WEBVTT
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Okay, we are about to get into the 18th issue
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of The Punisher here. And before I get into that,
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I want to talk a little bit about the creative team.
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This is kind of an end of an.
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Era for the book.
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Mike Barron is still going to be sticking around as writer,
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and Ken Bruzenak and John Wellington will continue on lettering
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and colors. But this is the last issue of this
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run for Wills Portacio and Scott Williams. Portacio came on
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to The Punisher with issue number 8, and from there,
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he had a pretty consistent run all the way through
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this issue, number 18. So this is really the end
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of his stretch on the title. And what's interesting is
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that after leaving The Punisher... Portacio actually has a pretty
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light year in 1989. He pencils Power Pack number 46,
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which comes out in January of 89.
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He contributes to What The?
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Number 5 in March. And then he does some work
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in Daredevil Annual number 5 in May. And that's really
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about it for him as far as regular comic work goes.
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So it is kind of interesting looking at this in hindsight.
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We know Wills is going to become a much bigger
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name in comics, especially once we get into the early
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1990s or the mid-1990s. but immediately after leaving the Punisher,
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there really is not this.
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Huge explosion of work from him right away.
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Scott Williams, on the other hand, he stays a little
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closer to Frank Castle. He continues working on Punisher-related books,
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including Punisher War Journal, and he also returns to the
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main Punisher title for issues 21 through 24. He inks
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Punisher War Journal numbers 4 and 5, contributes to Punisher
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Annual number 2, which includes the Punisher's Fighting Techniques material,
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and later works on Punisher War Journal number 10. And
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then there is one especially interesting issue in 1989. Scott
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Williams inks What If number 7. What if Wolverine was
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an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.? That issue is written by Jim Valentino,
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penciled by Rob Liefeld, and inked by Scott Williams. And
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looking at those names now, knowing where comics are going
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to go in just a few years, that's a pretty
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interesting creative team. And it's cool to see them in
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one place here in that one what-if issue.
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Then later in 1989, Williams begins.
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What is going to become one of the most important
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artistic partnerships of his career. He starts working on Uncanny
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X-Men with Jim Lee, beginning with issue 256 in October
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of 1989. And of course, that Jim Lee and Scott
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Williams combination is going to become one of the defining
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art teams of the early 1990s. So with Punisher number 18,
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we are essentially saying goodbye to the Portacio-Williams era of
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the main title. They helped establish a really distinct visual
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identity for this book over the last 11 issues or so,
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particularly with the action sequences and the physicality of Frank
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Castle's world.
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So real quick, our creative team on the book, I
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know we mentioned them before, but the.
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Title of this story is Face Off, written by Mike Barron,
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penciled by Wills Portacio, inked by Scott Williams. lettered by
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Kenneth Bruzenak and colored by John Wellington. This issue was
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on sale on the shelves December 20th, 1988. All right,
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let's recap our characters here, just in case it's been
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a while. Before we get into the story, let's quickly
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run through who we've got. First up is Frank Castle,
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the Punisher. Frank is still in the middle of his
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war against Wilson Fisk. And at this point, things have
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gotten very personal. He's been attacking the Kingpin's operation from
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multiple angles, and he is absolutely committed to seeing this
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conflict through. Alongside him is Microchip, Frank's longtime technical support
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and strategist. Micro handles the computers, communications, planning, and a
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lot of the logistical work behind Frank's operations. He is
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fully committed to helping Frank, but he is also one
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of the few people willing to question him when he
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thinks Frank might be pushing things too far. We also
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have Vernon, the former school teacher who has gotten pulled
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into Frank's world over the last few issues. Vernon has
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proven that he can handle himself, but he does not
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share Frank's willingness to cross every line. He brings a
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much more ordinary perspective into the group and often serves
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as a moral.
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Counterbalance to Frank. On the other side is Wilson Fisk,
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the kingpin.
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Fisk is one of the most powerful crime bosses in
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New York, and at this point, easily the biggest opponent
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Frank has faced in the series. He has the money,
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the manpower, the influence, and the physical strength to make
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him a completely different kind of threat for the Punisher.
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Working for Fisk is Mr. Wong, one of the Kingpin's
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trusted financial men. Wong has been helping Fisk keep his
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operation running during Frank and Microtrip's financial attacks.
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Alongside him is his young nephew, George.
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George has been brought into Fisk's organization and has already
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shown that he is a lot more dangerous than his
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age might suggest. And finally, we have the Board. the
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young computer expert who has been working for the Kingpin.
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The board has played a major role in the technological
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side of this conflict, but his relationship with Fisk has
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become increasingly uneasy. So those are the main players as
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we head into Face Off, with Frank Castle and Wilson
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Fisk finally moving closer and closer to a direct confrontation.
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Issue number 18, Face Off, picks up directly after the
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The financial war Frank Castle and Microchip have been waging
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against the Kingpin. The issue opens with the board, the
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young computer genius working for Wilson Fisk quietly reaching out
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to Frank and Microchip. Using a modem connected through a payphone,
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he proposes a meeting, claiming that the two sides now
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have a mutual interest. Microchip immediately realizes the board is scared.
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He believes the kid is trying to protect himself by
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keeping information on both the Kingpin and the Punisher that
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could be released if anything happens to him. Microchip arranges
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a meeting in Central Park, with Vernon positioned nearby on
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a rooftop as backup. Because the board has never seen
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Micro before, he handles the face-to-face meeting while Frank monitors
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everything from a distance. The board tells Microchip that the
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Kingpin has barricaded himself inside his tower with an enormous
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amount of cash, somewhere around $ 200 million. He also reveals
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that the building's security system can be disrupted using a
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laser turned to the correct wavelength. The information could give
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Frank and Micro the.
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Opening they need to finally get inside.
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But before the board can complete the deal, another kid
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on a skateboard approaches. It turns out to be George, Mr.
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Wong's nephew.
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As he passes by, George pulls a knife and slashes
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the board's throat, killing him before he can reveal everything
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he knows. Vernon has a clear shot at George and
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Frank immediately orders him to fire, but Vernon refuses. Whatever
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he has agreed to do with Frank, he is not
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willing to shoot a kid. That creates some serious tension
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back at their hotel. Frank believes Vernon failed the job
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he was assigned, while Vernon reminds Frank that he is
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not a cold-blooded killer. Microchip tries to keep the peace,
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but Frank remains focused on one thing. Killing Wilson Fisk. Meanwhile,
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inside the Kingpin's tower, Fisk congratulates Mr. Wong and George
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for keeping his finances under control and preventing the board
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from betraying him. The Kingpin is convinced his tower is secure.
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Its security system is completely self-contained, and he believes not
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even the Punisher can break through it. Frank and Microchip, though,
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decide to prove him wrong. Microchip programs a laser to
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cycle through different wavelengths until it can disable the building's
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cameras and the two hijack a helicopter that is scheduled
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to land on the Kingpin's roof. Vernon is told his
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part of the operation is finished, but he secretly decides
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to enter the building anyway, posing as an elevator repairman
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before climbing through the elevator shaft. Frank and Micro arrive
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on the roof in full assault mode. The Kingpin sees
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Frank on the security cameras moments before Frank disables them
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with the laser. From there, Frank and Micro fight their
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way down through the building, taking out Fisk's armed men,
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and eventually blasting through the floor above the room where
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the Kingpin, Mr. Wong, and George are counting the money.
