The Punisher Back to School Special Mini Series 1-3 (1992) Marvel Comics
This was such a fun 3 book mini series, that included 4 stories in each book, that took us on an adventure with Frank Castle, each issue double the amount of pages a regular comic normally has, with a combined 192 of them.
We get to see Frank visiting his family’s grave site in the first issue, in the story “The Sinner” written by Chuck Dixon with art by Mark Nelson. Then on too another Dixon story that takes the Punisher undercover at a high school to discover who is selling guns to the students in Mott Haven 10454!”. Then Tom Brevoort and Mike Kanterovich take on a new story line “Childs Play” where the Punisher get an over zealous fan who ends up finding out how dangerous it really can be to hero-worship someone like Frank Castle. Then we get to go “Back to School!” with John Ridgway who did the art in this 4th story written by Barry Dutter, where the punisher has to educate a couple younsters on why it is so important to stay in school instead of skipping class to go sell drugs for the local mob. This first issue is a fantastic read and brings so much talent into 64 pages of fun.
Issue number 2, gives us 4 more tales, including “No Pain!” written by Mike Lackey, with art done by Ernie Stiner. This would remind anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s about the steroid frenzy that plagued our society, with thoughts of seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sylvester Stallone yoked out on the big screen. Second we come to a story about a death metal band named WARG, (wonder if the writer, Lackey, knew anything of the actual band GWAR?!) who is murdering people in front of their fans at shows. “Lost Lands!” by Dixon and artist Dave Eaglesham shows us how one crazy person can brainwash and control a mob of homeless people to a point where Frank has to come in a rectify the situation. As for the las story in this issue, written by Dan Slott and drawn by Neil Hanson, “sorry, My Mistake!” We find Frank actually helping the police identify a murder suspect in custody, during the police line-up he does what he does best and murders the guy and now is trying to get out of there before he himself ends up dead.
The 3rd and final issue of the Punisher Back To School Special, “School’s Out”, gives us more great writings by Don Lomax and Mike Lackey, with some beautiful art by Dave Hoover, Paul Martin, and Aaron Guzman. We have “Brain Drain High!” another story showing Frank under cover at a school trying to play detective in a drug selling operation going on. “Ahead of the Game!” The Punisher is seeking to find a serial Killer and that path leads him to Little Malaysia. And in “The Lesson!” we get a nice speech from a paraplegic on the importance of staying in school.
Overall this series was a fantastic journey in a different world with Frank Castle and I would recommend this read to anyone no matter your reading taste. Check the back issues and see if Coffee and a Comic has any issues available HERE
