Punisher Max
PunisherMAX is the second comic book ongoing series published under the MAX imprint of Marvel Comics featuring vigilante and anti-hero the Punisher. The series was written by Jason Aaron and drawn by Steve Dillon.
| PunisherMAX | |
|---|---|
Variant incentive cover to PunisherMAX #1 (January 2010). Cover art by Steve Dillon. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Publication date | January 2010 – February 2012 |
| No. of issues | 22 issues, plus 1 X-Mas Special |
| Main character(s) | Frank Castle / The Punisher |
| Creative team | |
| Created by | Jason Aaron Steve Dillon |
| Written by | Jason Aaron |
| Artist(s) | Steve Dillon |
Unlike the concurrently running Marvel Universe-proper series featuring the Punisher, the MAX imprint allows the creators the freedom to write more realistic and hard-edged stories that cannot be seen in regular mainline Marvel Universe stories. Also unlike the previous MAX series, which focused mainly on Frank Castle/The Punisher's war against the mob, this series has him squaring off against MAX versions of popular Marvel super villains, such as Wilson Fisk/the Kingpin, Bullseye and Elektra. The series came to a conclusion with issue #22.
The series was a primary influence on Marvel's Netflix television series Daredevil and the second season of its spin-off The Punisher, both set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the former in terms of the characterisation of Vanessa Marianna-Fisk (portrayed by Ayelet Zurer), and the latter in the adaptation of the Mennonite, John Pilgrim (portrayed by Josh Stewart).