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Microchip then fills the room with knockout gas. Mr. Wong
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and George go down, but the Kingpin? He manages to
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grab a gas mask.
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Then.
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The real fight begins. The Kingpin reaches through the damaged ceiling,
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grabs Microchip, drags him into the room below, and uses
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him as leverage to force Frank to come down and
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face him. Frank drops into the room carrying an Uzi,
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but Fisk orders him to drop the weapon. Frank complies
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because the Kingpin is holding Microchip by the throat. The
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Kingpin immediately starts taunting him. He tells Frank that he's
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lost his edge. He cares too much. He reminds him
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of everyone he's lost.
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His wife's.
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His children, even Conchita. That is enough to make Frank snap.
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Frank pulls a knife and attacks, but the kingpin is
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faster and stronger than Frank expects. The two begin fighting hand-to-hand,
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with Frank using knives, elbows, headbutts, and anything else he
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can manage, while Fisk simply absorbs most of the punishment.
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The kingpin completely overpowers him. He tells Frank, he's like
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a terrier chasing a lion, and asks, what does the
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terrier intend to do once it finally catches that lion?
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According to Fisk, the answer is simple.
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It dies.
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The kingpin gets Frank into a position where it looks
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like he may actually break his back, and that is
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when Vernon arrives. Vernon opens fire and forces Fisk to stop.
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The kingpin grabs Frank by the throat and warns Vernon
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that if he shoots, Frank dies. Vernon points out that
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Fisk is probably going to kill Frank anyway. Instead, the
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vernon offers him a deal let frank go they all
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walk away otherwise fisk goes down in a blaze of
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gunfire the kingpin accepts frank immediately orders vernon to shoot
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him anyway vernon refuses that was not the deal Frank
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is furious, but Microchip sides with Vernon. Micro reminds Frank
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that the fighting already taking place over the Kingpin's empire
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is hurting innocent people, and if Fisk dies, the resulting gang.
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War could even be worse.
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Women, children, and people completely removed from the criminal world
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could end up caught in the crossfire. Reluctantly, Frank agrees.
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The Kingpin gives them 24 hours of truce, and Frank...
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Microchip and Vernon escape in the helicopter. As they fly away,
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Frank admits that Microchip was right. He then gives Vernon
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one final choice.
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Is he in, or is he out?
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Vernon has decided he has pressed his luck far enough.
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He tells Frank that he's out, and that maybe he
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will go back to teaching, so long as he can
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find a school that's willing to take him. And with that,
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the three of them fly away from the Kingpin's Tower.
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Frank Castle finally got the face-to-face confrontation he wanted with
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Wilson Fiske.
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He just didn't get the ending he wanted. So how
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did I feel about this issue? Well, let's talk about
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it here.
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Overall, I mean, I've got some mixed feelings about Punisher
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issue 18 here.
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You know, this is this conclusion to.
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This four-issue Kingpin storyline. It's either four or five issues,
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I can't remember. But, you know, I really don't think
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this story stretched.
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On too long.
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The amount of issues feels about right for what Mike
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Barron was doing here. My problem, though... is more with
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how the story ends, because I'm not sure this thing
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really stuck the landing for me. There are definitely things
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in this issue I liked. Right off the bat, I
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like the way Frank talks about Conchita in his war journal.
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He says he has no intention of analyzing their relationship,
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and that whoever eventually finds these journals can do that themselves.
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That makes sense.
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This is not Frank Castle sitting down and writing in
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his diary about his feelings.
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This is his war journal.
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He is documenting the mission and the battles. Whatever he
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felt about Conchita, I think Frank considers that very private.
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That's something for him to deal with himself, and he
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is not going to put the emotional analysis down on
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paper for somebody else to read later. I thought that
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that felt very much like Frank. I also bought the board,
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finally turning on the kingpin. We could already see that
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he was souring on the situation. Once George started coming
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into the picture, the board could probably see the writing
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on the wall. He realizes that working for the Kingpin
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is becoming more dangerous by the minute, so he tries
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to make a deal with Frank and Microchip.
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Of course, George gets to him first.
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I figured those two were eventually going to have some
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type of confrontation, although I thought it would be a
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little more drawn out. Instead, George just rolls into Central
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Park on his skateboard and slashes the board's throat. It's abrupt,
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but this is also the final issue of the storyline,
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so you've got to start wrapping up some of these
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plot threads. That leads me into one of the more
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interesting things about the issue, which is Vernon refusing to
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shoot George.
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That's a tough one for me. I understand Vernon's point
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of view. He's a school teacher.
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And looking through that scope at what is basically a kid,
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probably around 14 years old, and Frank is telling him
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to pull the trigger, I can see why Vernon freezes.
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At the same time, that kid just murdered somebody. So
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I also understand Frank looking at Vernon and saying.
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What are you doing? You had everything. one job.
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George made the decision to kill somebody, and he's obviously dangerous. Now,
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maybe Vernon didn't have to shoot him in the head
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and kill him. Maybe he could have shot him in
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the leg or tried to incapacitate him somehow. But I
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don't think simply saying he's a kid completely resolves the
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situation either. And I think that is one of the
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things Vernon adds to the story.
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I do like Vernon. I wasn't ready to see him
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go or I didn't want him to leave or anything
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like that.
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He gives us this kind of opposite to Frank, or
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a moral counterweight, I think is what we called it
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for Frank here. Instead of every problem being answered with
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Frank Castle saying, okay, kill him, Vernon is constantly making
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Frank and us think about what happens after you pull
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the trigger.
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Micro does the same thing in this issue.
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Micro keeps warning Frank that if he kills the Kingpin,
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somebody has to fill that vacuum. You're going to have
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five or six people fighting over Fisk's empire, and innocent
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people are going to get caught in the middle of it.
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Micro's still with him, Vernon is still with him, they're
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participating in Frank's war, they haven't walked away. They're just
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trying to make him think the situation through. And considering
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that Conchita just died, I think Micro realizes that Frank
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is emotionally invested in taking Fisk down, and is trying
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to make sure he isn't allowing that anger to really
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control the entire mission. I don't necessarily think Frank acts
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irrationally throughout the issue, There isn't some big moment where
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I can point to Frank and say, there, that was
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a stupid decision he made because he was upset about Conchita.
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Frank wants to finish what he started. That makes sense, right?
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00:15:22.279 --> 00:15:24.299
He's not going to get this far into a war
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with the Kingpin and suddenly say, well, maybe we shouldn't
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do this. So I was fine with Frank continuing the mission.
