Hello, Punisher fan here. I started out HATING the concept. Now though, I don't know...the thing is, it was so completely out of the element of the character. Now others have said "Hey it's the marvel universe! You want realism, go to Max!" Now I get that, but here's the thing, I like MU Punisher, I liked the new adjustment to his war by using appropriated weapons, and depending on how it was handled, I may have even accepted a somewhat cyborg restored Frank. What bothered me and many fans was how this was all done.
He was made into a patchwork monster and made to hang out with the legion of monsters....see, that's a huge leap. For me, that would be like taking Daredevil, a streetwise hero, and having him fight in the cosmic areas because a little throwaway comment mentioned the Hand had a connection to the Shiar. Frank is a normal guy, surrounded by uber beings and makes it by through inhuman dedication, the sarifice of any normalcy in his life, and amazing skills. (combat, logic, tactics) He didn't need this to be beefed up. I'm not against adding controversial changes to spruce a character up, but if it's at the cost of their coreidentity, or just horribly handled, then it's a problem for me. If they wanted to change the direction of his life and mission, they didn't need to just give him a power boost. Add on some things, give him something to think about and focus on, and question himself.
Now, we all know he's going to be normal again, and in recent previews they said how. For me, I've been slowly coming around to the idea in part because his internal reactions to this are quite interesting, and his overt connection to the monsters is no longer the main basis of this book. Part of what made me come around is the idea that finally Frank has died, his misssion is over, he feels that he may have a chance to be with them again...he then wakes up an abomination. Rescued or cursed, he's not at peace and brought back into the meat grinder. For me, while I was glad Ennis closed the book on zombisher, I was hoping to at least see that scene when he severed ties with heaven, saw his family and was sent back. I wanted to know what his family's reaction would be to what he's become, and what his thoughts were to being so close, but so far once again. Now, with him killing copies of his family and being dead himself, only to be whisked away, I'm curious as to his interalization of these developments, and what long term damage this will have on him.
Overall, the idea I found was interesting, but not fitting with Frank. Now I've gone from adamently hating this direction, to accepting it and seeing and judging things on an issue to issue basis. I know not many of you are fans of ol' Frank, but try and see things from our perspective. Take Thor, mess him up, throw him into a overtly technological setting or even stranger, throw him into a mundane, "realistic" world. Fill it with Noir elements, and mortality. Wouldn't that be a bit stange? As a Thor fan also, I'd be running around yelling Nordic threats, growing out my hair, relaxing it, dying it blond, getting contacts and yelling. "Midguard must faaaaaaallll!" *and get reality bending effects to simulate slow motion*
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