Tales From The Longbox

PunisherMax-Jason Aaron launched this latest Max version of The Punisher with Steve Dillon about a bit over a year ago now,and I have really loved it.Despite being a 30 plus year old character,Frank Castle is more linked to Garth Ennis' interpretation than any other for me.Aaron has proven capable to emulate the tone Ennis set,while still adding his own sensibilities.

The MAX universe is mostly devoid of the heroes we know from Marvel's base 616 universe,and Frank is over 50 and tired.Tired but still capable and willing to kill criminals.In the last few years Ennis planted the seed that Frank has only really used his families' murder to do what he wanted to do and proved great at in war...killing.Aaron has enforced that,showing Frank as only really feeling at home during his time in the jungles of Vietnam,and feeling alienated and distanced from his wife and kids upon arrival in the states.

Recently Bullseye was written in as an assassin hired by Kingpin to end Frank,and in a great moment during a brutal fight,he whispered to Frank the secret he had figured out himself...although they concealed it in the book,by Frank's reaction(chilled to the bone)it seems that Bullseye figured out that Frank was actually relieved that his family died,so he could get back to his life,and now with a "new"war to fight.I have always admired that Frank is such a cut and dry character,yet Aaron has mined new depths with his writing,and Dillon,a personal fave(Preacher)is firing on all cylinders.Read this book!

Snake Eyes#1-The second of three new Joe titles released,and another good read.Snake Eyes is the character everyone loves from the Joes,and it says alot to give an ongoing to a mute character.Helix,a female Joe with some interesting fighting abilities and heightened reflexes was teamed with Snake towards the end of the last Joe series and shows up here too.She is an interesting character and can give this book the voice it needs if they keep her in it.In the Cobra Civil War #0,we found out that someone slaughtered all of Snake Eyes' ninja Joe soldiers,this book picks up with him and a small group scaling a Kilamanjaro like mountain tracking the offenders.As Storm Shadow only showed up at the very end of the prior Joe book and as he and Snake are like gravy and potatos,let's bet he had something to do with this.Chuck Dixon knows Joe lore,so I'm in for the ride.

Next time....