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In July last year, Bleeding Cool learned that Jason Aaron was to reimagine The Punisher for a new era, adding the main story “jesus saiz and Paul Azaceta To rejoin Jason Aaron on Punisher No More” In recent years there has been growing criticism of the use of the Punisher skull by police, military, militia, white supremacist groups, QAnon events and Sean Hannity on Fox News, even Asset Punisher pins have been popular. And then, during the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol in Washington DC, many insignias of Punisher skulls were seen. It also followed Black Lives Matter protests and a focus on real and fictional police behavior, including police use of Punisher images. Amid calls for Marvel and Disney to cancel The Punisher as a character, Bleeding Cool observed that this may have already happened and there have been no Punisher comics published or solicited since November. 2020. There was a collection of To punishuh Vs Barracuda – but this series was never completed. It was first postponed by the pandemic but then completely scrapped, although the finished issues were over. Marvel announced this series for March 2022, which is no longer called No more punisher, simply… Punisher. Showing us Frank Castle apparently working with the ninja group The Hand, sporting sais rather than guns as well as a new devil face logo rather than the traditional skull image. And published today.

So how is the change explained in continuity? The Hand was created by Frank Miller for daredevil as an order of evil mystical ninjas who are heavily involved in organized crime and mercenary activities. The Hand covets power above all other goals, is primarily based in Japan, but operates internationally. They were founded in the 16th century as a secret society of Japanese nationalist samurai, but were soon co-opted by the Snakeroot, an ancient ninja clan who serve a primordial demon known only as “The Hand Beast”. Members of the Hand practice powerful occult magic and can murder a person and bring them back to life as a servant of the Hand, but a few are known to have reversed this programming.

The Punisher, Frank Castle, born Francis Castiglione, is a vigilante serial killer created by Gerry Conway, John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru which first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man in 1974. A Vietnam veteran, he was driven by the death of his wife and two children, who were killed by mobs for witnessing a murder in New York’s Central Park, to wage war against crime using various weapons.

Now he is waging this war against super villains using super hero and alien technology.

By a group that bears similarities to images of the Molon Labe militia group that Marvel Comics sued for their use of the Punisher brand skull. The skull that Marvel Comics no longer uses. Or at least, not much, anyway.

With The Hand providing Frank Castle with the revenge he’s more used to.

Which is like feeding goats to the lion, rather than letting him hunt them. Will it backfire on you? Because what other hold has The Hand on The Punisher? Well, it all comes down to the nature of the beast. And what powers they hold.

They brought his wife back. Maria Elizabeth Castle.

Complete with healed gunshot wounds. It’s not the first time this has happened, The Punisher #10 written by Rick Remender in 2009 saw supernatural rogue The Hood bring his family back from the dead.

But Frank Castle’s reaction was a little less amorous…

With Frank Castle asked the question directly by his sidekick Microchip.

What has changed this time? Apart from the events of January 6?

PUNISHER #1
MARVEL COMICS
JAN220863
(W) Jason Aaron (A) Paul Azaceta (A/CA) Jesus Saiz
WILL THE PUNISHER’S WAR END? Born of a tragedy. Devoted to war. Unstoppable in his rage. As the Punisher, Frank Castle became the most accomplished killer the world has ever seen. Now is the time for him to face his true destiny. What shocking secret from Frank’s past will convince him to take the reins of the Marvel Universe’s most notorious clan of assassins? And once Frank becomes the warlord of the Hand’s deadly ninjas, will that also mean the end of the Punisher? Or a brand new bloody start? Join the superstar crew of writer Jason Aaron and artists Jesus Saiz and Paul Azaceta for an epic exploration of the dark and violent past and inevitable future of one of Marvel’s most iconic characters. PARENTAL ADVISORY In store: March 09, 2022 MSRP: $5.99