Wolverine/Punisher

(Marvel, 2004)
™ and © 2004 Marvel Characters, Inc.

A critical error in continuity means this limited series gets off on the wrong foot from the beginning. At the start of the story, The Punisher is chasing a bank-heist mastermind who calls himself Napoleon. This crime lord escapes to a secret jungle hideout called Erehwon. Ten years pass, Erehwon has grown, and they’re about to lure The Punisher into a trap, as most of Erehwon’s residents were targeted by The Punisher at one time or another.

Hold on. Ten years? There’s no way The Punisher has been around that long. That would mean that the guy predates almost the entire rest of the Marvel universe. Since a recent mini-series reinforced original Vietnam ties, that would make him around 60. Obviously, he isn’t.

Paradoxes like these are why it’s best to avoid topical elements in stories. Ignoring this, though, readers are left with an interesting setup, especially at the end, where Wolverine is assigned to guard the man that Punisher wants to kill.

It’s a fanboy’s dream to have these two Marvel favorites go at it, and it appears likely they’ll fight at least once before the series is over.

— Steve Horton

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