10 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About The Punisher
10. The Reason Behind The Violence
Although mainstream interpretations of the character would tell you that Frank Castle wasn't an inherently violent man - that his path to vigilantism was birthed the moment his family were killed - the reality is a little more nuanced.
Garth Ennis' Punisher series is seminal for a whole host of reasons, but the key one is undoubtedly the writer's decision to reappraise Frank Castle's ideology. This came in Punisher Born, a storyline that's set during the Vietnam War.
The book - apart from being considered one of the greatest Punisher tales ever - really made an effort of showing the burgeoning moments of Frank's Punisher-self. This moment occurs during an attack on Valley Forge, where the then scout sniper is left as the sole survivor of an enemy ambush. Ennis shows Frank making a metaphorical 'deal with the Devil' in order to survive, and hints heavily that the character's path to vigilantism was formed in the fires of that battle.
It's a fascinating angle to consider, especially since more conventional interpretations have largely reiterated the primacy of his family's murder in forcing the character's violent response. What Ennis does, in this sense, is add a whole other layer of tragedy to Castle, and provide verifiable proof that - although people will try otherwise - the character is not one to be romanticised.