Punisher: Silent Night

    (Marvel, 2006)
™ and © Marvel Characters, Inc.

Putting Billy Bob Thornton to shame, Frank Castle makes a very bad Santa in this holiday-themed adventure for the gun-toting vigilante. Andy Diggle of Losers fame and Kyle Hotz, artist on The Hood, craft a darkly comic Christmas tale that finds the Punisher donning a red suit and white beard in addition to his traditional black garb. Unfortunately for the bad guys, Frank doesn’t adopt any of the usual cheer and good tidings associated with the holidays.

— Colin Chan

From the Comics Buyer’s Guide:

The very best Christmas stories portray a troubled (George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life) or even downright nasty (Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol) character finding joy and/or redemption through the magic of the holiday season. Regrettably, episodic characters of the grim and gritty variety, such as The Punisher, rarely experience genuine character growth, resulting in story after story of Frank Castle gunning down bad guys with nary a second thought. Hardcore fans of the skull-chested one apparently don’t mind the formula, but it’s too bad “Silent Night” doesn’t buck the system by illuminating even a hint of The Punisher’s humanity.

The Punisher, out for a night of killing, recognizes goons who work for reclusive crime boss Junior Calvani. For reasons too lengthy to relate here, Junior appears at an orphanage, giving The Punisher the opportunity to kill even more people. Frank Castle as Santa Claus is chuckle-worthy, and artist Kyle Hotz does a nice Kelley Jones imitation, but four bucks is too much to pay for an ordinary Punisher story.

— Brett Weiss
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#1

February, 2006
Cover Price: $3.99
4 copies available from $7.47 		Andy DiggleKyle Hotz