289
00:15:31.789 --> 00:15:35.730
And I enjoyed the actual assault on the Kingpin's tower. Again,
290
00:15:35.750 --> 00:15:39.110
this thing feels like an 80s action movie or a
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00:15:39.149 --> 00:15:43.759
Mission Impossible sequence. You've got Frank and Microchip hijacking the helicopter.
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00:15:44.340 --> 00:15:47.740
You've got the laser designed to knock out Fisk's security system.
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Vernon pretending to be an elevator repairman and climbing through
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the elevator shaft. Then Frank and Micro come down from
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the roof.
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Guns blazing. All worked for me.
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Now one strange moment though is Microchip during the helicopter takeover...
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So get this, I mean, it actually looks like Micro
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00:16:05.490 --> 00:16:08.580
kills one guy. He grabs this guy from behind, and
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it looks like he slashes his throat. He turns around
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and uses some type of sedative on the other people.
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So I'm sitting there thinking, like, why didn't you sedate
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the first guy? Maybe the situation forced Micro to kill him.
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Maybe I'm reading the artwork wrong.
305
00:16:23.769 --> 00:16:26.129
Mike Barron may have wrote something slightly different, and Will
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00:16:26.149 --> 00:16:28.750
Sportacio just made it look more violent.
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I don't know.
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But it was strange seeing Microchip apparently kill somebody and
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then immediately turn around and just knock everybody else out.
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Non-lethally. And then we finally get what the title promises. Face-off.
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Frank Castle and Wilson Fisk finally get into the same room.
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00:16:46.259 --> 00:16:50.519
And the confrontation itself, I liked it. The resolution, though,
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00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:54.679
that's where I've got a problem. The fight itself works.
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Kingpin looks enormous in this book.
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He absolutely dwarfs Frank Castle.
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And Frank's not a small guy.
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00:17:00.649 --> 00:17:03.490
Even on the cover, Fisk has his hand coming around
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00:17:03.590 --> 00:17:08.359
Frank's throat, and his fingers almost completely wrap around his neck.
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00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:11.759
So when those two finally start fighting, I completely buy
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00:17:11.779 --> 00:17:13.980
that the Kingpin can physically overpower Frank.
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00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:15.779
He feels dangerous.
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This is the biggest threat that Frank has encountered in
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00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:22.109
the series so far. And I like how Fisk kind
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of gets into Frank's head. He starts talking about Maria
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and the children. brings up Conchita, and that's the line
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that finally snaps Frank.
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And he attacks.
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00:17:32.940 --> 00:17:35.240
And I think that works, because if Frank just stood
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00:17:35.279 --> 00:17:38.859
there while Fisk talked about Conchita, I don't think that
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00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:42.660
would have felt right. Fisk deliberately pushes him until he
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00:17:42.700 --> 00:17:46.460
gets the reaction he wants. And from there, Baron really
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00:17:46.500 --> 00:17:49.759
lets the artwork carry the fight. Frank pulls knives, he
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00:17:49.819 --> 00:17:53.420
headbutts him, he elbows him, he kicks him, he tries everything.
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00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:56.829
And that's where we get to something important about this
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00:17:56.890 --> 00:18:01.869
entire storyline. Frank loses. I mean, I don't think there's
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00:18:01.910 --> 00:18:04.390
any way around it. If Vernon does not show up,
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I think the kingpin kills him. This is not Frank
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00:18:08.150 --> 00:18:11.130
going 12 rounds with Fisk and walking away saying, hey,
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00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:13.339
we fought to a draw. No.
340
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No.
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Frank lost this confrontation. And I actually don't really have
342
00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:23.079
too much of a problem with that. Eventually, Frank Castle
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00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:25.069
was going to run into somebody who could beat him.
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00:18:25.819 --> 00:18:27.559
And if there is somebody who makes sense doing that,
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Wilson Fisk is a pretty good choice. My problem comes
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after Vernon saves him. Vernon gets to Kingpin to let
347
00:18:36.190 --> 00:18:39.029
Frank go, and then Frank immediately tells Vernon to shoot him.
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00:18:39.650 --> 00:18:42.789
Vernon refuses. He says, that wasn't a deal.
349
00:18:42.809 --> 00:18:46.960
And strangely enough, I'm actually on Vernon's side there, I guess.
350
00:18:47.259 --> 00:18:50.480
Not necessarily because I think Kingpin deserves the benefit of
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00:18:50.539 --> 00:18:54.319
an honorable agreement. My reason is that if Wilson Fisk
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is going down in the story... Frank Castle needs to
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00:18:57.150 --> 00:19:01.049
be the one who does it. That confrontation belongs to Frank.
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00:19:01.849 --> 00:19:04.309
Vernon showing up and shooting the Kingpin dead would not
355
00:19:04.329 --> 00:19:07.869
have been a satisfying ending either. But then Microchip steps in.
356
00:19:08.710 --> 00:19:11.680
He reminds Frank that if Fisk dies, you're going to
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00:19:11.740 --> 00:19:14.960
have a massive gang war. Innocent people are going to
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00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:18.859
get killed, and Frank basically goes, okay, and then leaves.
359
00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:21.259
Now that's where the story sort.
360
00:19:21.099 --> 00:19:23.079
Of loses me. I just didn't buy it. I mean.
361
00:19:23.720 --> 00:19:26.329
Frank has spent four issues going after this man, at
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00:19:26.349 --> 00:19:32.849
least four. Conchita's dead, McDowell's dead, the board just got murdered.
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00:19:33.529 --> 00:19:36.089
Frank has spent all of this time tearing apart the
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00:19:36.130 --> 00:19:40.900
Kingpin's organization, attacking him financially, and now he is standing
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00:19:40.920 --> 00:19:44.680
in the same room with Wilson Fisk. And Microchip says
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there might be consequences if Fisk dies, and Frank basically
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00:19:48.819 --> 00:19:49.599
agrees to leave.
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00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:53.140
Well, that happened way too quickly for me.
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00:19:53.160 --> 00:19:58.630
And, I mean, look, I understand the real-world problem Mike
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00:19:58.670 --> 00:19:59.470
Barron has here.
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00:19:59.970 --> 00:20:01.569
You cannot kill the Kingpin.
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00:20:02.069 --> 00:20:06.250
I was never expecting Wilson Fisk to die in The
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00:20:06.309 --> 00:20:09.990
Punisher number 18. But there were other ways to handle this.
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00:20:10.880 --> 00:20:13.359
You could have Frank almost kill him and Fisk escapes.
375
00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:17.740
Have the kingpin get badly beaten and somehow get away.
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00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:21.099
Have Frank get seriously injured and be forced to retreat.
377
00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:24.160
Give me something where Frank still wants to finish the job,
378
00:20:24.619 --> 00:20:30.170
but circumstances prevent him from doing it. Instead, he just,
379
00:20:30.390 --> 00:20:33.369
you know, Frank just chooses to walk away? I mean,
380
00:20:33.390 --> 00:20:34.150
that's strange.
381
00:20:34.190 --> 00:20:37.910
It just feels weird. The argument about the power vacuum...
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00:20:38.140 --> 00:20:41.119
really creates a larger problem for me though.
