Tag Archives: deadpool versus the punisher

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Alex

Top Pick: X-O Manowar #4 (Valiant) – Two years ago, I would have laughed at you if you told me I’d be super excited to get my hands on this comic (despite having access to review copies I still buy this every month), I’d have laughed at you for hours. I genuinely though X-O Manowar was a stupid name with a stupid concept. The. I gave it a chance… and now it’s one of my favourite series. Each issue is a monthly highlight for me.

Scrimshaw #1 (Alterna) – The newsprint movement returns with another comic at $1.50. I have no idea what it’s about but every one of Alterna’s newsprint comics have been great so far. No reason not to get this, really.

 

Shay

Suicide Squad #20 (DC Comics) – I am hella excited for the start of the “False Flag” arc. A new arc means new mayhem and after what happened last issue, it means a new team leader and I can’t wait to see how it all shakes out.

Throwaways #9 (Image) – I think they’ve finally gotten the hang of things and there’s more focus than tricks in this issue.

Deadpool vs Punisher #5 (Marvel) – We’ve come to the end of the road and I am eagerly awaiting this finale while “Let the Bodies Hit the Floor” plays on a loop in head.

Jean Grey #3 (Marvel) – The newest take on Jean Grey isn’t here for the Phoenix foolishness and she will find a way to keep her out of her mind and body by any means necessary. So obviously, I’m all the way here for this!

 

Paul

Top Pick: Jean Grey #3 (Marvel) – I’m really enjoying this book and love how Jean Grey is being portrayed; a strong female character out to take control of her own life. She’s gotten flashes of The Phoenix coming for her, and surprisingly the X-Men aren’t taking it seriously (you’d think after everything they’ve been through with the Phoenix the mere mention of it would cause panic). But now Jean is off on her own to get some answers and do what she can to shape her destiny and not follow the path of her past self. It’s a great read with great writing and I strongly recommend it.

The Defenders #2 (Marvel) – I’m really liking seeing these characters together in their own book, even if it is to coincide with the upcoming Netflix series. There’s plenty of action and good banter between the characters and I can’t wait to see where this title goes.

Totally Awesome Hulk #20 (Marvel) – I don’t read this title, but I am really excited about the Weapons of Mutant Destruction crossover with Weapon X. I want to keep up with all the pieces to see this puzzle come together.

 

Brett

Top Pick: Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1 and Jonah Hex/Yosemite Sam Special #1 (DC Comics) – DC has been knocking it out of the park with their crossovers. First their Hanna-Barbera ones and now with Looney Tunes. Each issue has been fantastic to read and generally have been good to great. They are exactly what comics should be, lots of fun.

Bankshot #1 (Dark Horse) – Alex De Campi and Chris Cross’ new series about a man who is either a modern-day Robin Hood or a terrorist. I read the first issue and immediately wanted to check out more.

Clue #1 (IDW Publishing) – The classic board game turned movie is now a comic book. I liked the game and loved the film and can’t wait to see what IDW does with it. I’m fully expecting multiple ending fun.

Eleanor & Egret #3 (AfterShock Comics) – A beyond adorable comic series about an art thief and her bird and the policeman who’s attempting to track them down. The story is cute and art is amazing.

Medisin #2 (Action Lab: Danger Zone) – The concept is great, doctors who treat villains. The first issue hooked me and I’ve been looking forward to seeing what the second is like.

 

Preview: Deadpool vs. The Punisher #2 (of 5)

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Deadpool vs. The Punisher #2 (of 5)

(W) Fred Van Lente (A) Pere Perez (CA) Declan Shalvey
Parental Advisory
In Shops: Apr 26, 2017
SRP: $3.99

Frank Castle has an unstoppable will – a powerful drive to punish those who do wrong, rooted in the tragic killing of his family. Wade Wilson has an unstoppable mouth – an unthinking knack for annoying everyone around him, rooted in thinking he’s funny. Both men, however, are among the deadliest on the planet. When they find themselves in disagreement over the criminal known as The Bank, they’re in for one of the most brutal fights of their lives! Can Frank kill Wade over and over without ever dying once himself? Or will Wade bug him until he welcomes death?

Review: Deadpool vs Punisher #2

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STL040903.jpgWhen the premiere issue of Fred Van Lente’s funtastic Deadpool vs Punisher comic finished, I found myself on the edge of my couch frantically flipping the back cover hoping that more pages would mysteriously appear so I could keep going. They didn’t but, luckily Deadpool vs. Punisher #2 showed up just in time for me to get my awesomeness fix. If you missed the first issue, it’s not too late to jump in on the action, much like your favorite action based TV shows, there’s a sweet one-page recap at the beginning of this issue. Long story short, Castle wants justice with a whole lot of blood on the side, even if that blood is Deadpool’s and Deadpool wants vengeance for the death of his accountants family and maybe some chimichangas.

