The Punisher: 7 Essential Stories You Must Read

1. Born

Born isn't only the best Punisher story ever written, it's not just the best single story Marvel has ever released, I'd also wager it's one of the finest Vietnam stories ever published in any medium. Born tells the story of Frank Castle's third tour of Vietnam in the closing days of the war, and is a full-on examination of the horrors of war and the effects it has on the soldiers on the front line - it is an introspective story albeit filled with violence, death, insanity, rape and even hints at an appearance by Death himself.

In the story Castle is viewed both in awe and warily by his men - he is unhinged but with a killer instinct, and his very essence has been sharpened by the war to the point that civilian life seems worse than the jungle's of Vietnam. Think about the horror of that statement for a moment. As his unit becomes increasingly outnumbered and Frank mentally breaks down it falls to him to make a choice - a choice the repercussions of which only dawn on him when he returns home.

This story re-laid the groundwork for the character€™s motivations and is the best creative accomplishment at Marvel in the past two decades. Ennis's chilling ending will also change the way you view the character when all is said and done and is something that is further expanded upon in PunisherMAX Frank.

Which other Punisher stories belong on this list? Share your favourites in the comments thread below.