Writer: Steven Grant; Artist: Mike Zeck; Inker: John Beatty; Letterer: Ken Bruzenak; Colorist: Bob Sharen; Editor: Carl Potts; Editor in Chief: Jim Shooter; Cover Artist: Mike Zeck
The Punisher scales the huge tower belonging to Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime, intent on killing him. Castle blasts his way into the penthouse office and finds that the room has been emptied except for a dead man sitting in the Kingpin's place. When Frank moves the body, he activates a bomb on the seat, leaving him only seconds to jump off the building before it explodes. He falls over 500 stories, breaking his fall with his repelling rope and hook, but is still injured when he hits the alley below. Before he passes out, he sees a young woman pull up in a car and another young man watching from the street.
When he wakes up, Castle finds himself in the woman's apartment. Her name is Angela Mondoy, and as she serves him food she offers to help him in his war, to provide him a safe home and a loving companion. She disrobes and the two have sex; afterward, Frank reflects on his mission and decides he needs help from the Trust, the organization that freed him from prison. He calls his contact for the Trust, a man named Alaric, who tells him that everyone believes the Punisher killed the Kingpin. Even though he knows Fisk is still alive, Castle calls the Daily Bugle and tells reporter Ben Urich that he killed the Kingpin; the mob will believe Fisk is dead if the Punisher himself says so, and the gangsters will kill each other off in their grabs for power.
The next day, seventeen mob bosses are murdered by their rival factions, prompting boss Charlie Siciliano to call together a peace conference. Unbeknownst to Siciliano, Castle is outside listening to the conversation via a bug in the office. Later that night at Grand Central Station, a collection of mob bosses meet and bicker amongst themselves while the Punisher prepares to attack. Before he can, though, a gunman opens fire and kills several of the gangsters. Castle recognizes the assassin as Nolo Contendre, a hitman from Detroit, and chases after them. The gun fight takes them into a subway car, where Contendre opens fire on innocent civilians, crossing a line that no professional would cross. So the Punisher kills him by smashing his head between the train doors.
Weary from his fight and realizing that instead of smashing the mobs all his plan has done is turn the city into a battleground for the gangs. He walks back to his Battle Van, where all of his weapons and equipment is stored, only for it explode right in front of him. Realizing he's now without resources, Frank calls Alaric and asks for the Trust's help, unaware that Angela is there with Alaric, showing that the Trust is not what Castle believes it to be.
Review:
The "Circle of Blood" story continues with the Punisher back on the street and doing what he does best, only to have his well-laid plans literally blow up in his face.
Steven Grant and Mike Zeck are still firing on all cylinders, producing an issue that tops their previous prison story. No longer having to play clean-up when it comes to continuity, the creators are free to tell their story without interference, and it's immediately apparent that the world the Punisher inhabits is much different than the normal Marvel Universe. Even with nods to Marvel canon like the Kingpin (a natural enemy for the Punisher, just as he was for Daredevil) and Ben Urich, this book was truly like nothing else in Marvel's stable of titles. It was grimy, dirty, and it separates Frank Castle from the super heroes and villains that he had been involved with during his previous appearances in Spider-Man. The Punisher is a character that works best when he is grounded in the real world, as far removed from super heroes as possible, and it was Grant and Zeck who first realized and implemented this.
The one part of this issue that troubles me is the introduction of Angela, who is quick to jump into bed with Castle both literally and figuratively. When you reach the issue's end you realize that Angela isn't what she appears to be and is likely there to seduce Frank in typical femme fatale fashion, so her motives and characterization is spot on. No, what bothers me is the Punisher immediately letting her into his life; even leaving the sex out of the equation, Frank Castle is fighting a war and I highly doubt he'd allow this seemingly innocent girl to involve herself in something that would most likely get her killed. Castle has a recurring blind spot when it comes to villainous women and this is just the first example, but the speed in which the relationship advances just feels really off to me.
What most definitely does not feel off is the artwork by Zeck and Beatty, which while not quite as sharp as the first issue still contains all of the style and punch that the artists were known for. One thing that I always enjoyed about Zeck's work is that his fight scenes look realistic, the panels flow together in such a way that you can follow each step of the fight (unlike some artists, who just draw random panels of people punching one another with no regard to the fighters' dynamics). And again, Zeck's work on his characters' facial expressions is top notch, especially with the smarmy, sleazy look that he gives Alaric in his brief appearances.
"Back to the War" is exactly what it says on the tin, the Punisher doing what the Punisher does in grand style. This series, and in particular this issue and the next, are the direct inspiration for every Punisher story that came after, and it is a pedigree that Grant and Zeck should be immensely proud of. So far, "Circle of Blood" is not disappointing.
Grade: A
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