Marvel's The Punisher Review: 6 Ups And 3 Downs

One up, two up, penny and dime.

The Punisher Ups And Downs
Netflix

Welcome back, Frank.

After bursting onto the scene with a vicious yet nuanced supporting turn in the second season of Daredevil, there's been a great clamour to see a solo series centred around Jon Bernthal's portrayal of Frank Castle, something Marvel's The Punisher has now delivered.

Landing on Netflix last Friday, the 13 episode first season picks up the story of Castle after the events of Daredevil, and once again sees a man haunted by the past and fuelled by the prospect of revenge. His story draws him into an alliance with David 'Micro' Lieberman, a reunion with old friends, and the web of a government conspiracy.

After the lows of Iron Fist and The Defenders, this is a big show for the Marvel Netflix Universe - especially with Disney taking their ball and going to their own streaming service - as it aims to get things back on track. To do that it's delivered Marvel's most bloody series yet - but are these violent delights with a violent end? Let's take a look at how The Punisher stacks up.

Warning: contains spoilers for all 13 episodes - you can read our spoiler-free review here.

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Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.