Dominic Patten reports: As mass shootings invade American life on a terrifyingly routine basis nowadays, the November 17 launch of Marvel’s The Punisher brings a conflicted cacophony of gunfire and blood-dripping militarism and nihilism that makes Charles Bronson’s Death Wish movies look like a philosophical pillow fight. That said, with Veterans Day tributes fresh in many of our minds, this Jon Bernthal-starring series about the relentless vigilante Frank Castle is also a mostly compelling portrait of rage drenched in the pain of loss and surprising empathy.

Like most Marvel series on the streaming service, it sometimes feels as though the Steve Lightfoot-showrun Punisher is trying too hard to fill its 13 episodes. However, the distinctly adult series based on the character created by John Romita Sr., Ross Andru and Gerry Conway — Castle made his first appearance in the comics in 1974 — managed to truly get under my skin long after I stopped watching all the episodes. In fact, for very different reasons than, say, Luke Cage or Jessica Jones, it drew me in to watch again, as I say in my video review above.

Regardless of how dark the tale is, that pull is a narrative and streaming success by any measure … (read more)

via Deadline