PUNISHER: RED BAND #1 First Look Teases A Brutal, Bloody MAX-Style Frank Castle Story

PUNISHER: RED BAND #1 First Look Teases A Brutal, Bloody MAX-Style Frank Castle Story

Punisher: Red Band #1 will deliver MAX-style violence this September, and a first look at the covers and interior artwork makes it clear that Marvel Comics isn't holding back with this one. Check it out!

By JoshWilding - May 24, 2025 06:05 AM EST
Filed Under: Marvel Comics

Frank Castle's brutal war on crime is reignited this September in Punisher: Red Band. The five-issue limited series will be written by Benjamin Percy with art by Julius Otha, the duo currently delivering twisted horror together in Hellverine.

Polybagged for explicit content, the Red Band series promises to be the most violent in Punisher history, as Frank Castle—freshly resurrected and back in his classic costume—is allowed to fully unleash his brutal brand of justice on the criminal underworld.

Here's the official description for Punisher: Red Band #1:

Reread and reload, True Believers – Frank Castle is BACK. With no memories, a full clip and a thirst for wrathful vengeance, his violent search for answers could only be chronicled in a Red Band series! Bullets will fly, blood will flow, and the citizens and criminals of New York City alike will fear the name THE PUNISHER!

"Frank Castle—that dark-hearted, vengeance machine, that monster who fights monsters—is one of my all-time favorite characters, and Punisher is a series I've been gunning to write for a long, long time," Percy said in a press release. "Not only is Frank back in black, but this is a Red Band book. You know what that means."

"I'm going to lean in fully and push the very limits of my favorite genre: hairy psychopaths. This is going to be as gritty and bloody as it gets. Street-level mayhem awaits you," he added. "And Julius Ohta—who I collaborated with previously on Hellverine—is bringing all the blood and fire and rage to the page with his beautiful, terrifying art."

It's been an exciting few months for fans of The Punisher. Jon Bernthal reprised the role in Daredevil: Born Again, delivering the same sort of brutal violence you'll see below. 

While he ended up being caged by Mayor Wilson Fisk after a violent clash with the Anti-Vigilante Task Force, a mid-credits scene saw the anti-hero escape, setting the stage for an upcoming Special Presentation, which, according to recent rumours, could pit the vigilante against Ma Gnucci. Reinaldo Marcus Green directs the Special and co-wrote it with Bernthal. 

Back to Punisher: Red Band #1, and you can now check out the covers by Marco Checchetto and E.M. Gist, along with a "Hidden Gem" variant by industry legend Mark Zeck. Plus, there's a first look at Frank's new chapter with a lettered preview.

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PUNISHER: RED BAND #1 (OF 5)
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY
Art by JULIUS OHTA
Cover by MARCO CHECCHETTO
Variant Cover by E.M. GIST
Hidden Gem Variant Cover by MIKE ZECK
On Sale 9/10

About The Author:
JoshWilding
Member Since 3/13/2009
Comic Book Reader. Film Lover. WWE and F1 Fan. Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and ComicBookMovie.com's #1 contributor.
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