383
00:20:41.890 --> 00:20:44.630
Because if Frank accepts that argument here, then how does
384
00:20:44.670 --> 00:20:48.210
the Punisher continue doing what he does? Yes, Wilson Fisk
385
00:20:48.289 --> 00:20:51.549
controls a massive criminal empire. If he dies, there will
386
00:20:51.589 --> 00:20:55.579
be people fighting over it. But isn't that true on
387
00:20:55.619 --> 00:20:58.599
a smaller scale every time Frank takes out somebody running
388
00:20:58.640 --> 00:21:02.180
a criminal organization? Somebody else is eventually going to take
389
00:21:02.220 --> 00:21:04.940
that territory. Somebody else is going to take that business.
390
00:21:05.529 --> 00:21:08.190
So if the argument is, we can't kill this criminal
391
00:21:08.230 --> 00:21:11.829
because somebody worse might take his place, where does that
392
00:21:11.910 --> 00:21:16.170
leave Frank's entire war? How does that argument work today,
393
00:21:16.250 --> 00:21:20.539
but not tomorrow? That's the part that frustrates me. Maybe
394
00:21:20.599 --> 00:21:23.700
Mike Barron deals with that later. Maybe this becomes something
395
00:21:23.799 --> 00:21:27.000
Frank has to wrestle with. But standing here at the
396
00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:32.259
end of issue 18, I don't think the logic completely works. Now,
397
00:21:32.319 --> 00:21:34.880
I will absolutely give Mike Barron credit for the kingpin here.
398
00:21:35.700 --> 00:21:38.319
He does feel like a legitimate Punisher villain in this story.
399
00:21:38.740 --> 00:21:41.180
He does not feel like Daredevil's villain showing up for
400
00:21:41.220 --> 00:21:45.180
a guest appearance. This feels like the biggest threat Frank
401
00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:49.509
has encountered so far in this book. Frank hurts him.
402
00:21:50.420 --> 00:21:55.549
He damages his finances, disrupts his organization. He definitely gets
403
00:21:55.710 --> 00:21:58.430
Fisk's attention. But when they finally meet face to face,
404
00:21:58.470 --> 00:22:00.430
we find out that Frank may have been in over
405
00:22:00.470 --> 00:22:03.109
his head. And the best comparison I can come up
406
00:22:03.170 --> 00:22:07.289
with is professional wrestling. You've got your huge baby face
407
00:22:07.329 --> 00:22:09.809
in Frank Castle, right? And then you've got your monster
408
00:22:09.869 --> 00:22:14.279
heel in Wilson Fisk. These are two major characters that
409
00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:17.420
editorial probably does not want looking weak.
410
00:22:18.200 --> 00:22:19.039
So they get into the ring.
411
00:22:19.579 --> 00:22:21.599
They have their main event match, and somehow you've got
412
00:22:21.619 --> 00:22:24.609
to get both guys out of there without damaging either
413
00:22:24.920 --> 00:22:29.990
one too badly. And I feel like that's what happened here. Except,
414
00:22:30.450 --> 00:22:32.990
I think Frank loses more face than the Kingpin does.
415
00:22:33.829 --> 00:22:36.369
Kingpin walks away looking every bit as dangerous as he
416
00:22:36.390 --> 00:22:39.700
did coming into the fight. Frank walks away because Vernon
417
00:22:39.740 --> 00:22:43.619
saves him, Microchip talks him down, and ultimately, he leaves
418
00:22:43.660 --> 00:22:47.240
the Kingpin standing. So if this were a wrestling match,
419
00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:50.519
Fisk is definitely coming out of this one looking stronger.
420
00:22:51.259 --> 00:22:55.559
Maybe that was intentional. Maybe this entire storyline is an
421
00:22:55.660 --> 00:22:58.009
act one in a much larger Punisher vs.
422
00:22:58.069 --> 00:22:59.029
Kingpin rivalry.
423
00:22:59.589 --> 00:23:01.769
And if that's the case, I'm still interested to see
424
00:23:01.789 --> 00:23:04.960
where it goes. But judging Face Off strictly as the
425
00:23:05.019 --> 00:23:09.700
conclusion of this particular storyline, I don't think it completely delivers.
426
00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:12.279
The confrontation itself was great.
427
00:23:12.980 --> 00:23:15.299
The kingpin? Very good.
428
00:23:16.440 --> 00:23:19.299
Ferdinand Microchip adding another perspective to Frank's war.
429
00:23:19.680 --> 00:23:24.720
I like that. The assault on Fist Tower? Fun. But
430
00:23:24.740 --> 00:23:26.599
the ending? That's where I struggle.
431
00:23:27.660 --> 00:23:30.740
I wanted some kind of definitive ending to the confrontation,
432
00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:33.559
even if Frank didn't win. Instead, we basically get a
433
00:23:33.579 --> 00:23:37.519
stalemate where everybody agrees to walk away. And after all
434
00:23:37.579 --> 00:23:40.529
these issues building toward Frank Castle finally getting his hand
435
00:23:40.549 --> 00:23:46.250
on Wilson Fisk, that just wasn't quite the payoff that
436
00:23:46.309 --> 00:23:47.009
I was hoping for.
1
00:00:02.450 --> 00:00:03.549
Okay, we are about to get into the 18th issue
2
00:00:03.589 --> 00:00:05.240
of The Punisher here. And before I get into that,
3
00:00:05.250 --> 00:00:06.839
I want to talk a little bit about the creative team.
4
00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:08.080
This is kind of an end of an.
5
00:00:08.060 --> 00:00:08.939
Era for the book.
6
00:00:28.489 --> 00:00:30.550
Mike Barron is still going to be sticking around as writer,
7
00:00:30.670 --> 00:00:33.549
and Ken Bruzenak and John Wellington will continue on lettering
8
00:00:33.649 --> 00:00:36.310
and colors. But this is the last issue of this
9
00:00:36.390 --> 00:00:40.030
run for Wills Portacio and Scott Williams. Portacio came on
10
00:00:40.049 --> 00:00:42.270
to The Punisher with issue number 8, and from there,
11
00:00:42.850 --> 00:00:44.909
he had a pretty consistent run all the way through
12
00:00:45.170 --> 00:00:49.329
this issue, number 18. So this is really the end
13
00:00:49.630 --> 00:00:53.450
of his stretch on the title. And what's interesting is
14
00:00:53.490 --> 00:00:56.920
that after leaving The Punisher... Portacio actually has a pretty
15
00:00:56.960 --> 00:01:01.140
light year in 1989. He pencils Power Pack number 46,
16
00:01:01.140 --> 00:01:03.700
which comes out in January of 89.
17
00:01:03.700 --> 00:01:05.379
He contributes to What The?
18
00:01:05.579 --> 00:01:08.340
Number 5 in March. And then he does some work
19
00:01:08.599 --> 00:01:11.760
in Daredevil Annual number 5 in May. And that's really
20
00:01:11.799 --> 00:01:14.640
about it for him as far as regular comic work goes.
