
>>95070462
No problem.
>>95069512
No problem.
>>95067427
>>95067085
>>95068640
>>95072264
later she becomes one of the punisher's best 90's villains, IMO
>>95068687
Yeah, he shows up in a few later stories. Dixon started trying to give Frank a supporting cast beyond just Micro and one or two-off characters.
Is Rosalie Carbone THE hottest bitch in The Punisher comics?
>>95075471
I imagine her having a slight accent that is either really hot or really annoying.
>>95065674
Absolutely incredible cover. Arguably THE best cover John Romita Jr. ever did.
JR Jr. will always be -the- Punisher artists for me.
>>95066191
>Johnny Tower
are you even trying, Frank
>>95065706
This inside front cover is incredible as well.
>>95067347
Much as I like this book, the vertical spreads do feel like one of those ninetes-era gimmicks.
>>95065706
>>95065726
Consider sticking the links in a pastebin so you don't need two posts for them
>>95066229
nice art
>>95066154
>There are people who still consider this put of character for Frank.
It was a great torture scene with no blood or gore, I think it worked better in the comics than on the screen. I like that Rossatron fella, but boy did he double down in spite of being wrong.
>>95079111
easier than updating a pastebin and more convenient for everybody
>>95066255
Nice cover.
>>95066726
Nice cover.