SMonday Trade: Punisher
Punishermax: Kingpin written by Jason Aaron, art by Steve Dillon, colors by Matt Hollingsworth, letters by VC's Cory Petit
Marvel's MAX line is meant to allow them to mature stories. Mature meaning truly gruesome violence and some nudity. The original MAX version of Punisher was Garth Ennis' five, six year run. Stripping away the ties to the super-hero Marvel universe and show-casing the essence of the character. A man whose personal tragedy and loss led to him slaughtering thousands of criminals...
In this volume the title has been taken over by Jason Aaron (Ghost Rider, Scalped) who adds a MAX version of Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin. And he's backed by the pencils of long-time Ennis collaborator Steve Dillon. And there are few artists as skilled when it comes to presenting the over-the-top comedic horrorshow of violence that is Punishermax. Aaron takes a risk by making Frank Castle almost a secondary character in this first arc, concentrating more on the origin and motivations of Fisk. But it pays off in creating a criminal antagonist for the Punisher that you can believe could survive and even best him. At least for now...