Issue(s): Punisher War Zone #23
Cover Date: Jan 94
Title: "Bringing down the house"
Credits:
Larry Hama - Writer
John Buscema & Val Mayerik - Penciler
Art Nichols & Jimmy Palmiotti - Inker
Tim Tuohy - Assistant Editor
Don Daley - Editor

Review/plot:
The art credits are based on the UHBMCC's breakdown. It seems like John Buscema does breakdowns and Val Mayerik does finishes and then Art Nichols & Jimmy Palmiotti do inks. The art has a very distinct Buscema look but it's also very rough.

Punisher is trapped in a building full of criminals, but he's got the building rigged to explode via a dead man's switch. So he can shoot them, but they can't kill him. And that causes them to start fighting amongst themselves.

The criminals do try a more hands-on approach...

...but it turns into a slaughter. The bad guys eventually decide to try to shoot the Punisher anyway. But the Punisher gets ahold of Rapido and uses him like a weapon.

And it's kind of weird, because the Punisher kills just about everyone. But then he blows up the building anyway.

I guess part of the explanation is that the building was surrounded by law enforcement, so this is the Punisher's way to avoid capture. But it still feels like the Punisher could have just blown up the building from the start instead of risking shooting everybody first.

No scorecard this issue.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This is part three of Suicide Run. Part two is in Punisher #86.

References: N/A

Crossover: Suicide Run

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A