The Punisher exposes a major flaw in Marvel's streaming strategy |
Ahead of his big screen debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the Punisher has returned in a Marvel Special Presentation. More than anything Marvel Studios has done before, Punisher: One Last Kill is a straight-up roller coaster ride of violence and action, bookended by moments of touching insight into the painful, tortured life of Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal).
But the special isn’t just a vehicle to show the Punisher is back in action. Punisher: One Last Kill is also the best use yet of the Marvel Special Presentation format, which Marvel Studios has underutilized thus far and should really consider leaning on more instead of its increasingly bloated streaming shows.
Punisher: One Last Kill begins with Frank Castle haunted by memories of his dead family and his fallen fellow Marines. He’s also surrounded by chaos. The fictional New York City neighborhood where he lives, Little Sicily, has become ground zero for a turf war which ignited when Frank killed off the leaders of the Gnucci family, the last crime organization tied to the death of his wife and children. The story really kicks into gear when Ma Gnucci, whose husband and sons were killed by the........