Issue(s): Punisher Back To School Special #2
Cover Date: Oct 93
Title: "No pain / Stage fright / Lost lands / Sorry, my mistake"
Credits:
Mike Lackey / Steven Grant / Dan Slott - Writer
Ernie Stiner / Kevin Kobasic / Dale Eaglesham / Neil Hansen - Penciler
Frank Percy / Josef Rubinstein / Pat Redding / Neil Hansen - Inker
Tim Tuohy - Assistant Editor
Don Daley - Editor

Review/plot:
The story "Lost lands" is credited to Chuck Dixon but a later lettercol makes a correction, saying it was really Steven Grant.

I feel like i'm constantly reviewing Punisher stories. That's partially because the Punisher is in a lot of one-off stories compared to the multi-issue arcs in most other books. And because the Punisher doesn't participate in line wide crossovers, so after i cover all the books included in, say, Infinity Crusade, i'm left with a lot of Punisher stories that need to be reviewed. But even taking all of that into account, there are just a lot of Punisher books. I used to enjoy the Punisher. Moral questions aside, his dry tone and grounded stories were a nice break from the more convoluted super-hero stuff. But there's just way too much Punisher at this point for that to be the case anymore. It all just feels throwaway. And of course that's definitely going to feel the case for a "Back To School Special".

The first story is an anti-steroid PSA.

Nice white doctors pushing steroids don't get killed like other drug dealers.

Writer Mike Lackey comes close to making the same point, although he doesn't cast aspirations on the Punisher.

Speaking of cast aspirations on the Punisher, you know who else contributes to the perception that kids need to take steroids in order to feel like they are a man? Giant hulking totally ripped comic book characters that don't even have super-powers.

The Punisher kills that woman he's fighting by tying her hair to a ladder under the pool and letting her drown.

He also kills the other guy. And this guy.

So don't use steroids, kids.

The second story has Punisher going to a Gwar concert. Well, it's a Warg concert.

Gwar is (was, really) an over-the-top shock/humor band, but Warg is a "goth-rock" band responsible for kidnapping people that they kill on stage.

Punisher uses his motorcycle helmet to fit into the theme of things, and kills the band during a concert.

The next story... i don't know, i'm not reading this.

The final story has the Punisher pretending to be a witness so that he can get into a line-up and kill the criminal he's after.

I know. That's the opening splash so there must be more to the story. But that's the coolest part. It's actually got a really dumb ending.

Quality Rating: D+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A