Tyger style

In the midst of looking for a couple Punisher issues from the first Barracuda storyline so I can get caught up, I found this Punisher: The Tyger one-shot from 2006 I hadn't read yet.

With the regular series we have Frank Castle defined as the Punisher in action. And while writer Garth Ennis' run will be known as a legendary one, and undoubtedly the best Punisher stuff ever, his moments outside the regular series in which he further defines how the Punisher came to be really stand out. Those being the Born miniseries and this Tyger one-shot.

Yeah, Castle's family was murdered by mobsters and he flipped a switch. But when the lights came on they powered by something there all along. In Born we saw its manifestation in Vietnam. The Tyger takes us back further, to the 10-year-old Castle in 1960s Brooklyn. He's already displaying skills he'll put to use as the Punisher, but it's the lessons learned, not necessarily the deeds done here, that inform the guy with the skull on his shirt.

Brian Wood was recently commenting on how Ennis would be leaving giant shoes to fill when he leaves the title, which will be soon (and that Wood wanted no part of attempting the filling). It's hard to imagine anyone else writing the Punisher at this point. Matt Fraction, who's writing the Punisher: War Journal series, might be a logical choice. I like Fraction, but haven't read War Journal, so don't have an opinion there. Assuming the title continues though, Marvel has a tough task.

Art on The Tyger was handled by awesome Punisher covers regular Tim Bradstreet, with interiors from comics legend John Severin (started in the business in the 1930s — wha?!?), whose pencils were pitch-right for this tale.