PUNISHER .:. The War Room


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The Punisher Armory # 2 From the back cover: "Frank Castle's family was in the wrong place at the wrong time - cut down by a drug lord's hit squad. Now, as the Punisher, Frank uses all the weapons modern science and technology can bring to bear on putting the drug lords and their ilk in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's a dirty job, and he's doing it. These are his methods and weapons." Annotations: The Punisher Armory was not a comic book in the traditional sense, instead of the typical story each issue contained 32 full-page depictions of various firearms, weapons, and equipment. Each page was accompanied by caption boxes containing narration by Frank Castle in the style of a "War Journal" entry. This second issue was released almost a year after the first issue's release. The entry on pages 24-25 is about Microchip's "Dalek" sentry robot, which first appeared in The Punisher (1987) # 15 and made a later appearance in The Punisher (1987) # 33 before it was destroyed by Frank in The Punisher (1987) # 37. The "Dalek" shown here is the second model, which makes its only other appearance in The Punisher (1987) # 73. The robot is, of course, named after the famous race of robots from "Doctor Who". The inside back cover of this issue contains an editorial about the Punisher from writer/artist Eliot R. Brown. Review: The Armory returns for a second volume nearly a year after the first issue came out, and now it features all-new material with not a reprint to be seen! Eliot R. Brown, by this point, is totally in the zone on this project - his artwork and scripting have been fine-tuned over his years of doing "Arsenal" pages as a back-up strips in various Annuals and specials, and comparing this second installment of The Punisher Armory to a well-oiled machine is both accurate and appropriate. During this time in the character's history, Punisher tie-ins were being pumped out at an alarming rate, most of them only there to be quick cash-grabs. It would be easy to lump the Armory series in with the rest of the Punisher material of the early 1990s, but I maintain that these books contain some of the highest quality writing of the time. Brown writes Frank Castle's narration perfectly, his knowledge of firearms and equipment is fascinating, and the whole package looks immaculate. But it's not just those surface details that make this such a great comic, it's the emotional center that Brown gives to the Punisher that puts this a step beyond its brethren. The last entry in this book is about a toy cap-gun that belonged to Frank's deceased son, and it would take an absolute heart of stone to not get a tear in your eye while you're reading the narration. "This isn't a very good gun. This gun shoots no known caliber, barely has sights and doesn't even shoot what it does shoot very well. It's no 'wonder nine', accepts no scope of any kind; has no accessories for that matter, unless you count the ratty, vinyl-like holster that came with it. It certainly isn't "gun-metal tough"; I probably could shatter it with my bare hands. It most likely would rust, if I let it. But I don't, 'cause it's my most important gun. And when it saw its heaviest duty, it was the best gun there was. It could slide from that low-slung holster like a natural thought. It fired fifty, well-placed rounds squarely into the bad guys, whether they were gangsters or Indians or just young buddies up the block. This was my little boy's gun. Now I hold onto it and now and then, use it." That is heart-breaking to read, especially paired with the image of the gun and holster, and it shows just how much Brown "gets" the character of Frank Castle. There's also some really funny stuff in this issue, like when Frank is talking about Microchip's "Daleks" (Micro is a frequently referenced irritant in this issue, like a nagging wife and a little brother mixed together). There are set-ups for countless stories that I would have loved to actually see play out in one of the other Punisher titles. Shit, why the hell didn't Marvel hand over War Journal or War Zone to Eliot Brown? The possibilities, oh the possibilities... By this time, you know if you're a fan of the Armory issues or not, they're certainly not for everyone. However, it can't be denied that they're well-crafted and really interesting. Grade: A+ Review Date: 01/15/12	THE PUNISHER ARMORY # 2 Date: June 1991 Price: $1.75 Cover: Jim Lee Title: untitled Writer: Eliot R. Brown Artist: Eliot R. Brown Letterers: Arlene Puentes, Eliot R. Brown, & Lynda Strunk Colorist: John Wellington Editor: Don Daley Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco
The Punisher and all related characters are © Marvel Comics. No money is made from use of copyrighted images.

The Punisher Armory # 2

From the back cover:

"Frank Castle's family was in the wrong place at the wrong time - cut down by a drug lord's hit squad.

Now, as the Punisher, Frank uses all the weapons modern science and technology can bring to bear on putting the drug lords and their ilk in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It's a dirty job, and he's doing it.

These are his methods and weapons."

Annotations:
The Punisher Armory was not a comic book in the traditional sense, instead of the typical story each issue contained 32 full-page depictions of various firearms, weapons, and equipment. Each page was accompanied by caption boxes containing narration by Frank Castle in the style of a "War Journal" entry. This second issue was released almost a year after the first issue's release.

The entry on pages 24-25 is about Microchip's "Dalek" sentry robot, which first appeared in The Punisher (1987) # 15 and made a later appearance in The Punisher (1987) # 33 before it was destroyed by Frank in The Punisher (1987) # 37. The "Dalek" shown here is the second model, which makes its only other appearance in The Punisher (1987) # 73. The robot is, of course, named after the famous race of robots from "Doctor Who".

The inside back cover of this issue contains an editorial about the Punisher from writer/artist Eliot R. Brown.

Review:
The Armory returns for a second volume nearly a year after the first issue came out, and now it features all-new material with not a reprint to be seen!

Eliot R. Brown, by this point, is totally in the zone on this project - his artwork and scripting have been fine-tuned over his years of doing "Arsenal" pages as a back-up strips in various Annuals and specials, and comparing this second installment of The Punisher Armory to a well-oiled machine is both accurate and appropriate. During this time in the character's history, Punisher tie-ins were being pumped out at an alarming rate, most of them only there to be quick cash-grabs. It would be easy to lump the Armory series in with the rest of the Punisher material of the early 1990s, but I maintain that these books contain some of the highest quality writing of the time. Brown writes Frank Castle's narration perfectly, his knowledge of firearms and equipment is fascinating, and the whole package looks immaculate. But it's not just those surface details that make this such a great comic, it's the emotional center that Brown gives to the Punisher that puts this a step beyond its brethren.

The last entry in this book is about a toy cap-gun that belonged to Frank's deceased son, and it would take an absolute heart of stone to not get a tear in your eye while you're reading the narration. "This isn't a very good gun. This gun shoots no known caliber, barely has sights and doesn't even shoot what it does shoot very well. It's no 'wonder nine', accepts no scope of any kind; has no accessories for that matter, unless you count the ratty, vinyl-like holster that came with it. It certainly isn't "gun-metal tough"; I probably could shatter it with my bare hands. It most likely would rust, if I let it. But I don't, 'cause it's my most important gun. And when it saw its heaviest duty, it was the best gun there was. It could slide from that low-slung holster like a natural thought. It fired fifty, well-placed rounds squarely into the bad guys, whether they were gangsters or Indians or just young buddies up the block. This was my little boy's gun. Now I hold onto it and now and then, use it." That is heart-breaking to read, especially paired with the image of the gun and holster, and it shows just how much Brown "gets" the character of Frank Castle.

There's also some really funny stuff in this issue, like when Frank is talking about Microchip's "Daleks" (Micro is a frequently referenced irritant in this issue, like a nagging wife and a little brother mixed together). There are set-ups for countless stories that I would have loved to actually see play out in one of the other Punisher titles. Shit, why the hell didn't Marvel hand over War Journal or War Zone to Eliot Brown? The possibilities, oh the possibilities...

By this time, you know if you're a fan of the Armory issues or not, they're certainly not for everyone. However, it can't be denied that they're well-crafted and really interesting.

Grade: A+
Review Date: 01/15/12