Talking to Comic Book Resources, The Punisher writer Greg Rucka has talked about October's five-part Punisher War Zone; a series which will see Frank Castle take on Earth's Mightiest Heroes. However, this won't be like past stories such as Punisher Vs. The Marvel Universe, as it's set firmly in the current continuity and is the conclusion to Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto's critically acclaimed run featuring the character. Below are some of the highlights from the interview, but be sure to click on the link below to read it in full.
On The Punisher's Relationship With The Avengers: "I don't think Frank is at all surprised when this happens. He knew it was inevitable, but he of course has a contingency plan. He's got a contingency plan for everything. That doesn't mean Frank is happy with the situation though. I never felt that Frank looks at the heroes with contempt. I don't think he looks at the Avengers and says, 'You guys are laughable.' When Galactus shows up Frank is not up to the task of defending the Earth. So if hammers fall from the sky, which has happened recently, that's outside of his bailiwick."
On Why And How The Heroes Will Deal With The Punisher: "Spider-Man is of the mind that they should have absolutely done something about Castle years ago. Avengers like Black Widow or Wolverine may have a much more pragmatic view of killing and that puts them in a different position. They've got to ask themselves what they believe and what they're willing to do. So there is dissension in the ranks of the Avengers on how to deal with Frank and what to do. There's a legitimate argument to be made, and you can probably guess which Avenger makes it, that says, 'What the Punisher does is ugly and messy and I don't believe for a second that he should be allowed to continue, but saying it's up to us to stop him is a waste of our time and resources. We have to deal with global issues. Why are we chasing one guy around the five Boroughs? Yes he's racked up a huge body count over the years, but there are threats out there that will kill millions if we don't do something about them. So why are we doing this?' It is, to steal a phrase, 'ruthless calculus,' but really what's the best use of their time and resources?"
On How The Punisher Will Combat The Threat Of Earth's Mightiest Heroes: "It would be rather stupid of Frank to stand still and let the Avengers come to him. That would be poor planning on his part. Much better planning would be for him to make it very, very difficult for them to come at him."
On How The Punisher Will Deal With Powerful Heroes Like Iron Man And Thor: "I think he's gone down this road before you and I have. He has come to tactical conclusions about all of the Avengers, and I think for him Thor is the most problematic. How do you deal with him? Someone like Tony is a little easier because Tony is tech reliant. If you can figure out a way to cut out those tech legs, you've won that fight before it even begins. With Thor though, you're not going to separate him easily from that hammer. So you have to deal with him in a separate way. By the same token I don't think Thor has a real easy grasp on Frank because he comes from a different culture and a different world and has got a very different view on things. So of everybody there I think the person most likely to underestimate Frank is Thor."
On What Makes This Different From Previous "Punisher Vs." Stories: I'm not interested in telling a story about Frank trying to beat up on the Avengers for five issues straight, because frankly that's boring. Will there be beatings? Yes, but there's more to it than that and I think it will be a fun ride. And this isn't a misunderstanding that leads to a team-up style story either. No Marvel villains with a capital V will be showing up, and there isn't an insidious mastermind out to exploit or manipulate the Punisher and the Avengers."
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