21
00:01:15.510 --> 00:01:17.629
So it is kind of interesting looking at this in hindsight.
22
00:01:17.670 --> 00:01:20.189
We know Wills is going to become a much bigger
23
00:01:20.209 --> 00:01:23.150
name in comics, especially once we get into the early
24
00:01:23.170 --> 00:01:28.180
1990s or the mid-1990s. but immediately after leaving the Punisher,
25
00:01:28.340 --> 00:01:29.560
there really is not this.
26
00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:31.239
Huge explosion of work from him right away.
27
00:01:32.659 --> 00:01:34.879
Scott Williams, on the other hand, he stays a little
28
00:01:34.900 --> 00:01:38.540
closer to Frank Castle. He continues working on Punisher-related books,
29
00:01:38.599 --> 00:01:42.780
including Punisher War Journal, and he also returns to the
30
00:01:42.810 --> 00:01:46.689
main Punisher title for issues 21 through 24. He inks
31
00:01:46.750 --> 00:01:50.269
Punisher War Journal numbers 4 and 5, contributes to Punisher
32
00:01:50.329 --> 00:01:54.329
Annual number 2, which includes the Punisher's Fighting Techniques material,
33
00:01:55.060 --> 00:01:58.060
and later works on Punisher War Journal number 10. And
34
00:01:58.099 --> 00:02:02.480
then there is one especially interesting issue in 1989. Scott
35
00:02:02.500 --> 00:02:06.840
Williams inks What If number 7. What if Wolverine was
36
00:02:06.859 --> 00:02:11.030
an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.? That issue is written by Jim Valentino,
37
00:02:11.849 --> 00:02:16.449
penciled by Rob Liefeld, and inked by Scott Williams. And
38
00:02:16.530 --> 00:02:19.069
looking at those names now, knowing where comics are going
39
00:02:19.110 --> 00:02:21.629
to go in just a few years, that's a pretty
40
00:02:21.669 --> 00:02:25.229
interesting creative team. And it's cool to see them in
41
00:02:25.330 --> 00:02:27.530
one place here in that one what-if issue.
42
00:02:28.289 --> 00:02:30.789
Then later in 1989, Williams begins.
43
00:02:30.449 --> 00:02:32.270
What is going to become one of the most important
44
00:02:32.330 --> 00:02:36.699
artistic partnerships of his career. He starts working on Uncanny
45
00:02:36.819 --> 00:02:41.020
X-Men with Jim Lee, beginning with issue 256 in October
46
00:02:41.039 --> 00:02:44.539
of 1989. And of course, that Jim Lee and Scott
47
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Williams combination is going to become one of the defining
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art teams of the early 1990s. So with Punisher number 18,
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we are essentially saying goodbye to the Portacio-Williams era of
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the main title. They helped establish a really distinct visual
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identity for this book over the last 11 issues or so,
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particularly with the action sequences and the physicality of Frank
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Castle's world.
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So real quick, our creative team on the book, I
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know we mentioned them before, but the.
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Title of this story is Face Off, written by Mike Barron,
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penciled by Wills Portacio, inked by Scott Williams. lettered by
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Kenneth Bruzenak and colored by John Wellington. This issue was
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on sale on the shelves December 20th, 1988. All right,
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let's recap our characters here, just in case it's been
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a while. Before we get into the story, let's quickly
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run through who we've got. First up is Frank Castle,
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the Punisher. Frank is still in the middle of his
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war against Wilson Fisk. And at this point, things have
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gotten very personal. He's been attacking the Kingpin's operation from
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multiple angles, and he is absolutely committed to seeing this
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conflict through. Alongside him is Microchip, Frank's longtime technical support
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00:03:58.150 --> 00:04:02.289
and strategist. Micro handles the computers, communications, planning, and a
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lot of the logistical work behind Frank's operations. He is
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fully committed to helping Frank, but he is also one
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of the few people willing to question him when he
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thinks Frank might be pushing things too far. We also
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have Vernon, the former school teacher who has gotten pulled
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into Frank's world over the last few issues. Vernon has
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proven that he can handle himself, but he does not
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share Frank's willingness to cross every line. He brings a
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much more ordinary perspective into the group and often serves
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as a moral.
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Counterbalance to Frank. On the other side is Wilson Fisk,
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the kingpin.
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Fisk is one of the most powerful crime bosses in
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New York, and at this point, easily the biggest opponent
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Frank has faced in the series. He has the money,
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the manpower, the influence, and the physical strength to make
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him a completely different kind of threat for the Punisher.
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Working for Fisk is Mr. Wong, one of the Kingpin's
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trusted financial men. Wong has been helping Fisk keep his
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operation running during Frank and Microtrip's financial attacks.
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00:05:01.579 --> 00:05:03.500
Alongside him is his young nephew, George.
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George has been brought into Fisk's organization and has already
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shown that he is a lot more dangerous than his
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age might suggest. And finally, we have the Board. the
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young computer expert who has been working for the Kingpin.
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The board has played a major role in the technological
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side of this conflict, but his relationship with Fisk has
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become increasingly uneasy. So those are the main players as
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we head into Face Off, with Frank Castle and Wilson
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Fisk finally moving closer and closer to a direct confrontation.
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Issue number 18, Face Off, picks up directly after the
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The financial war Frank Castle and Microchip have been waging
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against the Kingpin. The issue opens with the board, the
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young computer genius working for Wilson Fisk quietly reaching out
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to Frank and Microchip. Using a modem connected through a payphone,
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he proposes a meeting, claiming that the two sides now
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have a mutual interest. Microchip immediately realizes the board is scared.
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He believes the kid is trying to protect himself by
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keeping information on both the Kingpin and the Punisher that
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could be released if anything happens to him. Microchip arranges
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a meeting in Central Park, with Vernon positioned nearby on
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a rooftop as backup. Because the board has never seen
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Micro before, he handles the face-to-face meeting while Frank monitors
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everything from a distance. The board tells Microchip that the
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Kingpin has barricaded himself inside his tower with an enormous
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amount of cash, somewhere around $ 200 million. He also reveals
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that the building's security system can be disrupted using a
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laser turned to the correct wavelength. The information could give
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Frank and Micro the.
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Opening they need to finally get inside.
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But before the board can complete the deal, another kid
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on a skateboard approaches. It turns out to be George, Mr.
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Wong's nephew.
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As he passes by, George pulls a knife and slashes
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the board's throat, killing him before he can reveal everything
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he knows. Vernon has a clear shot at George and
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Frank immediately orders him to fire, but Vernon refuses. Whatever
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he has agreed to do with Frank, he is not
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willing to shoot a kid. That creates some serious tension
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back at their hotel. Frank believes Vernon failed the job
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he was assigned, while Vernon reminds Frank that he is
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not a cold-blooded killer. Microchip tries to keep the peace,
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but Frank remains focused on one thing. Killing Wilson Fisk. Meanwhile,
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inside the Kingpin's tower, Fisk congratulates Mr. Wong and George
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for keeping his finances under control and preventing the board
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from betraying him. The Kingpin is convinced his tower is secure.
