Twelve Days of Comic Book Christmas: Day Two

Welcome to the second day of Splash Page's Twelve Days of Comic Book Christmas countdown!

The Punisher doesn't exactly conjure feelings of holiday cheer, but that certainly didn't stop Marvel from dropping this bit of awesomeness in 1993. It's a two-story, 48-page special that's dripping with holiday blood...

 The Punisher Holiday Special #1

"Red Christmas"

January 1993

Writer: Steven Grant

Artist: John Herbert 

The first and focal tale of this book opens with "Little" Tony Caruso, the son of a recently murdered mob boss, putting a hit out on everyone's favorite criminal murderin' sociopath, Frank Castle. Tony forcibly employs his business manager, Rudy Kessler, and tells him to get the Punisher or don't bother coming back.

I should also mention that Little Tony has one of the sweetest Jheri curls in comics:

Let's be honest, Little Tony is a strawberry blonde John Oates of Hall & Oates.

Because Frank Castle's kiss is on his list. Or his blood. Whatever.

So Rudy puts out misinformation amongst the lower criminal community and tricks The Punisher into showing up at a mall at closing time.

Once the doors are shut and the customers gone, Rudy and his team of goons spring into action, trying to hem up Frank.

Unfortunately, for them, Castle's a resilient dude. He taunts Kessler by dropping ornaments on the dude's head. Ornaments. How much more Christmas-y can you get?!

Also, in what could very well be the most memorable Christmastime kill ever, The Punisher does the following:

Yeah, do I even need to say anything further about that panel?

So, Frank works his way through Kessler's minions, but not without a couple of flesh wounds of his own. And then this happens... and I present it in extra-large glory:

That's right: MERRY CHRISTMAS, punks!

In the end, Frank catches up with Kessler and tells him to radio his men outside, so that he could leave unscathed. Kessler does so, but never the one to trust scum, Frank tells him to go first. Kessler runs toward the exit, screaming for his goons NOT to shoot, but he's quickly made to resemble Swiss cheese. 

There's a subplot about a runaway teenager Frank accidentally befriends while inside the mall. It's tied up at the end when Frank brings her home and has her father arrested by the cops. There's nothing overt, but you get the idea the dad was abusing the runaway.

Overall, I'm in love with this story. It's The Punisher, in a holiday setting, doing what he does best: murder and mayhem, but on the side of the angels. Mostly. Add in some of the most creative and action-packed kills to ever grace a Punisher book and it's a holiday treat!

"Armed Salvation"

Writer: Eric Fein

Artist: J.J. Birch 

In the back-up tale, the Punisher tails a group of mob hit men to Lubec, Maine. They're on the trail of a guy that testified against their boss' son in order to teach future witnesses to keep their traps shut.

Frank makes quick work of the bad guys and saves the witness' son in the process.

It's a short and to-the-point story that might leave you with a twinge of holiday feels when the son realizes just how much his father sacrificed to get them where they are.

Excellent tale.

See you back tomorrow for Day Three!