I own a copy of the first issue of Punisher 2099, a comic series set in the “2099” alternate universe created by Marvel.
This comic is from 1993, and it looks it. To start with the blue trim on the cover is metallic foil, as was the style at the time.
Inside, the story follows the adventures of some guy who is not Frank Castle, but looks just like him.
(I think a colorist forgot the Punisher’s skull in one of the hero panels…)
Not-Frank is a member of the police force in the futuristic dystopia. He somehow escapes suspicion even when he is basically just in Punishermode at the precinct.
At least by being a cop, he is able to hack into the security systems to ensure cameras don’t catch his face.
Overall this issue is silly in how it overdramtically ports the Punisher story into a cyberpunk setting. The ultraviolence is turned up pretty high, approaching Fallout 1 death animation levels.
The issue is pretty standard Punisher cleaning out the criminals fare, without much nuance. The costume and novelty of the setting do make the comic memorable though.
A lot of the 2099 stuff was severely under-rated. Punisher was not. :)
My favorite was just before the end, X-Nation 2099. X-Men adjacent team. Humberto Ramos and Jimmy Palmiotti.
They had a solid 2, maybe 3 issues? Then editorial brought the word down to kill all the 2099 books, they changed creative teams, and Ben Raab fucking murdered the book. #6 was the end.
Who did the art for this, btw?
Tom Morgan. His name is listed on the second picture inside the body of the post (but the text is kind of small).
🤦🏻♂️Oh yeah! I didn’t notice. WOW, though. Here’s a weird one for you:
Morgan drew Jeff Mariotte’s biography of Barack Obama, which was released in late 2008 by IDW Publishing.
🤣
These 90’s built-like-a-refrigerator comic hardmen used to impress the hell out of me as a kid. I used to wish I could draw like this… now I look at it and my whole brain just will not read it as anything but deformed.
Funny how styles and tastes shift about.
I’ve still got a soft spot for the style.
Except there’s a level of irony or self awareness to that image that bumps its appeal way, way up :)
It might be the self-seriousness of Punisher here that makes it a little goofy today.
The only 2099 story I could really deal with was the Hulk stuff… Maybe a little bit of Spider-Man. I couldn’t even look at punisher without laughing
I wonder if Marvel will put The Punisher in the MCU soon…that would be new.
The Punisher is in the MCU. Netflix series are MCU. It would be interesting to see the Jon Bernthal Punisher on the big screen, most suitably alongside Deadpool or in some kind of SHIELD related plot.
