10 Punisher Graphic Novels You Must Read Before You Die
4. Valley Forge, Valley Forge
Ennis' Punisher MAX wasn't all extreme gore and nihilism though, and for his final arc, the writer slowed the pace a little, cracked open the history books and turned Frank's final battle into a military thriller, worthy of Tom Clancy or a (good) Andy McNab novel.
Valley Forge, Valley Forge has Frank on the run from a crack team of military men, hired by the government to bring in the Punisher alive. This sets Frank against an enemy he can't kill, forcing him to get smart and sneaky. At the same time, Ennis threads the story of Valley Forge - a bloody battle fought during the Vietnam War inexorably linked to Frank's actions and which bleeds into the very fight he faces today.
Valley Forge, Valley Forge is Ennis' most considered, least 'extreme' and least nihilistic Punisher MAX story (although, in all fairness, it would have been hard to top what he had Frank do to Barracuda mere issues earlier) and, ironically, is his most mature. It blends the writer's obvious love of the character with his passion for Vietnam War stories to create one of the greatest Punisher stories of all time.