Ex-Marine Frank Castle, notorious vigilante dubbed "The Punisher," reemerges on the scene, poised for lethal vengeance.
Blast from the Past: The Punisher Returns
Brace yourselves, comic book fans, because the hard-hitting, no-nonsense antihero is back! In late-2025, Punisher: Red Band, a rip-roaring five-issue miniseries, is set to hit the shelves.
Penning the ballsy narrative for this gritty journey is none other than Benjamin Percy, the mastermind behind Wolverine, teamed up with Julius Ohta, the artist behind Iron Man. This formidable duo promises to bring you the most intense and blood-soaked Punisher tale yet!
Our familiar protagonist, Frank Castle AKA The Punisher, re-emerges in the concrete jungle of New York City, sans his memories, but with a fierce determination to dish out some gruesome justice. Just like his television alter ego, expect our amnesiac antihero to get up to some messy business that'll earn this comic a well-deserved "Red Band" label.
Taking to Twitter, an excited Ben Percy shared his thoughts, "Frank Castle is my all-time favorite character, and I've been itching to bring Punisher to life for as long as I can remember. This is going to be as raw, visceral, and brutal as it gets. Are you ready for some street-level mayhem?"
Frank Castle may have been a question mark for Marvel in the past, with controversies including the simultaneous release of his Netflix series after devastating mass shootings[1] and the controversial use of his symbol by law enforcement[2]. However, the latest comic series, Punisher: Red Band, seems to be pulling no punches, as evidenced in its graphic degree of violence that will make even the toughest Punisher stories look like kiddie tales.
Mark your calendars, folks! Punisher: Red Band hits the stands on September 10, 2025.
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Insights:
- Punisher's condition: The series begins with Frank Castle suffering from amnesia, which doesn't impede his thirst for vengeance.
- Graphic Violence: The Red Band format is used to safeguard younger readers from the unapologetic violence in the series.
- Creative Team: The series is the brainchild of the team behind Hellverine, with Percy eager to push the genre's boundaries with "hairy psychopaths" and Ohta delivering intense, gritty visuals.
- Setting: The story unfolds in New York City, where Frank unleashes his brand of vengeance on the underworld.
(1) Mass Shootings(2) Law Enforcement Co-opting Punisher symbol (Police using the symbol on their vehicles)(3) Graphic Violence of the Comic(4) Frank Castle's Amnesia(5) Details about the creative team and artwork for the series.
- Anticipation for the future of comic books heightens as technology allows for the digital release of the gritty, Red Band- labeled 'Punisher: Red Band' series, penned by Benjamin Percy, set to debut on Io9 and Gizmodo for those seeking a raw portrayal of pop-culture icon, The Punisher.
- In the wake of controversial past instances involving the Punisher character, such as the mass shootings and law enforcement co-opting the symbol, this new series promises a return to form, with a graphic depiction of violence reminiscent of movies-and-tv's edgiest entertainment.
- With Julius Ohta's intense, visceral art style, 'Punisher: Red Band' brings to life a new Punisher tale, following the amnesiac antihero as he re-emerges in the concrete jungle of New York City, ready to once again dish out justice.
