All this year I'll be storytiming Punisher comics. I'll mostly focus on the pre-Ennis era, but there'll be a few Ennis era stories at certain points. Expect at least 1 storytime per week.
Yesterday I storytimed all 3 of The Punisher Back To School Specials (which you can still read right here: ).
Today I'm going to be posting the original War Zone arc by Chuck Dixon and John Romita Jr.
I've already posted a number of Chuck Dixon's Punisher stories, both from his run on War Journal and his fill-in issues during Mike Baron's run on The Punisher. But so far I have not posted ANYTHING from War Zone. Not a single issue from any writer. Today that changes, beginning with the first arc of Chuck Dixon's first run on War Zone.
The Punisher War Zone was launched in 1992 as a third ongoing series for the then ULTRA popular character. The "hook" used to set it apart from the other 2 ongoings was basically that it was "name writers and/or artists doing long form story arcs". Dixon wrote over half of the issues of the entire series over the course of 2 separate runs, and collaborated with artists like Mark Texiera, Joe Kubert, John Buscema, and, most famously, John Romita Jr. (in his prime when he was still one of the most unique and most popular artists in comics).
This particular story arc that we're starting off with is considered by many to be the best of Dixon's work on the character. It sees The Punisher go undercover in attempt to infiltrate the mafia and was a MAJOR turning point in the development of The Punisher's relationship with Microchip. It also sees (IIRC) the debut of the Carbone crime family, who would go on to become MAJOR players in The Punisher comics. It also features a rare appearance of Shotgun, one of the most underrated and most badass Marvel characters EVER.
In general, this arc is one of the best of its time and I seriously HIGHLY recommended that all of Sup Forums read it.
FUN FACT: John Romita Jr. was going to draw a Shotgun ongoing at one point, but it got cancelled before it came out for unknown reasons.
Xavier Bell
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Ayden Wilson
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Xavier Watson
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Ethan Garcia
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Juan Williams
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Charles Morgan
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Grayson Phillips
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Easton Clark
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Ayden Ross
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Evan Perez
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Nathaniel Sanchez
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Angel Clark
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Adam Long
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Elijah Hughes
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Tyler Parker
I forgot to mention in the OP that this arc also sees the debut of Mickey Fondozzi, who was basically The Punisher's "main" mafia informant during the 1990s.
Asher Cook
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Cameron Bennett
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Ethan Edwards
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Matthew Collins
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Nolan Cox
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Jose Perry
Back inside cover.
Jace Jackson
ISSUE #2
Sebastian Robinson
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Logan Watson
This is actually a vertical double spread!
Eli Robinson
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Asher Diaz
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Daniel Walker
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Caleb Fisher
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Justin Jackson
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Hudson Diaz
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Jayden Myers
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Robert Myers
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Wyatt Nelson
Another vertical double page spread. You don't see many of those post-90s. Morrison's New X-Men Annual might have been the last time I can remember vertically oriented pages.
Hunter Jones
>vertically oriented pages
In the sense of being read sideways, is obviously what I meant.
Nicholas Jenkins
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Wyatt Wilson
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Ryder Wood
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Grayson Brooks
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Nathaniel Rogers
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Dylan Bailey
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Liam Morris
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Thomas Price
Letters page
Aaron Myers
ISSUE #3
Brandon Allen
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James Foster
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Jackson Thompson
Bumping for punisher.
Jason Hughes
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Jordan Myers
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Xavier Jenkins
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David Nelson
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Landon Rodriguez
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Blake Peterson
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Henry Hughes
I think I remember reading this once. Thanks
Ayden Taylor
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Asher Edwards
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Joshua Moore
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Hunter Turner
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Leo Powell
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Jeremiah Gonzalez
Yet another vertical double page spread.
Oliver Cox
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Matthew Brown
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Charles Campbell
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John Morris
He's got a weird sense of humor.
Nathan Hernandez
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Cooper Hughes
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Grayson Cook
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Chase Bennett
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Hudson Gonzalez
ISSUE #4
Adam Howard
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Xavier Ward
Another of these vertical double page spreads. Romita or somebody at Marvel must have LOVED these.
Lucas Cooper
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Ryan Parker
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Camden Flores
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Cameron Jackson
ANOTHER vertical double page spread! I'm genuinely surprised at how many of these they used in this arc.
Kayden Carter
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Logan Collins
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Brody Diaz
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Carson Garcia
>I'll mostly focus on the pre-Ennis era, but there'll be a few Ennis era stories at certain points. Please, please make Tyger one of them. As far as I'm concerned that's the high water mark of the entire franchise.
Christopher Campbell
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Christian Bailey
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Evan Ward
Something I could hypothetically do is maybe a "backwards lead up" to The Platoon. Like do The Cell, then The Tyger, then Born, leading up to The Platoon on the day it debuts. Sort of a "MAX prequels series" to get Sup Forums ready for The Platoon when it comes out.