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Its security system is completely self-contained, and he believes not
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even the Punisher can break through it. Frank and Microchip, though,
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decide to prove him wrong. Microchip programs a laser to
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cycle through different wavelengths until it can disable the building's
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cameras and the two hijack a helicopter that is scheduled
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to land on the Kingpin's roof. Vernon is told his
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part of the operation is finished, but he secretly decides
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to enter the building anyway, posing as an elevator repairman
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before climbing through the elevator shaft. Frank and Micro arrive
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on the roof in full assault mode. The Kingpin sees
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Frank on the security cameras moments before Frank disables them
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with the laser. From there, Frank and Micro fight their
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way down through the building, taking out Fisk's armed men,
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and eventually blasting through the floor above the room where
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the Kingpin, Mr. Wong, and George are counting the money.
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Microchip then fills the room with knockout gas. Mr. Wong
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and George go down, but the Kingpin? He manages to
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grab a gas mask.
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Then.
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The real fight begins. The Kingpin reaches through the damaged ceiling,
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grabs Microchip, drags him into the room below, and uses
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him as leverage to force Frank to come down and
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face him. Frank drops into the room carrying an Uzi,
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but Fisk orders him to drop the weapon. Frank complies
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because the Kingpin is holding Microchip by the throat. The
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Kingpin immediately starts taunting him. He tells Frank that he's
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lost his edge. He cares too much. He reminds him
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of everyone he's lost.
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His wife's.
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His children, even Conchita. That is enough to make Frank snap.
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Frank pulls a knife and attacks, but the kingpin is
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faster and stronger than Frank expects. The two begin fighting hand-to-hand,
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with Frank using knives, elbows, headbutts, and anything else he
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can manage, while Fisk simply absorbs most of the punishment.
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The kingpin completely overpowers him. He tells Frank, he's like
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a terrier chasing a lion, and asks, what does the
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terrier intend to do once it finally catches that lion?
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According to Fisk, the answer is simple.
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It dies.
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The kingpin gets Frank into a position where it looks
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like he may actually break his back, and that is
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when Vernon arrives. Vernon opens fire and forces Fisk to stop.
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The kingpin grabs Frank by the throat and warns Vernon
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that if he shoots, Frank dies. Vernon points out that
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Fisk is probably going to kill Frank anyway. Instead, the
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vernon offers him a deal let frank go they all
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walk away otherwise fisk goes down in a blaze of
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gunfire the kingpin accepts frank immediately orders vernon to shoot
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him anyway vernon refuses that was not the deal Frank
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is furious, but Microchip sides with Vernon. Micro reminds Frank
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that the fighting already taking place over the Kingpin's empire
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is hurting innocent people, and if Fisk dies, the resulting gang.
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War could even be worse.
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Women, children, and people completely removed from the criminal world
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could end up caught in the crossfire. Reluctantly, Frank agrees.
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The Kingpin gives them 24 hours of truce, and Frank...
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Microchip and Vernon escape in the helicopter. As they fly away,
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Frank admits that Microchip was right. He then gives Vernon
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one final choice.
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Is he in, or is he out?
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Vernon has decided he has pressed his luck far enough.
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He tells Frank that he's out, and that maybe he
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will go back to teaching, so long as he can
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find a school that's willing to take him. And with that,
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the three of them fly away from the Kingpin's Tower.
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Frank Castle finally got the face-to-face confrontation he wanted with
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Wilson Fiske.
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He just didn't get the ending he wanted. So how
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did I feel about this issue? Well, let's talk about
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it here.
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Overall, I mean, I've got some mixed feelings about Punisher
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issue 18 here.
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You know, this is this conclusion to.
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This four-issue Kingpin storyline. It's either four or five issues,
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I can't remember. But, you know, I really don't think
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this story stretched.
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On too long.
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The amount of issues feels about right for what Mike
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Barron was doing here. My problem, though... is more with
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how the story ends, because I'm not sure this thing
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really stuck the landing for me. There are definitely things
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in this issue I liked. Right off the bat, I
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like the way Frank talks about Conchita in his war journal.
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He says he has no intention of analyzing their relationship,
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and that whoever eventually finds these journals can do that themselves.
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That makes sense.
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This is not Frank Castle sitting down and writing in
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his diary about his feelings.
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This is his war journal.
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He is documenting the mission and the battles. Whatever he
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felt about Conchita, I think Frank considers that very private.
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That's something for him to deal with himself, and he
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is not going to put the emotional analysis down on
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paper for somebody else to read later. I thought that
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that felt very much like Frank. I also bought the board,
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finally turning on the kingpin. We could already see that
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he was souring on the situation. Once George started coming
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into the picture, the board could probably see the writing
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on the wall. He realizes that working for the Kingpin
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is becoming more dangerous by the minute, so he tries
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to make a deal with Frank and Microchip.
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Of course, George gets to him first.
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I figured those two were eventually going to have some
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type of confrontation, although I thought it would be a
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little more drawn out. Instead, George just rolls into Central
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Park on his skateboard and slashes the board's throat. It's abrupt,
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but this is also the final issue of the storyline,
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so you've got to start wrapping up some of these
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plot threads. That leads me into one of the more
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interesting things about the issue, which is Vernon refusing to
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shoot George.
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That's a tough one for me. I understand Vernon's point
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of view. He's a school teacher.
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And looking through that scope at what is basically a kid,
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probably around 14 years old, and Frank is telling him
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to pull the trigger, I can see why Vernon freezes.
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At the same time, that kid just murdered somebody. So
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I also understand Frank looking at Vernon and saying.
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What are you doing? You had everything. one job.
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George made the decision to kill somebody, and he's obviously dangerous. Now,
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maybe Vernon didn't have to shoot him in the head
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and kill him. Maybe he could have shot him in
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the leg or tried to incapacitate him somehow. But I
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don't think simply saying he's a kid completely resolves the
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situation either. And I think that is one of the
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things Vernon adds to the story.
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I do like Vernon. I wasn't ready to see him
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go or I didn't want him to leave or anything
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like that.
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He gives us this kind of opposite to Frank, or
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a moral counterweight, I think is what we called it
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for Frank here. Instead of every problem being answered with
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Frank Castle saying, okay, kill him, Vernon is constantly making
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Frank and us think about what happens after you pull
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the trigger.
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Micro does the same thing in this issue.
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Micro keeps warning Frank that if he kills the Kingpin,
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somebody has to fill that vacuum. You're going to have
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five or six people fighting over Fisk's empire, and innocent
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people are going to get caught in the middle of it.
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Micro's still with him, Vernon is still with him, they're
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participating in Frank's war, they haven't walked away. They're just
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trying to make him think the situation through. And considering
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that Conchita just died, I think Micro realizes that Frank
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is emotionally invested in taking Fisk down, and is trying
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to make sure he isn't allowing that anger to really
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control the entire mission. I don't necessarily think Frank acts
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irrationally throughout the issue, There isn't some big moment where
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I can point to Frank and say, there, that was
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a stupid decision he made because he was upset about Conchita.
