Marvel Universe Vs. The Punisher

Welcome to Comical Musings and the first of two looks at the “Marvel Universe Vs. _________” series.  The Punisher has always been a force to reckon with, but could he contend with the whole Marvel Universe?  It can be argued that here are creatures that Marvel has created that are extremely powerful and could not be taken down by a single man.  But, the Punisher is not a man!  He is an ideal, he is the spirit of vengeance (or should be), he is the angel of death, he is a mission.  You probably are asking yourself “what could make The Punisher kill everyone?”  The answer is: dire/post-apocalyptic circumstances.

The stage is set…

In a world that has become quite a bit like the Will Smith movie “I Am Legend” and not at all like Space Punisher, we find Frank Castle killing cannibalistic, animalistic, primitive zombie-esque characters.  The world is in a sorry state because not only has he average Joe Schmoe been infected, but some very super characters as well.  They seem to retain a small amount of their brain functions, but not enough to stop eating human beings.  Things are weird as is, but if you can believe it, they get weirder.  One of these effected Marvel heroes has it out for Frank and is smarter than the others.  This adds a creepy dynamic to the whole thing and takes it to the next level.

Killer!…No, Literally.

This is one of many “The Marvel Universe vs. ________ ” comic books and compared to Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe and the other Jonathan Maberry comics, this seems to be middle of the road.  The concept is not as inspired as Deadpool playing with the fourth wall, but if you like standard issue Punisher stories, this one gives you a little twist.  We see Marvel heroes acting very un-heroic and then watch The Punisher kill them.  The stage was set in The Marvel Universe Vs. Wolverine and now it is The Punisher’s chance to take the stage and run the show.

Trying To Eat Wolverine Is Pretty “Un-heroic”

It’s interesting, but didn’t capture my attention.  If you were to ask me if I loved this comic book, my answer would certainly be “no.”  If you were to ask me if I liked this comic book, I would probably concede “ehhhh…yeah?”  If you were to question it’s merit as a comic book, I would defend how well the story is laid out, the scripting/dialogue, and the page turn moments.  Those are all great and they should be since Jonathan Maberry is a writer with many zombie/post-apocalyptic feathers in his cap.  This is actually his second jaunt into this universe that he created.  So, from a composition standpoint, it is well done…even imaginative, just not particularly engaging and a little forgettable.

Seen This Once Or Twice

If you have read all of this and it sounds like something that you would enjoy, first I would recommend being over 13 years old.  Then I would suggest you buy it at Instocktrades.com for $8.24 in softcover and/or $10.99 in hardcover.  Then come tell us how you liked it in the comments section.  If you have already read it already, what did you think?

~ Scott Deaux ~