Move over Frank Castle - there's officially a new Punisher coming to Marvel Comics. Announced at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2023, the new Punisher is Joe Garrison, a retired SHIELD agent who is pulled back into action to take up the legacy of Frank Castle.
Joe Garrison is a creation of writer David Pepose, whose Moon Knight: City of the Dead limited series just launched, and artist Dave Wachter, best known for his longrunning work on IDW Publishing's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Franchise.
"In this action-packed new Punisher saga, Frank Castle has disappeared, but evil will always need to be punished. With all-new threats rising to claim innocent victims, criminals will need to beware of a dangerous vigilante hunting them from the shadows," reads Marvel's official announcement.
"Enter a new Punisher: retired SHIELD black ops agent Joe Garrison. But what brings him back into action? What put Joe Garrison on his path of vengeance? And when the smoke clears, will he even make it out alive?"
Frank Castle has been off the board since the conclusion of the recent Punisher title in which he became the leader of the villainous ninja sect known as the Hand.
"The man might be different, but the punishment remains the same. I wanted to introduce the Danny Ketch to Frank’s Johnny Blaze," stated Pepose.
"I asked myself, 'How do we build a bigger table? And how do we invite as many readers as possible?' For existing fans of the Punisher and for new fans, this is a story that's not going to sacrifice any of the attitude, any of the action, and we are not letting the pedal off the metal."
Punisher #1 debuts November 8 with a cover by Rod Reis and a variant cover by Mico Suayan, both seen above.
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