I really do wish Greg Rucka's Punisher series sold better so that it could have continued indefinitely, but if it had to end, Punisher: War Zone is turning out to be an excellent conclusion to what was really one of the best Punisher runs. It is also showing off what a strong grasp Rucka seems to have of various Marvel characters, making it even worse that this is going to be his last work with Marvel for the foreseeable future. Read Full Review

The fact that this comic is essentially done-in-one doesn't hurt, either. The only downside of Punisher: War Journal is that the heart of this book " Frank himself " is more of an absence, more of a plot device for all this otherwise excellent character work and explosions from Thor's side. Still, if you're an Avenger fan, this is a great concept, pitting Marvel's strongest against its scrappiest. Great writing and great artwork make this book a sleeper hit you should not miss. Read Full Review

Overall, I really really enjoyed this issue. It all felt very samey at first, but then it really blossomed into something very nicely done during the Thor and Frank heart to heart. Running in the background of all of this was the court case for Cole-Alves. The last page also shows that next issue may be make or break time for Frank regarding this case. I really cant wait for the next installment in this mini as it is poised absolutely beautifully. Will Frank finally face up to his actions? Certainly #4 is a must read. Read Full Review

See, going into this comic I was dubious because, come on, it's THOR vs the Punisher!  THOR!!  The God of Thunder vs a guy with guns!  To me?  That's a first round knock out.  But since this is Punisher's book, I was afraid Punisher would somehow outsmart or outfight Thor.  Thankfully Greg Rucka didn't go that direction as he had Thor destroy Punisher.  And then they talked.  And I loved it!  Thor trying to talk sense into Punisher was fantastic!  I mean Thor is a guy who has been in Punisher's place when he was younger.  Just battling and fighting simply for the sake of the fight.  I really enjoyed this issue a lot, from the fighting, to the talking, to everything.  Now, the ball is in Punisher's court, does he continue to circle the world fighting, or does he head home and turn himself in to help Lady Punisher?  We'll find out with the next issue, I guess. Read Full Review

Punisher: War Zone has not yet met the quality of Greg Rucka's proper Punisher run, but at least this issue is a step in the right direction. It's a little odd Rucka plays off basically the same note as last issue to get his point across, but it's written well enough that in the end I didn't mind. Things should get much more interesting from here on out. Read Full Review

It's too bad that the art holds back this series, because if a top-notch artist had been handed this series it would be a must-read for almost every comic reader out there. Instead, it's really only essential reading for those of us who were so very pleased with Rucka's recent acclaimed run on Punisher. Rucka ends the issue with a brilliant scene between Thor and Castle where the two share a beer and have a very candid chat. It's likely the highlight of the book even though there is some terrific action. I'd also like to quickly mention how pleased I am at the way Rucka has handled the Avengers in this series, this issue with Thor was especially well-done. This is definitely worth a read if you're already invested, but if you're on the outside looking in, start with the trade paperback collections of the recent Punisher run and work your way up. Read Full Review

While the reasoning behind him not taking him out completely makes sense at the conclusion the feeling that they wasted a chunk of pages just to say that doesn't go away. However the combination of Di Giandomenico's pencils and Hollingsworth colours, particularly on Thor and his lightning is particularly impressive. Like I said in the review of #1 Thor again from the face still looks off for some reason but again I still can't put my finger exactly on it. Read Full Review

All in all, I'm starting to feel that for fans of the Rucka and Checchetto "Punisher" series, it's best to pretend that the book ended back in September in "Punisher" #16. "Punisher War Zone" isn't a bad comic, but it's one that feels like it's missing its heart. That's a problem that the last series never had. Read Full Review