Description
Book SynopsisIf the Punisher became a valuable piece of intellectual property during the closing decades of the twentieth century, he has become a global icon in the twenty-first. In this pathbreaking study, Kent Worcester explores the sometimes ridiculous and often socially resonate storyverse of the most famous rageaholic in popular culture: Frank Castle, aka the Punisher.
Worcester pays particular attention to nearly five decades' worth of punishment-themed comics and graphic novels published between the 1970s and the present day. These texts provide the material resources for a close reading of the Punisher's distinctive and extreme form of justice discourse. Punishment, after all, is a political and social construct. Violence does not imply or claim legitimacy. Punishment does. To talk about punishment is to ask who deserves to be punished, who decides who deserves to be punished, and what form the punishment should take. All costumed heroes have their political moments; the Punisher is political.
Frank Castle inhabits the most politically engaged corner of the entire Marvel Universe. His adventures should attract our interest for precisely this reason.
Trade Review“Kent Worcester has put together a hard-hitting, street-wise, in-depth look at the life and times of Frank Castle. His analysis is trenchant and fascinating, taking into consideration all the myriad aspects of the character and how they have changed over time. This is a rich, important study of a character whose violent ethos and iconography are so much a part of today's cultural zeitgeist.”
-- Andrew J. Friedenthal, writer and arts critic
'I detest The Punisher. I mean, I ordinarily have no use for the character. But this book? Whoa.
Excellent writing: trenchant, provocative, at times jaw-dropping. The arguments are needle-sharp, the contexts surprising yet persuasive. Worcester deftly steers clear of defensiveness, righteous dismissal, handwringing, and the oh so many pitfalls that could easily trip up a project like this. In the process, he makes the whole "Marvel Universe" look different.'
-- Professor Charles Hatfield (co-author of Comics Studies: A Guidebook and author of Hand of Fire: The Comics Art of Jack Kirby)
“Deep-diving into a publication history spanning multiple decades, Kent Worcester's precise study helps explain the enduring fascination with the Punisher against the backdrop of an evolving sociopolitical climate. This long overdue examination of Marvel's most controversial yet iconic character will provide valuable insight to scholars, students, and fans alike.”
-- Peter Vignold, author of Das Marvel Cinematic Universe – Anatomie einer Hyperserie and Superhelden im Film – Zur post-patriarchalen Utopie des Marvel Cinematic Universe
Table of ContentsList of Figures vii
Preface ix
Introduction 1
1. Trauma Culture 29
2. Trigger Happy, or Grim and Gritty 64
3. The Universe Pushes Back 97
4. Negative Dialectics 134
5. The Narratological Impasse 169
6. From Print to Screen to Icon 202
Conclusion: Those Who Need Hurting 235
Appendix 245
Bibliography 249
Index 257