In the second issue Van Lente starts things off with a not dead Deadpool tied up in Castle’s battle van with no recollection of what preceded his current predicament. Things get way more interesting from there. This issue has fake deaths, psycho crime bosses, Castle sulking in dark corners, and Deadpool cracking wise and kicking ass. Almost everything you could ever want from these two anti-heroes combining forces. It’s like Lethal Weapon and Tango & Cash had a baby and it exploded on the pages of a really good comic book. As I predicted in my review of the first issue, this arc really is looking like it is going to be the buddy anti-hero road trip extravaganza of my dreams but with murder and intrigue.

Pere Perez and Ruth Redmond have been tasked with providing the art element to this action packed, quip heavy extravaganza and they do an amazing job. Perez is a master at providing so much detail that you can see every scar line and hole in the rare instances where we see under Deadpool’s mask. Redmond uses her killer color skills to make sure that we see blood and bruises so fresh and real that we have a guttural reaction. There are several pages that are pure action and none of the art seems contrived, repetitive, or boring. Each panel and page are full of detail, realism, as far as some of these kills can be real, and is filled with movement and purpose.

Van Lente provides a great story and the Perez and Redmond artwork complements his words perfectly. There are no wasted bubbles or panels and everything that is done is done deliberately and serves its purpose of moving the story along keeping the reader engaged and leaving us wanting more. Round 2 of Deadpool vs Punisher is just as intense and fun as the first issue and, if Van Lente keeps this momentum up I’m sure the finale of this arc will make your head explode in the best possible way.

Story: Fred Van Lente Art: Ruth Redmond and Pere Perez
Story: 8.9 Art: 8.8 Overall: 8.9 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Joe

Top Pick: Action Comics #978 (DC Comics) – This has become my favorite DC comic, and that includes Wonder Woman. Those two and Superman go back and forth as to what is currently the best out of Rebirth, but either way this book is just incredible and consistent.

The Flash #21 (DC Comics) – Wow what a start to “The Button” with who returned and then disappeared in a “flash”. Yup, I did that. I can’t wait to see where this story goes. Plus another lenticular cover!

Batman/The Shadow #1 (DC Comics/Dynamite) – Riley Rossmo! He is one of my favorite artists, and I’m so happy to see him on a bat book again, and this time he will also be drawing another legendary character.

Old Man Logan #22 (Marvel) – I thought Issue #21 wasn’t as good as I hoped, but this is one of my favorite Marvel books, and Lemire is a great writer. I have hope that this arc will be amazing.

Kill or Be Killed #8 (Image) – This is one of the best comic books out, so I recommend grabbing the issues, or at least getting it in trade. It is awesome, and just keeps getting more intense and better somehow.

 

Alex

Top Pick: X-O Manowar #2 (Valiant) – I loved this issue. I can’t wait to get this in my hands to see non-watermarked art.

Batman/The Shadow #1 (DC Comics/Dynamite) – I found out about this comic when I was looking through Previews to make this list (I tend to avoid solicitations), and I immediately got excited. I can’t wait to grab this.

Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider #1 (Marvel) – I’ve always been fond of the Scarlet Spider, perhaps because he was the Spider-Man when I started reading comics. You’d think I’d be looking forward to this based on the fact Ben Reilly is back, but I’m more hopeful that Kaine will return to comics, rather than Ben Reily. Yeah, I’m a Kaine fan.

Britannia: We Who Are About To Die #1 (Valiant) – Remember what I said about X-O? I can say the exact same thing here.

Old Man Logan #22 (Marvel) – I’m loving this story. Old Man Logan is revisiting his younger self through some timey-wimey mystical shit, occasionally altering certain things (possibly), but always feeling as though he’s in waaaaay over his head. It’s a brilliant arc, and one hell of an arc for Lemire to leave the series on.

 

Shay

Top Pick: Orphan Black Deviations #2 (IDW Publishing) – Send in the clones. No really , send them in. I’ve got popcorn and everything!

Top Pick: Deadpool vs Punisher #2 (Marvel) – The hits and quips keep on coming in this second installment of DvP and I can’t wait to see if this is the issue where they team up for the buddy anti-hero road trip comic we never knew we always wanted but, can’t wait to see.

Suicide Squad #16 (DC Comics) – Rob WIlliams starts the latest Suicide Squad arc “Earthlings on Fire” with a bang as Amanda Waller makes a deal with the devil (aka Lex Luthor) to fix a bigger problem while the Squad commits some B&E.

24 Legacy – Rules of Engagement #1 (IDW Publishing) – A little back story on Eric Carter the newest super operative in the 24 franchise.

