Punisher MAX Annual #1 Review

I am not ashamed to admit that I was a late-comer to Garth Ennis' Punisher run on the Max imprint from Marvel Comics. But let me tell you something, once I read the first issue I went out and bought both Punisher Max hardcovers and bought the TPBs and singles to catch up. This title is on my regular pull-list. While I was gluttonously devouring these comics, I read on the web that Ennis will soon be leaving this title. I stared at the screen in disbelief and then proceeded to curse out Marvel and Quesada for their motherlovin' wisdom for ruining one of the few things I like coming from Marvel Comics. I was all ready to hate the new author coming on board since there is no possible way that he can measure up to Ennis. That brings me to this book.

The annual is written by Mike Benson, who is rumored to be taking over the title from Ennis. I was ready to hate this book. Before I even opened the book, I noticed the lack of presence of Tim Bradstreet from the cover chores. I started reading and to my surprise before I knew it...I finished reading it and moreover, I didn't hate it.

Benson crafts a simple yet dark story about a crew being hunted down by the Punisher. Frank has already taken out the entire crew save for one member who is doing anything to stay alive, even flagging down the cops and confessing to murder. The story is told entirely from his perspective and the Punisher plays more or less a phantom in the story. He's there and then he's gone. Benson's execution is flawless and he really fleshes out the terror that the criminal feels knowing he is to meet certain doom. This is helped greatly along by the art provided by Laurence Campbell. Campbell paints a gritty, dark and ugly world filled with toothless strippers and pavements filled with blood. His art has a scratchy style and reminds me somewhat of Bill Sienkiewicz's work...except it's not as abstract. I enjoyed this story more than I thought I would.
I felt that Benson had crafted a decent enough story which many had been unable to do (i.e. Daniel Way, all of 90's Punisher stories) but he still has Garth Ennis' rather big shoes to fill as far as the Punisher is concerned. But I am not going to write this guy off and I will give his first story arc or so a fair chance. Make me proud :).

Final grade: 3.5/5.