Marvel Universe Vs. The Punisher

    

Zombies are the flavor of the month. But unlike the butterscotch ripple at the ice cream parlor, the undead don't seem to be getting shelved anytime soon. Marvel has already had some success with it's no less than 5 incarnations of 'Marvel Zombies.' However, 'Marvel Universe Vs. The Punisher' isn't really a zombie comic book, though it lends heavily from that genre.

    I'd first become familiar with the 2010 miniseries about a year ago. When I saw it, I thought this book was about the Marvel Universe getting fed up with Frank Castle's vigilantism and deciding to take him out once and for all. That assumption couldn't be further from the truth.

  Written by multiple Bram Stoker award winner Jonathan Maberry, 'Marvel Universe Vs. The Punisher' is set in the not too distant future. Castle accidently unleashed a virus when he tries to take out a potential dirty bomb nuke from some Russian mobsters. But the virus doesn't reanimate the dead or turn victims into the undead when they die. Instead, the virus turns people into raving lunatics. I've been told that this idea is very similar to the film '28 Days Later.'  Now, the Punisher is trying to eliminate the super-powered community in order to give the handful of average joe survivors a fighting chance.

    I loved this miniseries. The art by Croatian artist Goran Parlov,was perfectly colored and inked in a John Romita Jr. vein. However, there were several nits in which the art didn't quite match the story. That's not really the fault of the author or artist but more of a mistake on the editorial staff. It's their responsibility to maintain continuity between the prose and the art. On at least 4 instances, they dropped the ball.

Another thing going for this book was the supporting role of Deadpool. He's quickly becoming a favorite of mine and he's very well thought of amongst fans of the Marvel Universe. Deadpool has an amazing healing factor and he's grown to be a fly in the Punisher's ointment on several occasions in this book. He's also the perfect comic relief, with his dark look at life, in this gritty tale.

Before closing, let's discuss the grit. The book was rated MATURE. However, I actually take an issue with this rating. Yes- there's death in this book- from the Punisher's never ending arsenal to the berserker rage of those stricken with this virus. But compared to the carnage in 'The Walking Dead' comics, this stuff is tame. Also, in terms of language, aside from some 'damns' and 'hells', there's nothing R-rated. As for sexual content, there isn't any nudity or sex acts. There is some implied perversity, but I've seen Conan comics from the 70s published by Marvel that was more risque than this mini. I would argue that this book should really be rated "Teen +," which is generally for readers 13 and up.

I destroyed this book in about 90 minutes. It was a wicked awesome ride. I'm actually a little disappointed that there hasn't been a follow-up to this series. (Well, guess what- there are actually 2 sequels to this miniseries but you won't find them if you type in Marvel Universe Vs The Punisher. To read the rest of this series, thus far, look for Marvel Universe Vs. Wolverine and the Marvel Universe Vs. The Avengers) If you like zombie titles, the Punisher, and or Deadpool, this is the book for you. Believe me, you will not be disappointed.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.