The following contains spoilers for Punisher #1, now on sale at Marvel Comics.
Writer Jason Aaron explains how the massive twist at the end of Marvel’s Punisher #1 creates a whole new type of story for Frank Castle.
Punisher Writer Jason Aaron explained how the return of Frank Castle’s wife, Maria, paves the way for a new kind of Punisher narrative.
Aaron recently did an interview with Marvel to discuss his Punisher run and what fans can expect from the series. When asked about the cliffhanger at the end of the first issue that reveals Maria Castle is still alive, Aaron said the twist will influence many of Frank’s decisions in the future. “I think it’s a pretty huge game changer in a lot of ways,” he said. “As to why, that was partly to answer the question of why Frank Castle would work with the Hand. Here’s the answer, and it’s an answer that makes sense given what we know of the Main, of how it works, of the philosophies of the Beast. The other reason to do it is the character possibilities it presents. For this character that is so immutable and carved in stone, you throw him into a situation where he’s never been before. How does he react to And how does the other character that’s part of that react to that? That’s one of the facets of the story that I was most excited about, giving a voice to a character who never really had one in past Punisher stories and seeing where that leads.”
Punisher #1 opens with a flashback to the death of Frank’s family before delving into how the complicated antihero started working for the Hand. At the end of the number, Frank returns home and lies down next to his wife, Maria, who is alive and well but covered in scars. Punisher #1 doesn’t reveal how this is possible, and future solicitations for the series offer no further clues to Maria’s resurrection.
Aaron said Punisher #2 will begin to dig deeper into Maria’s return. “With Punisher #2, we take a look at the big reveal, that final moment in #1. We explore that further. We see more of what Frank does in his new role with the hand. We also get the reveal of who the main villain will be going forward. We introduced these new black market weapon dealers, the Apostles of War, who sell big weapons from the Marvel Universe. In issue 2 we find out who their leader is and it will prove to be an unprecedented challenge for Frank Castle.”
Punisher #1 is on sale now. Punisher #2 — which comes from Aaron, Jesus Saiz, and Paul Azaceta — comes out April 27 from Marvel.
Source: Marvel
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