Judge Dredd: Blessed Earth #1 (IDW Publishing) – He’s baccccccck!

 

Brett

Top Pick: Hostage (Drawn & Quarterly) – Guy Delisle… that alone will get me to pick this up, but the subject matter is the real draw here. Delisle’s graphic novel is about the Doctors Without Borders administrator Christophe André who was kidnapped by armed men in 1997. This book recounts his harrowing experience.

Batman/The Shadow #1 (DC Comics/Dynamite) – Scott Snyder, Steve Orlando, and Riley Rossmo… nuff said.

Hulk #5 (Marvel) – The best comic Marvel is putting out today. An absolutely fantastic look at Jen’s journey post Civil War II and the PTSD she’s experiencing due to that.

Real Science Adventures #1 (IDW Publishing) – The She-Devils get their own series and anything Atomic Robo related is a must read for me.

Smoketown #2 (Scout Comics) – The first issue was beyond amazing noir/crime. I’ve been counting down to the second one.

Review: Deadpool vs Punisher #1

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Fred Van Lente has made it so that the phrase “Nanny knows Krav Maga” is permanently etched in my cool phrase mind bank and, I am grateful to have read that gem. This very special story pits two of my favorite antiheroes against each other in a way that actually makes sense and doesn’t feel like a cheap crossover gimmick. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Wade Wilson came across Frank Castle you’re about to get your answer in Deadpool vs. The Punisher and it’s not the team up that you were expecting. This is one of those issues that makes it really hard for me to keep my review spoiler free because it’s so damn good I want to share it with everyone.

Pere Perez ‘s artwork gives us some panels that showcase the fight scenes in a way that would make any 80’s gamer, or Hotline Miami fan, tingle with glee at the crossing of the streams of awesomeness. Ruth Redmond provides some bright colors during the daytime fight scenes and a nice pop of blood in the night time Castle bar fight scenes. This issue is not only expertly drawn but beautifully colored in a way that makes the images come to life and caused me to wish for the day that this issue would become a movie.

We get to start off with Castle running through the bad guys on his mission to find the money behind bad guys he’s after, we then slide into the merc with a mouth spending quality time with people he genuinely cares about. The set up is by the numbers on its face but, it’s also filled with nuance and realism making this issues set up a plausible story. There are some very well written scenes that build upon the groundwork laid in the early pages that showcase both Punisher & Deadpool’s strengths and weaknesses. It builds up the story as if it’s sharing cut scenes from Street Fighter and, the final page of this issue is laid out like the end of a level up stage in a video game battle.

Overall, Van Lente manages to keep both of the title characters in their truest form, giving us loads of action, blood and, pure adrenaline raising violence. In round one of what I’m sure is going to be an epic arc, that ultimately ends with the two teaming up to take out the “real”  bad guys Tango & Cash style, the story comes to an abrupt and honest end. All of these amazing factors combine to form a perfect start to the arc, leaving me fully primed for round two because, Van Lente is telling one hell of a story and, I want more.

Story: Fred Van Lente Art: Pere Perez and Ruth Redmond
Story: 9.1 Art: 8.9 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

Posted on by

Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Alex

Top Pick: Immortal Brothers: The Green Knight #1 (Valiant) – The Eternal Warrior has become one of my favourite characters, so this 48 page one-shot by Matt Kindt and Cary Nord that places him and his brothers in King Arthur’s court (another subject I’m very fond of) is going to rocket to the top of my pull list. I’ve been looking forward to this for months.

Old Man Logan #21 (Marvel) – Logan heads back in time to, I assume, various points in his past. I know nothing about this series beyond the front covers, but they look so incredibly exciting.

Redline #2 (Oni Press) – It’s not often I get excited about sci-fi comics… but this is one of the ones that tickles my fancy,

Voracious: Feeding Time #5 (Action Lab Entertainment/Action Lab: Danger Zone) – I make no secret of my love for this series whatsoever, and the finale to the second miniseries is going to be explosive – and awesome. My expectations are through the roof for this, but Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr have a habit of smashing those to smithereens with each issue.

 

Patrick

Top Pick: Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys: The Big Lie #2 (Dynamite Entertainment) – Last issue introduced us to Hardy Boys noir, let’s see what’s in store for Nancy.

All-Time Comics: Bullwhip #1 (Fantagraphics) – The idea of this line is so perfect and ridiculous it’s a must for me.

Spencer and Locke #1 (Action Lab Entertainment/Action Lab: Danger Zone) – Calvin & Hobbes noir. I’ll take that for at least one issue.

American Barbarian Complete Series (IDW Publishing) – !!!

 

Joe

Top Pick: Old Man Logan #21 (Marvel) – I can’t believe Lemire’s run is almost over, but this four issue arc sounds like a hell of a way to go out on top.

