Written by Rick Remender, Pencilled by John Romita Jr.

Norman Osborn and the Dark Avengers, they don’t do much do they?  They sort of turn up in (almost) every comic, stand around a bit, say something evil then slope off to annoy someone else.  Until Dark Reign: The List - Punisher arrived, Osborn is at his worse here and he completely destroys Frank Castle.  Here’s the spiel…

 Warning: Spoilers

Frank Castle has disabled much of Norman Osborn's criminal underground, tarnished his well-groomed public image and attempted to assassinate him. Today Osborn returns the favour. With Frank still torn apart from his battle with the Hood, Osborn dedicates himself and every single HAMMER resource to one goal: killing The Punisher. To make sure they don't fail, The Dark Avengers are going with them. Somebody has to die. Somebody will.

Yes it’s yet another crossover from Marvel, but the Dark Reign “event” is used to carry Frank into the larger story that will continue in the ongoing series where Remender teams up again with Fear Agent artist Tony Moore.  Frank and his world are headed in a whole new direction, one I’m looking forward to following.   

But back to the issue in hand which sees John Romita Jr on pencils.  I’d like to know the conversation between Remender and Romita Jr when they discussed this issue.  I got the impression Remender might of said something like: “this issue is violent and bloody so John - go mental” and the result is totally mental!  Bodies are punched, kicked and clawed, limbs are slashed from bodies, it’s f*cking awesome!  It’s Romita Jr and the man’s a legend so you know what to expect, it’s stunning. 

If you haven’t already guessed I really enjoyed this issue!  The Punisher is fast becoming my favourite Marvel title thanks to the great work by Remender.  If you’ve ever had even the slightest interest in The Punisher you need to read this issue, then stay on board for the next arc to witness the re-birth of a whole new Punisher.