Issue(s): Punisher War Journal #67, Punisher War Journal #68, Punisher War Journal #69, Punisher War Journal #70, Punisher War Journal #71 (Jimmy Pierce back-up story only)
Cover Date: Jun-Oct 94
Title: Trouble: "Return of the prodigal" / "Family values" / "Homecoming" / "Tough love" / "Father's Day"
Credits:
Steven Grant - Writer
Elman Brown / Elman Brown & Kevin Kobasic - Penciler
Scott Koblish / Elman Brown / Frank Percy - Inker
Freddy Mendez - Assistant Editor
Don Daley - Editor

Review/plot:
Kevin Kobasic does breakdowns with Elman Brown as Finisher on the issues #68-70. Brown is sometimes credited as "L-Man".

This back-up feature (5 pages a pop) stars Jimmy Pierce, one of the replacement Punishers introduced in Suicide Run. He's sometimes known as Hitman Punisher, although i don't think he's ever called that in-story. Pierce is the one that worked for the Cullen crime family, forced into impersonating the Punisher by his Uncle "Peach" Cullens. He was already questioning that role in Suicide Run, and this story has him openly attacking (but not killing) the Cullens, working his way up to his uncle.

Jimmy goes to his sister Lori's place, and a student friend of hers helps with his back wound. Then the Cullens that Jimmy attacked show up at Lori's apartment. Jimmy again manages to deal with the situation without killing anyone. Jimmy leaves one of the Cullens as a prisoner with Lori while he forces the other one to take him to Uncle Peach. But after Jimmy departs, Lori kills them. It turns out that after Jimmy ran away from home, she was treated poorly by the Cullens, so she has a grudge against them and Jimmy. She plans to kill Jimmy after he takes care of the rest of the Cullens.

It also turns out that Jimmy was forced back into working for the Cullens because his mother is being held prisoner. So Jimmy tries to rescue her first, but it turns out that she very much approves of Uncle Peach's actions.

There's some flashing back to Jimmy's troubled childhood but i don't think we need to delve into that. Although i can't help point out that the Cullens were very into breeding.

Lori shows up and rescues Jimmy.

Lori and Jimmy escape, still without killing anyone. Lori gives Jimmy a document proving that their father was killed by their mother and Uncle Peach. Jimmy still refuses to kill Uncle Peach, and he leaves. Lori is captured by the Cullens after that, and Jimmy is picked up by the real Punisher while hitchhiking.

Unless you find the background of this minor character compelling, there isn't a lot of interest in these issues. It's really just about setting things up for the remainder of the Punisher War Journal story, and that's why it really would have worked better as subplots in the regular story instead of as a boring standalone.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Jimmy gets treatment for the gunshots in his back from Punisher #88, but it seems clear from context that it's not in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. For one thing, it's not until issue #68 that he gets treated, so he's meant to have been walking around with the injury for a while. For another, this ties in with the main Punisher story beginning with next issue (#72), enough time has to pass for all of the Punisher's adventures between Suicide Run and that.

References:

• Jimmy was shot in the back in Punisher #88.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A