What most veterans don’t talk about is how hard coming home is. As we are trained to deal with what we have to when we are down range. It is all different when we have to deal with no apparent treat. As we learn to understand how to adapt to normal life. It is different for each of us.
As I have friends who could separate the two and just hold whatever pain they have back from their loved ones. Then there are those who just disconnect and they can never function again. Those are the ones who find normalcy debilitating. In this one, Punisher: War Journal – Base, we get to find out who Frank Castle was before he became the Punisher.
We find Frank and his wife, Maria going to couple’s therapy, years before he became the Punisher, as the therapist urges him to keep a journal, one where we see how impossible of transition it was for him to come back to normal life. As he tries his best to adjust to normal life he gets into scuffle with an abusive parent and during Halloween, have an argument with other parents, who have an opinion about war, but never served in the military. Then one night, everything changes, as he senses something wrong in at a house in his neighborhood, as he soon discovers a mobster’s house, with some sadistic individuals. By the issue’s end, an intended victim shows his wife, that the road to change would be long and winding.
Overall, Punisher: War Journal – Base is an excellent story that portrays the struggles veterans go through when they come home. The story by Grunbekk is relevant. The art by the creative team is gorgeous. Altogether, a story that shows why so many of us Veterans struggle.
Story: Torunn Grunbekk Art: Djibril Morisette-Phan
Color: Matt Milla Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle
Source: Graphic Policy
