With Frank Castle currently out of the picture there's a new Punisher on the streets. Ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Joe Garrison's family has been killed - and he is one of the prime suspects. Now his search to discover the truth about who was really behind their deaths has led him to the office of crime boss The Offer. One step closer to finding his wife's murderer, Garrison is hellbent on revenge - but the cops are still on his tail.
The relaunch of Punisher is written by David Pepose, drawn by artist Dave Wachter, colored by Dan Brown and lettered by Cory Petit. We've got an exclusive preview of #3, which sees an injured Garrison encounter a new villain - the terrifying Fearmaster, who may just prove to be the mastermind behind the killing of his family.
You can check out a selection of pages from the issue in the gallery below, as well as the main cover by Rod Reis.
Intriguingly, the Fearmaster is not an entirely new name for Marvel Comics. On Earth-928 (the world of Marvel 2099) it was the alias used by Darryl King, leader of the Cyber-Nostra cartel and an enemy of that reality's Punisher, Jacob Gallows. While there's clearly a link here (and isn't it interesting that both Jacob Gallows and Joe Garrison share the same initials?), the Fearmaster that Garrison is facing is a woman and presumably a different character. It'll be very interesting to see where this is all headed...
Marvel's synopsis for the new issue reads:
"ENTER…THE FEARMASTER! Hunted down by the authorities, the Punisher must face down the one threat that cannot be stopped by bombs or bullets…the terrors inside his own mind. With an innocent life hanging in the balance, can the Punisher escape the Fearmaster's deadly abattoir, or will his quest for vengeance be cut short just as his true enemy stands revealed?"
Punisher #3 is published by Marvel Comics on January 24.
David Pepose is also currently writing horror comic The Devil That Wears My Face - and it's terrifying. Find out more in our interview here.
