10 Marvel Graphic Novels You Must Read Before You Die

10. The Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank

The Punisher is often cited as the comic book of choice for people who don't normally read comics. For the most part the exploits of Frank Castle are kept at a street level, existing as part of the Marvel Universe but usually apart from it. He made his first appearance in a Spider-Man book but most of the time the Punisher doesn't trouble himself with superhero types, instead busying himself with the eradication of all-too-human criminals of the sort that murdered his family.

Still, like most Marvel characters, he's accumulated quite a back catalogue since his introduction in 1974, with multiple titles running at the same time.

Where to start? And where to stop, for that matter?

This collection of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's 2000 Marvel Knights miniseries solves both of those particular problems, since it's a great entry point for new readers and wraps up its storyline in twelve issues/chapters. What those in the business call a "soft reboot", Welcome Back, Frank reestablishes the Punisher's history as a widowed Vietnam vet as Frank himself reasserts his place in the New York underworld, setting his sights on the mob and sitting at odds with the local police department.

Welcome Back, Frank is like a great crime TV show that only has one season, meaning it's not much of a commitment and both the main story and its subplots all get wrapped up at the end. The Punisher's origin is briefly gone over, and he gains a whole new supporting cast. With Ennis' wicked sense of humour and Dillon's singular art style, this is a great book for comic book fans and people who love great, gritty crime fiction.