The Punisher prequel you've been waiting for.
As tempting as it may be for creators to treat Frank Castle like a righteous force of vengeance and destruction, the best Punisher comics are generally those that highlight the tragic futility of the character. Yes, sometimes there's a certain perverse satisfaction in reading stories about the worst scum of the world meeting a violent end at the Punisher's hands, but Frank Castle is by no means a hero. He's not a force for justice. He's a sad, deranged man waging an endless war that can never be won. That's precisely why Garth Ennis has established himself as the best writer to ever tackle the character. Ennis understands better than anyone the tragedy fueling Frank Castle and the notion that the Punisher existed long before Castle's family was gunned down in Central Park. And if Punisher: The Platoon proves anything, it's that Ennis hasn't yet run out of stories to tell with this character.
The Platoon is basically a direct follow-up to "Valley Forge, Valley Forge," Ennis' final Punisher MAX story arc. The same narrator/writer character is back, this time seeking to craft the definitive account of Frank Castle's first tour in Vietnam. The present-day framing sequence cleverly sets the stage for that extended flashback. It becomes clear in these pages that the writer is very much a stand-in for Ennis himself. There's a nicely intimate, personal quality to this story. It's as if Ennis found himself unexpectedly drawn back into the saga of Frank Castle after all these years. As with "Valley Forge, Valley Forge," there's a focus on how the story of Frank Castle fits into the wider Vietnam quagmire and how the birth of the Punisher reflects a general loss of American innocence.
We've seen Ennis tackle Frank at key points in his pre-Punisher life already, both before and after the events of The Platoon, so the trick with this series is crafting a take on the character that feels appropriate for this specific time period. It's a juggling act Ennis handles well. This is a Frank Castle who has yet to make his first real kill. He's not a completely naive character, but there's an optimism and even a kindness to him that are entirely drained away by the time we see him during his final Vietnam days in Born.
It's to Ennis' credit that he's able to craft such a compelling narrative despite the limitations of the flashback format. We know where Frank's story is ultimately headed. And given the way the book is structured and the way many key players are introduced in the present beforehand, we know that most of the main characters will survive the events of this miniseries. Yet none of that does anything to diminish the unsettling quality of the Vietnam conflict or the slowly mounting sense of dread as Frank touches down in Khe Sanh for the first time. Another nice touch is Ennis' decision to focus more attention on the Viet Cong for a change. Whether The Platoon will ultimately balance both sides to the degree of something like Jason Aaron and Cameron Stewart's The Other Side remains to be seen. But at the very least, this book has the makings of a great new antagonist.
Given this series' ties to "Valley Forge, Valley Forge," it's only fitting that artist Goran Parlov also return for this new look at Frank's military career. Parlov defines the look of the Marvel MAX version of the Punisher as well as any artist. There's a very grungy, lived-in quality to this world that suits both the present-day and flashback scenes equally well. Parlov is also a master of creating physically distinctive, vital characters. Each member of Frank's platoon has their own body shape and posture and range of expressions. And just as Ennis is able to craft a depiction of Frank that feels appropriate to this specific era, Parlov nails the look of a younger Frank. The man who will become the Punisher is clearly there, but there's smoother, less weary look to Frank that reflects the fact that he has yet to see the worst the world has to offer.
The most noticeable difference with this series compared to Parlov's previous Punisher work involves the addition of colorist Jordie Bellaire. Bellaire complements Parlov's work wonderfully. She gives the framing scenes a warm, haunting glow, while she really really emphasizes the lush jungles and blood-stained terrain of the Vietnam scenes. In general, Bellaire lends more depth to Parlov's work and makes a proven creative team function that much more smoothly.
The Verdict
Any fan of Garth Ennis' past Punisher MAX work will want to add The Platoon to their pull list. This first issue proves right away that Ennis and Goran Parlov still have plenty more to say about the character. Nor is this a mere origin story, as the framing sequences and focus on the Viet Cong lend a greater context to Frank's descent from soldier to vigilante. This is already shaping up to be another definitive Punisher tale.
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