Seven to Eternity #5 (Image) – It’s back! The book returns after a usual image trade release break, and I’m stoked to see what Remender does.

Grass Kings #2 (BOOM! Studios) – After a promising first issue from one of my favorite writers, Matt Kindt, I am hyped for the second one.

Action Comics #977 (DC Comics) – The Superman Reborn arc was a lot of fun, and this comic has been consistently great. What’s next for Supes?

Detective Comics #954 (DC Comics) – A classic villain and Batman prepare to battle? Or will they? Tynion is killing it on this book and I’m so excited to see where this story goes, especially involving Orphan so much.

 

Shay

It’s an amazing week to be a comic book lover. It was really hard to narrow it down to the seven titles I picked.

Top Pick: Neil Gaiman’s American Gods Shadow #2 (Dark Horse) – Shadow’s life is about to get even more interesting in this graphic serial version of almost everyone favorite Gaiman book. Come for the David Mack variant covers, stay for the amazing story.

Top Pick: Black Panther and the Crew #1 (Marvel) – YES PLEASE. So many black superheroes, such a strong story, so much action. Saying I am here for the page turning story arc is an understatement.

America #1 2nd Printing (Marvel) – If you don’t already own a copy or haven’t read it yet, then you should get to it. Despite the shady AF comments about diversity killing the Marvel’s print sales, we have a comic book about a Queer Latina requiring a 2nd printing proving that representation counts, diversity is important and  America (the superhero & the country) is for all of us.

Kingpin #3 (Marvel) – The hits keep on coming, take that however you want, and, Kingpin is becoming a complex, fully realized, multi-faceted character.

Suicide Squad #15 (DC Comics) – The “Burning Down the House” storyline comes to an end. Deadshot is about to go up against his old team with Harley leading the charge. Rustam and his crew had better bring their A-game because, the Squad is in a take no prisoners, crack all skulls kind of mood.

Honorable Mention: Deadpool vs Punisher #1 (Marvel) – A battle of the morally gray psycho “heroes” is upon us. The man of all the action and little words meets the man with all the words and all the action.  Got popcorn?

Honorable Mention: Weapon X #1 (Marvel) – building on the awesomeness of Logan, the newest version of the Weapon X will keep you on your toes and worried about the safety of some of our favorite clawed mutants. You should be worried, this Weapon X upgrade isn’t just about creating superior mutants, it’s about kicking off a mutant genocide.

 

Paul

Top Pick: Weapon X #1 (Marvel) – I’m a sucker for shadowy government agencies, and Weapon X has a long standing history in Marvel of being one of the most shadiest and deadliest.  I’m excited to see what this new agency’s agenda is, and I’m looking forward to seeing Domino and Warpath back on a team line up.

X-Men Blue #1 (Marvel) – I’m hoping this title brings some of the fun from this teams first book, but also get them more into playing the heroes they will one day grow up to be.  And it’s going to be interesting to see how Magneto performs as mentor and how he will influence this team.  I’m thinking this is going to be a good one.

 

Brett

Top Pick: Spencer & Locke #1 (Action Lab Entertainment/Action Lab: Danger Zone) – It’s Calvin and Hobbes meets Sin City and it’s amazing. One of my favorite debuts so far of 2017 it’s entertaining and subversive.

Godshaper #1 (BOOM! Studios) – A super interesting concept where everyone has a god. I’ve read the first issue and it’s a unique idea and intriguing start.

Heathen #3 (Vault Comics) – Have you read the first two issues? That alone is reason this is on my list. A solid LGBT comic that is set in the world of vikings.

Solar Flare #1 (Scout Comics) – An apocalypse story where power goes out, Scout has been putting out entertaining comics that fly under the radar. They’ve nailed it when it comes to quality and solid comics. So, when there’s a new release it’s always on my list to check out.

The Unstoppable Wasp #4 (Marvel) – So far, the comic has been a lot of fun with a positive entertaining vibe that I can’t help but smile when I read it.

Preview: Deadpool versus The Punisher #1 (of 5)

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Deadpool versus The Punisher #1 (of 5)

(W) Fred Van Lente (A) Pere Perez (CA) Declan Shalvey
Parental Advisory
In Shops: Apr 12, 2017
SRP: $3.99

Frank Castle has an unstoppable will – a powerful drive to punish those who do wrong, rooted in the tragic killing of his family. Wade Wilson has an unstoppable mouth – an unthinking knack for annoying everyone around him, rooted in thinking he’s funny. Both men, however, are among the deadliest on the planet. When they find themselves in disagreement over the criminal known as The Bank, they’re in for one of the most brutal fights of their lives! Can Frank kill Wade over and over without ever dying once himself? Or will Wade bug him until he welcomes death?