Jason Aaron, Jesús Saiz and Paul Azaceta report a new stage in the history of punishment full of disputes in a volume published by Panini Comics in The Marvel Deluxe Line

Many years ago Jason Aaron He has shown that he was one of those screenwriters who have gained a special place in the Hall of Fame of the Ninth Art. Thanks to works like Heated or Bastor palette has shown what is able to do, but when he enters the mainstream It does not always stop. Now, thanks to Panini ComicsWe can see what he did with the character of Punisher Together with great artists like Jesús Saiz y Paul Azaceta In a volume of the line Marvel Deluxe This is under the title of The Punishing: the king of the assassins.

Punisher, leader

Ready for a brutal immersion in the mind of the most lethal justice in Marvel Comics? This is not a series, since here we will find a bold review of the character that many know for their iconic skull. The story begins with a Frank Castle who no longer acts alone. With surprise of all Punishment enters a supernatural field when it becomes the leader of Handthe ancestral ninja sect of the Marvel Universe which has usually been related to the environment of Daredevil.

In the event that this change is not enough, Aaron shows us a stylistic change in the classic skull of the character’s chest, now being a more demonic emblem, with horns and zanne. A symbol that, although aesthetically attractive, caused reactions found among the readers, especially after the controversies of the use of the skull by police groups in the United States associated with some with the far right (also present in the assault on the Capitol in 2021). The house of ideas He tried with this idea of distancing this ideological appropriation, remodeling the logo and immersing the castle in a darker soil, since it was necessary to clarify that the character does not represent that institutional violence. And perhaps here we find most of the reasons for which this story has ended up being what it is …

Disassemble Frank Castle

Aaron says that Frank did not become justice after the massacre of his family, but that as a child he wore that seed inside. The shadow of violence was always latent and the hand simply activated that dark power. Therefore, the volume becomes an existential exploration of the character when he asks if Frank is a tragic hero or a natural force of destruction that has found a purpose.

This idea is not new, for years ago the screenwriter Garth Ennis (Those of those of his own merit saw his name intrinsically associated with that of Castle) had played with this concept: the death of Frank’s family had been only the last drop that the glass overflows. However, the way in which both screenwriters have developed all this differs a lot from one case to another, since in the case of Ennis we find a story consistent with the mythology that the author had created, in the case of Aaron Things does not end up marrying. By the way, Glorious was the punisher stage that Jason Aaron himself (next to a monster like Steve Dillon On this occasion) Capitaneó will make a couple of decades after Ennis with the character …

But the problem is not to load the continuity of character. Throughout history, many authors have committed this sin and in many cases it has been forever. If in the end the result is a great comic, continuity goes into a discreet background. But if in the end the story does not work alone alone, then it’s when we have a problem.

Great mixed artists

The story is divided between contemporary scenes full of brutal actions in which we have the great Saiz and flashback Narrated by Azaceta, with a slightly more classic and organic style, providing elegance and clarity, which contrasts a lot with the hard, modern and sharp line that we have in the present line. This graphic duality strengthens the tension between the past and the present, but also implies such a great stylistic break that acts at the expense of an internal visual coherence, which can reduce the reading experience.

Around the Castle it transforms a series of powerful secondary secondary, from the management of the hand of the hand, sinister and calculating, which represents the dark soul of the group, to the mythical figures of the Marvel universe as AresThe God of War, who sees Frank an incarnation of his inheritance and at the same time his direct rival, or even characters such as Daredevil, Strange Doctor, Captain America, Black Widow, Caballero Luna or LoganThat It appears in these pages in the key moments.

On a narrative level, Aaron is not afraid to break the rules. Frank passes from being an urban justice to become a monarch of an international murderous network and the plot mixes ninja battles with moral dilemmas: can a symbol of justice remain if he directs a sect of death? The screenwriter dares to question the identity of the character, stating that his internal war is more powerful than his external hatred.

But Aaron’s audacity goes far beyond the courage to change the key aspects of the character (both aesthetic and internal) and develop a morally difficult plot. In the final stretch of some golden golden rules in terms of punishment stories and, as in the case of any modification made, this is not only felt well. Everything, even the characters rising whose death has been respected for decades, can be forgiven when made for a good reason (And broker He did it with Bucky Barnes). But if the result is not convinced, we have a problem again …

Despite everything, the story contained in this volume is very funny. Yes, in some moments he tries to take more than he can cover and in order weighs a lot, but Aaron is still a great screenwriter and has afflicted this comic of great moments. In addition, enjoying the work of Saiz and Azaceta, although his mixture can be artificial, is another excellent point in favor of this volume.

Him Volume Posted by Panini Comics On the rigid cover it contains 408 color pages with a size of 17 x 26 cm. and includes the translation of the American edition of the twelve numbers of the limited series Punisher, In addition to all covers of the numbers included, an introduction written by Raúl López And an interview with Jesús Saiz at the end. The recommended sale price is € 48 and was offered for sale in July 2025.

Marvel Deluxe The Puniser: The King of the Killer

The end of the punishment war? Born from the tragedy. Dedicated to war. Unstoppable in his anger. As punishment, Frank Castle has become the most consumed killer that the world has ever seen. Now it’s time to face his true destiny. What impressive secret of Frank’s past will convince him to take the reins of the most famous assassins in the Marvel universe? And once Frank will become the Lord of his hand, will he also mean the end of the punishment? An epic exploration of the past, dark and violent and the inevitable future of one of Marvel’s most iconic characters.

Authors: Paul Azaceta, Jesús Saiz and Jason Aaron