Someone’s taking out Russian mobsters in New York City - and for once it’s not the Punisher! So who’s doing it and why? Frank Castle’s on the case.
Garth Ennis returns once more to The Punisher: MAX and I’m delighted to say Soviet isn’t just his best book in years but one of his best for this title - and he’s written a lot of amazing books in this series!
The story takes a number of twists and turns but it’s never difficult to follow or illogical. The scenes are always interesting and it was nice to see Frank having a capable partner joining him for a change. The new characters are both really well-written. Valery is immediately likeable and sympathetic and it’s not hard to see why Frank chooses to help him. The two have chemistry, which is really unexpected in a Punisher comic - Frank almost smiles once! Even the Russian oligarch’s wife, Zinaida, was fleshed out in a compelling way that she didn’t really need to be but I’m glad she was more than just another disposable pawn.
Joining Ennis is Jacen Burrows, a fantastic artist who never disappoints. For the longest time he drew exclusively for Avatar, a publisher that specialises in explicit violence/gore in its comics, so he brings that experience to Soviet to really earn that MAX label. Not only should kids definitely not be reading this but I’d suggest any adult readers who don’t like seeing extremely graphic violence think twice about this one - I’m thinking especially of the flashbacks to Afghanistan and what the Mujahideen did to Valery’s comrades, which is nightmare fuel.
Though you can always tell that Frank will be ok at the end, I didn’t know what would happen to the others and what the overall resolution will be. And, like the master storyteller he is, Ennis kept me guessing and gripped to the very end. It’s a brutal, unpredictable and satisfying finale.
I’ve got no criticisms to make for this one - Punisher: Soviet is bloody class from bloody start to bloody finish and I bloody loved it! Garth Ennis shows once again why he’s the definitive Punisher writer. Soviet is a highly entertaining read from two mega-talented creators - come back to Punisher again soon, Ennis!
No comments:
Post a Comment