Warning! Graphic imagery ahead!
Frank Castle is officially back to reclaim thePunisherskull, in a new Red Band series just announced by Marvel Comics, as the publisher finally returns the character to his familiar status quo, while raising the opportunity for a series that will wrestle with the character’s complicated legacy, while also delivering his signature level of brutality and gore.
Punisher: Red Band#1 will be written by Benjamin Percy, with art by Julius Ohto, and will feature the triumphant return of Frank Castle, who reappears in the Marvel Universe“with no memories, a full clip and a thirst for wrathful vengeance.”
The last few years of Punisher lore have been a tangled web, as Marvel tried to do new things with Frank Castle, while also introducing new version of the familiar Punisher. Now, thisRed Bandseries promises a “back to basics” reset for the notorious anti-hero.
Frank Castle Is Back As The Punisher, As Marvel Finally Admits He’s The Only Man For The Job
Punisher: Red Band#1, Written By Benjamin Percy; Art By Julius Ohto
At this point, thePunisher has a more than fifty-year history in Marvel Comics; for context, he debuted in the same year as Wolverine, a character that author Benjamin Percy has explored the full, gory potential of in several previous series. However, over the last decade or so in particular, thePunisher skull has become a point of real-world controversy, given its appropriation by individuals and groups who don’t necessarily recognize that the character is meant to be morally questionable, rather than a paragon or role model.
Marvel will attempt to take back the Punisher logo once more, by having Frank Castle reclaim the mantle in the next chapter of the character’s story.
This has led Marvel to try to distance itself from the symbol, which has resulted in a period of destabilization for thePunisherfranchise overall, which has included new characters taking up the name and mission, as well asattempts to rebrand Frank Castle, while this newRed Bandseries makes clear the published has finally pulled the plug on. Instead, Marvel will attempt to take back the Punisher logo once more, by having Frank Castle reclaim the mantle in the next chapter of the character’s story.
According to the synopsis forPunisher: Red Band#1:
FRANK IS BACK! Reread and reload, True Believers — Frank Castle is BACK. With no memories, a full clip and a thirst for wrathful vengeance, his violent search for answers could only be chronicled in a Red Band series! Bullets will fly, blood will flow, and the citizens and criminals of New York City alike will fear the name THE PUNISHER! From the superstar HELLVERINE creative team of Benjamin Percy and Julius Ohta, don’t miss a single pulse-pounding page of this explosive new series!
As noted by Marvel, author Benjamin Percy and artist Julius Ohta have a pedigree when it comes to delivering Marvel’s most bloodsoaked, high-octane action tales. In addition toHellverine, which features Wolverine’s son wielding the powers of Ghost Rider, Percy is also the author of the gore-filledPredator vs.series, which has pitted the famous cinematic sci-fi creaturesfromPredatoragainst Marvel heroes including Wolverine, Black Panther, and currently, Spider-Man.
Percy also wrote the longrunning Krakoan Era,Wolverinerun, which ended with the nigh-unparalleled bloodlettingof the “Sabretooth War.“In other words, by all accounts, there is no better current Marvel Comics author to bring Frank Castle back as the Punisher, and it is likely that Percy won’t let the controversy surrounding the character go wholly unaccounted for. To find out, readers will have to gird themselves for a classicRed Bandoffering from Marvel, which willprove once more that no one should wear the Punisher skull besides Frank Castle.
Punisher: Red Band#1will be available July 27, 2025 from Marvel Comics.