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Frank wants to finish what he started. That makes sense, right?
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He's not going to get this far into a war
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with the Kingpin and suddenly say, well, maybe we shouldn't
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00:15:27.250 --> 00:15:30.950
do this. So I was fine with Frank continuing the mission.
289
00:15:31.789 --> 00:15:35.730
And I enjoyed the actual assault on the Kingpin's tower. Again,
290
00:15:35.750 --> 00:15:39.110
this thing feels like an 80s action movie or a
291
00:15:39.149 --> 00:15:43.759
Mission Impossible sequence. You've got Frank and Microchip hijacking the helicopter.
292
00:15:44.340 --> 00:15:47.740
You've got the laser designed to knock out Fisk's security system.
293
00:15:48.580 --> 00:15:51.720
Vernon pretending to be an elevator repairman and climbing through
294
00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:55.070
the elevator shaft. Then Frank and Micro come down from
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00:15:55.090 --> 00:15:55.389
the roof.
296
00:15:55.769 --> 00:15:58.570
Guns blazing. All worked for me.
297
00:15:59.309 --> 00:16:02.850
Now one strange moment though is Microchip during the helicopter takeover...
298
00:16:03.210 --> 00:16:05.450
So get this, I mean, it actually looks like Micro
299
00:16:05.490 --> 00:16:08.580
kills one guy. He grabs this guy from behind, and
300
00:16:08.600 --> 00:16:11.740
it looks like he slashes his throat. He turns around
301
00:16:11.820 --> 00:16:13.960
and uses some type of sedative on the other people.
302
00:16:14.779 --> 00:16:16.919
So I'm sitting there thinking, like, why didn't you sedate
303
00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:21.190
the first guy? Maybe the situation forced Micro to kill him.
304
00:16:21.230 --> 00:16:23.009
Maybe I'm reading the artwork wrong.
305
00:16:23.769 --> 00:16:26.129
Mike Barron may have wrote something slightly different, and Will
306
00:16:26.149 --> 00:16:28.750
Sportacio just made it look more violent.
307
00:16:29.049 --> 00:16:29.549
I don't know.
308
00:16:30.539 --> 00:16:33.190
But it was strange seeing Microchip apparently kill somebody and
309
00:16:33.210 --> 00:16:35.629
then immediately turn around and just knock everybody else out.
310
00:16:36.450 --> 00:16:41.389
Non-lethally. And then we finally get what the title promises. Face-off.
311
00:16:42.220 --> 00:16:45.860
Frank Castle and Wilson Fisk finally get into the same room.
312
00:16:46.259 --> 00:16:50.519
And the confrontation itself, I liked it. The resolution, though,
313
00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:54.679
that's where I've got a problem. The fight itself works.
314
00:16:54.929 --> 00:16:56.870
Kingpin looks enormous in this book.
315
00:16:56.889 --> 00:16:58.850
He absolutely dwarfs Frank Castle.
316
00:16:59.370 --> 00:17:00.629
And Frank's not a small guy.
317
00:17:00.649 --> 00:17:03.490
Even on the cover, Fisk has his hand coming around
318
00:17:03.590 --> 00:17:08.359
Frank's throat, and his fingers almost completely wrap around his neck.
319
00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:11.759
So when those two finally start fighting, I completely buy
320
00:17:11.779 --> 00:17:13.980
that the Kingpin can physically overpower Frank.
321
00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:15.779
He feels dangerous.
322
00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:18.220
This is the biggest threat that Frank has encountered in
323
00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:22.109
the series so far. And I like how Fisk kind
324
00:17:22.130 --> 00:17:24.470
of gets into Frank's head. He starts talking about Maria
325
00:17:24.509 --> 00:17:28.240
and the children. brings up Conchita, and that's the line
326
00:17:28.279 --> 00:17:29.720
that finally snaps Frank.
327
00:17:30.460 --> 00:17:31.099
And he attacks.
328
00:17:32.940 --> 00:17:35.240
And I think that works, because if Frank just stood
329
00:17:35.279 --> 00:17:38.859
there while Fisk talked about Conchita, I don't think that
330
00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:42.660
would have felt right. Fisk deliberately pushes him until he
331
00:17:42.700 --> 00:17:46.460
gets the reaction he wants. And from there, Baron really
332
00:17:46.500 --> 00:17:49.759
lets the artwork carry the fight. Frank pulls knives, he
333
00:17:49.819 --> 00:17:53.420
headbutts him, he elbows him, he kicks him, he tries everything.
334
00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:56.829
And that's where we get to something important about this
335
00:17:56.890 --> 00:18:01.869
entire storyline. Frank loses. I mean, I don't think there's
336
00:18:01.910 --> 00:18:04.390
any way around it. If Vernon does not show up,
337
00:18:05.410 --> 00:18:08.029
I think the kingpin kills him. This is not Frank
338
00:18:08.150 --> 00:18:11.130
going 12 rounds with Fisk and walking away saying, hey,
339
00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:13.339
we fought to a draw. No.
340
00:18:14.460 --> 00:18:14.680
No.
341
00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:19.599
Frank lost this confrontation. And I actually don't really have
342
00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:23.079
too much of a problem with that. Eventually, Frank Castle
343
00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:25.069
was going to run into somebody who could beat him.
344
00:18:25.819 --> 00:18:27.559
And if there is somebody who makes sense doing that,
345
00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:32.670
Wilson Fisk is a pretty good choice. My problem comes
346
00:18:32.910 --> 00:18:36.150
after Vernon saves him. Vernon gets to Kingpin to let
347
00:18:36.190 --> 00:18:39.029
Frank go, and then Frank immediately tells Vernon to shoot him.
348
00:18:39.650 --> 00:18:42.789
Vernon refuses. He says, that wasn't a deal.
349
00:18:42.809 --> 00:18:46.960
And strangely enough, I'm actually on Vernon's side there, I guess.
350
00:18:47.259 --> 00:18:50.480
Not necessarily because I think Kingpin deserves the benefit of
351
00:18:50.539 --> 00:18:54.319
an honorable agreement. My reason is that if Wilson Fisk
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00:18:54.359 --> 00:18:57.109
is going down in the story... Frank Castle needs to
353
00:18:57.150 --> 00:19:01.049
be the one who does it. That confrontation belongs to Frank.
354
00:19:01.849 --> 00:19:04.309
Vernon showing up and shooting the Kingpin dead would not
355
00:19:04.329 --> 00:19:07.869
have been a satisfying ending either. But then Microchip steps in.
356
00:19:08.710 --> 00:19:11.680
He reminds Frank that if Fisk dies, you're going to
357
00:19:11.740 --> 00:19:14.960
have a massive gang war. Innocent people are going to
358
00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:18.859
get killed, and Frank basically goes, okay, and then leaves.
359
00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:21.259
Now that's where the story sort.
360
00:19:21.099 --> 00:19:23.079
Of loses me. I just didn't buy it. I mean.
