The Punisher: Circle of Blood
Published by Marvel Comics
144 pages
$15.95.

Frank Castle was a good man. War hero. Dedicated husband and father. Until organized crime took his family from him. Pushed over the edge, Castle decides to take on the world of crime...as "The Punisher."

Marvel's collection of the 1985 miniseries Punisher: Circle of Blood, is as entertaining as it is sad, and disturbing, and dark, and..., well, you get the idea.

Writer Steven Grant creates what I consider to be the quintessential Punisher story; the one tale that perfectly captures what the character should be. Castle is focused. Dangerous. Relentless, and totally committed to his mission of destroying organized crime. At the same time, he is sad, single-minded, perhaps even demented, but at the very least, deluded, as is demonstrated by the very belief that he CAN wipe out organized crime.

The art is handled by Mike Zeck. Coincidentally, I consider his Punisher to be THE Punisher, not to mention the best work he has done to date, possibly due to inker John Beatty. Zeck deftly captures the nigh-maniacal, frenzied anger of the character, as well as the rugged, harsh, and deadly settings of the story. Be it prison bars or city streets, Zeck's pencils are perfection. As artists like to consider their work a growth process, it may not be thrilling to think of a nearly 20-year-old work as their best.

I discovered the character with this story, however, and, while that may seem a bit personal for someone who's supposed to be objective, I believe a total 30 years of comic-reading would tell me if my infatuation was a result of inexperience; it hasn't. The Punisher: Circle of Blood is still one of the stories I read again...and again....and again. Because it's good. And it's recommended for all but the youngest readers who enjoy crime drama or prison stories.

Find The Punisher: Circle of Blood at your local comic shop, some bookstores, online auctions, or comic conventions.

Mark Allen

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