The Punisher: 10 Ways It Saves Netflix's Marvel Universe
3. It Replicates The Character's Best Stories
Despite being one of Marvel's most popular characters, Frank Castle hasn't always had an easy time of things in the comics, certainly not until Garth Ennis took on the character in 2000 under the then burgeoning 'Marvel Knights' banner.
Ennis would then shift the darkly comedic tone the series found in that banner, and relaunched the character as a part of Marvel's 'MAX' imprint along with the late, great, Steve Dillon. The series was seminal in so many ways, and resonated on account of its expert handling of historical concepts, events and of course the character of Frank Castle himself. It's largely rooted in reality, and it is to this series that Netflix's latest Marvel offering owes its existence.
The show pays direct homage to both Punisher: Born and Valley Forge, Valley Forge throughout, with Frank's Afghan assault in episode three in particular following the same beats of the former's 2003 storyline. It's brilliant to see, especially since the opening volley from Daredevil Season 2 also took note of Ennis' contributions to the Marvel mythos. That's not all though - there are other elements of Frank's history that the show addresses, particularly in the series of 1987 and its subsequent spin-offs War Zone and War Journal.
It gives fans a good idea of what the character's all about off the page, and considering how difficult it actually is to get into the medium, that's no small feat.