Spencer & Locke co-creator and former Savage Avengers writer David Pepose will team with Planet of the Apes artist Dave Wachter on a new Punisher series, as a retired SHIELD agent named Joe Garrison takes up the mantle once held by Frank Castle.
“The man might be different, but the punishment remains the same,” said Pepose. “I wanted to introduce the Danny Ketch to Frank’s Johnny Blaze.”
Now that is a great analogy. If you read the recent Jason Aaron-written Punisher series, you know (SPOILER!) that Frank Castle has moved on from this earthly plain. No, he isn’t dead, but he’s on Weirdworld, helping kids and not being the Punisher. So now someone new is stepping into the role.
Here are the details on the new series from Marvel:
In this action-packed new PUNISHER saga, Frank Castle has disappeared, but evil will always need to be punished. With all-new threats rising to claim innocent victims, criminals will need to beware of a dangerous vigilante hunting them from the shadows. Enter a new Punisher: retired S.H.I.E.L.D. black ops agent Joe Garrison. But what brings him back into action? What put Joe Garrison on his path of vengeance? And when the smoke clears, will he even make it out alive?
The Frank Castle version of the character had become somewhat of a controversy magnet over the last several years. It really came to a head during the Black Lives Matter movement, which put a spotlight on police violence. The Punisher’s skull symbol had become a popular emblem with some members of law enforcement, despite the fact that Frank Castle is a criminal and a killer. So Marvel retiring Frank Castle and his trademark skull wasn’t a surprise.
“I asked myself ‘How do we build a bigger table? And how do we invite as many readers as possible?’” Pepose said. “For existing fans of the Punisher and for new fans, this is a story that’s not going to sacrifice any of the attitude, any of the action, and we are not letting the pedal off the metal.”
Punisher #1 will arrive in stores on Nov. 8.
