Vigilante Frank Castle resumes his bloody crusade in the return of The Punisher
In autumn's approaching chill, the Punisher, iconic Marvel antihero, makes a swift comeback. This time, he graces the comic book pages in the gritty, action-packed miniseries, Punisher: Red Band.
The masterminds behind this adrenaline-fueled tale are none other than Ben Percy, acclaimed author of Wolverine, and Julius Ohta, known for his work on Iron Man. The last we had heard from Castle was in 2023, where he seizes control of the Hand ninja cult, discovers his wife's miraculous return ─ but with a shocking divorce proposal, and finds himself in a strange realm known as Weirdworld. This new chapter finds our hero back in New York City, with no recollection of his past life, but he hasn't lost his cold-blooded skills. Expect plenty of carnage as he returns to his old stomping grounds.
Percy expressed his enthusiasm for the project in a statement: "Frank Castle is one of my top-tier favorites, and I've been yearning to bring my take on the Punisher to the table for a long, long time. Brace yourself for a blood-soaked, brutal ride. Street-level chaos awaits you."
Marvel has frequently grappled with finding the right direction for Frank. Part of this was due to the timely airing of his Netflix series and the controversial nature of a heavily-armed vigilante following gun violence incidents[1][2]; another factor was the adoption of his symbol by the police force, which was tackled head-on in Daredevil: Born Again, with Frank brutally dismantling the Punisher police units[3].
Stay tuned as we follow Frank's exploits when Punisher: Red Band launches on September 10, 2025[4].
If you're hankering for more sci-fi and fantasy updates, don't miss out on the latest releases for Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek, the unfolding story of the DC Universe on the big and small screen, and the thrilling adventures that await the Doctor in the upcoming seasons of Doctor Who.
[1] Gun Violence Statistics: Over 39,000 gun-related deaths occur annually in the U.S. [https://www.statista.com/topics/1151/gun-violence-in-the-us/]
[2] Police Use of the Punisher Symbol: Some law enforcement agencies have adopted the Punisher's skull symbol to symbolize their commitment to justice [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punisher_(Marvel_Comics_character)#Pop_culture_and_media]
[3] Daredevil and the Punisher: Daredevil confronted the co-opting of the Punisher symbol by the police in its first season, resulting in a violent conflict between the two [https://screenrant.com/daredevil-season-1-punisher-kill-cops-theory/]
[4] Release Date: The first issue of Punisher: Red Band is set for release on September 10, 2025 [https://www.marvel.com/news/comics/release_date_punisher_red_band_returns_with_a_vengance]
The upcoming miniseries, Punisher: Red Band, is set to launch on September 10, 2025, featuring the artwork of Julius Ohta, renowned for his work on Iron Man, and Ben Percy, famous for his take on Wolverine. Alongside Marvel releases, Gizmodo encourages readers to follow the latest sci-fi, fantasy, and entertainment updates on websites like Io9, movies-and-tv, and Star Trek, offering a glimpse into the future of technology and entertainment.