361
00:19:23.720 --> 00:19:26.329
Frank has spent four issues going after this man, at
362
00:19:26.349 --> 00:19:32.849
least four. Conchita's dead, McDowell's dead, the board just got murdered.
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00:19:33.529 --> 00:19:36.089
Frank has spent all of this time tearing apart the
364
00:19:36.130 --> 00:19:40.900
Kingpin's organization, attacking him financially, and now he is standing
365
00:19:40.920 --> 00:19:44.680
in the same room with Wilson Fisk. And Microchip says
366
00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:48.759
there might be consequences if Fisk dies, and Frank basically
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00:19:48.819 --> 00:19:49.599
agrees to leave.
368
00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:53.140
Well, that happened way too quickly for me.
369
00:19:53.160 --> 00:19:58.630
And, I mean, look, I understand the real-world problem Mike
370
00:19:58.670 --> 00:19:59.470
Barron has here.
371
00:19:59.970 --> 00:20:01.569
You cannot kill the Kingpin.
372
00:20:02.069 --> 00:20:06.250
I was never expecting Wilson Fisk to die in The
373
00:20:06.309 --> 00:20:09.990
Punisher number 18. But there were other ways to handle this.
374
00:20:10.880 --> 00:20:13.359
You could have Frank almost kill him and Fisk escapes.
375
00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:17.740
Have the kingpin get badly beaten and somehow get away.
376
00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:21.099
Have Frank get seriously injured and be forced to retreat.
377
00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:24.160
Give me something where Frank still wants to finish the job,
378
00:20:24.619 --> 00:20:30.170
but circumstances prevent him from doing it. Instead, he just,
379
00:20:30.390 --> 00:20:33.369
you know, Frank just chooses to walk away? I mean,
380
00:20:33.390 --> 00:20:34.150
that's strange.
381
00:20:34.190 --> 00:20:37.910
It just feels weird. The argument about the power vacuum...
382
00:20:38.140 --> 00:20:41.119
really creates a larger problem for me though.
383
00:20:41.890 --> 00:20:44.630
Because if Frank accepts that argument here, then how does
384
00:20:44.670 --> 00:20:48.210
the Punisher continue doing what he does? Yes, Wilson Fisk
385
00:20:48.289 --> 00:20:51.549
controls a massive criminal empire. If he dies, there will
386
00:20:51.589 --> 00:20:55.579
be people fighting over it. But isn't that true on
387
00:20:55.619 --> 00:20:58.599
a smaller scale every time Frank takes out somebody running
388
00:20:58.640 --> 00:21:02.180
a criminal organization? Somebody else is eventually going to take
389
00:21:02.220 --> 00:21:04.940
that territory. Somebody else is going to take that business.
390
00:21:05.529 --> 00:21:08.190
So if the argument is, we can't kill this criminal
391
00:21:08.230 --> 00:21:11.829
because somebody worse might take his place, where does that
392
00:21:11.910 --> 00:21:16.170
leave Frank's entire war? How does that argument work today,
393
00:21:16.250 --> 00:21:20.539
but not tomorrow? That's the part that frustrates me. Maybe
394
00:21:20.599 --> 00:21:23.700
Mike Barron deals with that later. Maybe this becomes something
395
00:21:23.799 --> 00:21:27.000
Frank has to wrestle with. But standing here at the
396
00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:32.259
end of issue 18, I don't think the logic completely works. Now,
397
00:21:32.319 --> 00:21:34.880
I will absolutely give Mike Barron credit for the kingpin here.
398
00:21:35.700 --> 00:21:38.319
He does feel like a legitimate Punisher villain in this story.
399
00:21:38.740 --> 00:21:41.180
He does not feel like Daredevil's villain showing up for
400
00:21:41.220 --> 00:21:45.180
a guest appearance. This feels like the biggest threat Frank
401
00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:49.509
has encountered so far in this book. Frank hurts him.
402
00:21:50.420 --> 00:21:55.549
He damages his finances, disrupts his organization. He definitely gets
403
00:21:55.710 --> 00:21:58.430
Fisk's attention. But when they finally meet face to face,
404
00:21:58.470 --> 00:22:00.430
we find out that Frank may have been in over
405
00:22:00.470 --> 00:22:03.109
his head. And the best comparison I can come up
406
00:22:03.170 --> 00:22:07.289
with is professional wrestling. You've got your huge baby face
407
00:22:07.329 --> 00:22:09.809
in Frank Castle, right? And then you've got your monster
408
00:22:09.869 --> 00:22:14.279
heel in Wilson Fisk. These are two major characters that
409
00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:17.420
editorial probably does not want looking weak.
410
00:22:18.200 --> 00:22:19.039
So they get into the ring.
411
00:22:19.579 --> 00:22:21.599
They have their main event match, and somehow you've got
412
00:22:21.619 --> 00:22:24.609
to get both guys out of there without damaging either
413
00:22:24.920 --> 00:22:29.990
one too badly. And I feel like that's what happened here. Except,
414
00:22:30.450 --> 00:22:32.990
I think Frank loses more face than the Kingpin does.
415
00:22:33.829 --> 00:22:36.369
Kingpin walks away looking every bit as dangerous as he
416
00:22:36.390 --> 00:22:39.700
did coming into the fight. Frank walks away because Vernon
417
00:22:39.740 --> 00:22:43.619
saves him, Microchip talks him down, and ultimately, he leaves
418
00:22:43.660 --> 00:22:47.240
the Kingpin standing. So if this were a wrestling match,
419
00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:50.519
Fisk is definitely coming out of this one looking stronger.
420
00:22:51.259 --> 00:22:55.559
Maybe that was intentional. Maybe this entire storyline is an
421
00:22:55.660 --> 00:22:58.009
act one in a much larger Punisher vs.
422
00:22:58.069 --> 00:22:59.029
Kingpin rivalry.
423
00:22:59.589 --> 00:23:01.769
And if that's the case, I'm still interested to see
424
00:23:01.789 --> 00:23:04.960
where it goes. But judging Face Off strictly as the
425
00:23:05.019 --> 00:23:09.700
conclusion of this particular storyline, I don't think it completely delivers.
426
00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:12.279
The confrontation itself was great.
427
00:23:12.980 --> 00:23:15.299
The kingpin? Very good.
428
00:23:16.440 --> 00:23:19.299
Ferdinand Microchip adding another perspective to Frank's war.
429
00:23:19.680 --> 00:23:24.720
I like that. The assault on Fist Tower? Fun. But
430
00:23:24.740 --> 00:23:26.599
the ending? That's where I struggle.
431
00:23:27.660 --> 00:23:30.740
I wanted some kind of definitive ending to the confrontation,
432
00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:33.559
even if Frank didn't win. Instead, we basically get a
433
00:23:33.579 --> 00:23:37.519
stalemate where everybody agrees to walk away. And after all
434
00:23:37.579 --> 00:23:40.529
these issues building toward Frank Castle finally getting his hand
435
00:23:40.549 --> 00:23:46.250
on Wilson Fisk, that just wasn't quite the payoff that
436
00:23:46.309 --> 00:23:47.009
I was hoping for.
