This is the last Punisher story Ennis wrote (but not the last one chronologically). It wraps up just about everything, from the Generals who sent him to Russia to a videotape of a character who was tortured several arcs back. The problem with this arc, though, is that it is so heavy on plot that it lacks characterization. The use of an extended “novelization” of Punisher’s war years is juxtaposed against the standard comic book narrative, and it’s an interesting idea, but overall this is the weakest Punisher arc Ennis wrote. Of course, the weakest Ennis Punisher arc is still better than the vast majority of comic books out there. And the violence is always good.
I mean, that’s why you’re picking up a Punisher book, right? To see him kill folks, take a beating, and remain determined.
Best scene: The opening scene of the arc, wherein Punisher gets his “mission” from Nick Fury and walks away while, in the background, Fury throws a bar patron out the window. It’s great because it shows the connection between these two characters: Fury is Punisher, he’s just a more “legit” version.