While the two heroes have very different views on killing, Batman and the Punisher might have more in common than fans realize.
The Punisher has undergone a lot of changes lately. After fending off an attack in his apartment by the Hand, he was dubbed the King of Killers by the cult and deemed their new leader. While he certainly has many disagreements with how the ninja assassins do things, Frank Castle is happy that they resurrected his dead wife Maria and are also working on resurrecting his dead children, as well. Utilizing the Hand like an army, Frank Castle deploys himself and his soldiers across the worlds to dish out punishment on a scale he never could before.
In Punisher War Journal #1 by Torunn Gronbekk and Rafael Pimentel, someone has taken notice of the Punisher’s ramped up operations and seeks to stop his crusade. They essentially crowdsource information on the Punisher by offering a reward to anyone that posts images and information about his location. This leads one of the Punisher’s villains, Jigsaw, straight to him. And while Jigsaw gets the drop on Punisher, he taunts him by saying that there is always a supply and demand for criminals like himself, so the Punisher will never be able to quit.
Frank Castle and Bruce Wayne Will Always Have Enemies
This line about supply and demand has echoes of discussions on whether Batman’s crusade in Gotham City will ever be over. A lot of fans and characters within the DC Universe believe that Batman is merely part of the problem. His presence in Gotham demands challenge, which means that crime will always be high and Batman will always be needed. This creates a cycle of crime and crime fighting that simply will never end and will cause Bruce Wayne to be Batman forever.
Although the two of them would certainly clash over differences in philosophies, Frank Castle and Bruce Wayne have a lot in common. Besides both facing tragic deaths of their family members, both men have an unflinching resolve towards their mission against crime. Even more than that though, they will both continue on their mission even if there is never any end in sight. The more criminals they take out, either through incarceration or death, the more criminals will pop up to take their place. This puts both Batman and the Punisher on the same cycle that neither of them will ever be able to escape from.
Punisher War Journal #1 is now available from Marvel Comics.
