Review by Frank Plowright

Secret Invasion was the Marvel crossover where it was revealed Earth had been infiltrated by the alien shapeshifting Skrulls. Numerous people of note, including superheroes, had been replaced over a prolonged period, with the doppelgangers promoting the Skrull agenda and working toward an eventual invasion. The Punisher’s participation is two chapters drawn by Howard Chaykin and from the writing team of Matt Fraction and Rick Remender.

Jigsaw ended with the Punisher captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. and subject to high level incarceration, which would have worked fine if S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn’t also been infiltrated by Skrulls. Of further relevance is that his ally Clarke has discovered something Frank did a while back and which was left undisclosed. The video footage, though, doesn’t tell the entire story. Fraction and Remender make good use of Tony Stark’s technology failing worldwide to enable another technical inventor, and use the backdrop of the chaos caused by the Skrulls to have the Punisher targeted by two people in addition to the aliens.

Chaykin’s equally thoughtful, as per the Skrull skulls decorating Frank’s car on the sample art, and shows the Punisher in his element during chaos. The targets are clearly identified, and the Punisher takes aim.

If the ending to ‘Secret Invasion’ has an idea better left in the pub, the remainder is a straightforward action thriller settling matters that have rumbled through the series. It’s satisfying, but the writers don’t extend themselves. Fraction concludes his run by revisiting the idea of stupid villains, a concept he’s never tired of, and combing that with the festive season for a surprisingly touching Christmas story nicely drawn by Andy MacDonald. The Rhino with a Christmas hat is the icing on the cake.

The final offering by Si Spurrier takes place before the opening story, and has interesting ideas that never come to fruition, such as the Punisher hampered by seeing everything via the emotional responses of the young girl he’s trying to rescue. Werther Dell’Edera delivers the psychedelic aspects well, and it’s a novelty seeing the Punisher in the fluffy pink world of a young girl’s imagination, but while Spurrier is never short of ideas, at this early stage of his career he was unable to stay focussed on the essentials, meaning the story drags. It’s missing when the remainder of the series is combined as Punisher War Journal by Matt Fraction: The Complete Collection.

Good creators coasting means there’s a professionalism here, and a minimum level of enjoyment, but this is the weakest of Fraction’s Punisher War Journal.