Punisher #6

“Garbage”

75 Cents @ February 1988 (Cover Page and 22 net pages)

Writer: Mike Baron
Penciler: David Ross
Inker: Kevin Nowlan
Letterer: Ken Bruzenak
Colorist: John Wellington
Editor: Carl Potts
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

Notable Quote(s): “Listen to me very carefully. I’m slipping my knife right up next to the carotid artery. Feel it? I’m going to ask you some questions. If you try to yell, or I think you’re lying, I’ll cut you open and find somebody else. Blink if you understand.”

Synopsis: The Punisher’s weekend morning was ruined by the Rosetti Brothers’ garbage truck making noises outside his warehouse in New Jersey. Frank changed to his Punisher gear and armed himself to take a look outside. Bodies of dead people are in the garbage truck and lots of blood including the driver’s area of the garbage truck. Frank headed over to Microchip’s warehouse and had Micro’s son hack into the New Jersey Justice Department’s computer system to find out who is muscling in on the Rosetti Brothers action. What turned up was that Unisym Systems has been under investigation for months regarding hazardous waste disposal. They’ve been trying to control waste management throughout the state. Micro’s son told Frank the Unisym CEO is Harold Margary, and he’s tied to Gallagher Plaze in midtown Manhattan, and also under a justice department probe but no convictions, and that they have a collection station in North Patterson, New Jersey. Frank headed to the collection station to do some reconnaissance. Only two dogs inside the fenced grounds. He placed a blanket over the barbed wire and went over the fence then shot blow darts at the dogs to put them to sleep. Inside one of the warehouse, the Punisher overhears a driver complaining to his armed supervisor that he is feeling messed up from all his hazardous runs, perhaps some chemicals they’re handling is getting to his skin. The supervisor told him to do a run and that not to complain given that he is well paid for his job. The supervisor offered to go with him on the ride. Outside, the Punisher with knife in hand discovered they are keeping a landfill of hazardous waste that is so vile that they cannot store it in that facility. And the supervisor walked out to discover the Punisher and pulled a gun behind him. The Punisher cursed himself for being careless thinking they didn’t see the dogs around so they double back around to see if there are any trespassers. The Punisher turned around and threw the knife the armed man and connected, but he was able to let off a shot. So much for stealth. Another man from afar let loose a barrage of machine gun fire towards the Punisher as he headed for cover from the hail of bullets. Climbing above to the rooftop to get a better shot, he took out the man with the machine gun. He waited to make sure no sirens go off or police coming in. He dragged the dead bodies inside the warehouse. He found six thousand dollars on one and opening the office vault netted him another couple of hundred thousand and a ledger with codes regarding pickups and drops. There is a Geiger counter on the table in the office. The Punisher turned it on and the it indicated the place is contaminated. The Punisher needs to find the landfill where this outfit has been dumping all these dangerous wastes.

Back at Microchip’s place, Micro’s son gave Punisher an intel about the ledger and put together a map for Frank regarding pickups in industrial and medical areas and the landfill in South Jersey. The Punisher headed to South Jersey and parked the car in the woods a few miles from the landfill and proceeded on foot with a mini Geiger detector in hand. Upon arriving in the stinking landfill, he pole-vaulted over the fence and inside the fenced area he made his way towards the main building which had cars parked outside. The Geiger detector indicated the radioactivity is higher than normal. A landfill full of drums with chemical leakage. He found a flower that grew in the lot, and a skull. Indeed, a landfill is the most convenient place to bury bodies not wanted to be found. He noticed a group of men go inside the building, and the Punisher followed suit stealthily. Four men were talking about a deal, and the two apparent buyers conferred with each in Arabic. The Arabians handed the men that apparently ran the landfill a briefcase containing one million dollars in non-sequential hundred dollar bills. And they were surprised as the Punisher broke the door open and made his presence known with gun pointed at the men and instructing them not to move. One of the Arabian men threw an object at the Punisher while another of the men drew a gun. Punisher dove back outside onto the stairs and a firefight ensued. Punisher entered one of the rooms and he hit paydirt. Automatic weapons and explosives galore were contained all over the room. He threw a grenade back at the hallway and took one of the automatic weapons. He took a rocket launcher and went to the window and blew up their car. Automatic weapons fire zeroed in on him as the men made their way to his location. With weapons on both hands he fired sporadically and then jumped out the window and landed on top of the back area of one of the trucks on the ground. The Punisher made his escape and ran back heading outside the compound. Meanwhile the American gangsters and the Arabs are not getting along as not to know what to make of their situation. The Americans told the Arabs they cannot leave the compound until they get clearance from their higher ups. The Arabian men made it know they are not staying in the garbage surrounding them and will be leaving. A lone gunman is walking around the landfill looking for the Punisher. He threw a grenade at the man, who panicked and dropped his weapon when he saw the grenade land adjacent to him. He didn’t notice the pin was still intact on the grenade, and in his panic he ran right into the Punisher’s fist. Punisher pulled a knife and interrogated him. The man didn’t know who the Arabs were. The Arabs purchased plutonium to build a dirty bomb on U.S. soil the following week. The Mecozzi outfit’s big boss owned the whole landfill and is dying. The son is about to take over. Then something got the Punisher’s attention and he spun the man around and the criminal took the brunt of the shots fired at the Punisher’s way. The Punisher fired back with his automatic weapon. He moved back and threw the grenade at the same time. He then made his way back to the building. The plutonium’s gone. He killed another gunman and took a rocket launcher. As soon as he was far enough from the building he blew it up, not wanting to keep the armory intact. Behind him he can hear guns blazing and several jeeps headed his way, as the Rosetti crime family is on full force. Looks like he’ll have a lot of cleaning up to do in the next issue.

Comments: Obviously the story takes place a good decade and a half before the tragedy of 9/11. But the story, as over the top as it is, does have a feeling of current relevance in today’s social political current events dealing with the dangers of terrorism. And there are scums on U.S. soil that doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty with those intent on doing evil against their own country as long as they can turn a profit, thus pervading the ideals of capitalism.

David Ross assumed art chores on this issue. Visually, it’s a much better illustrated issue than last. Perhaps Klaus Janson’s messy illustrations was rushed. There’s more details in this art and cleaner lines as well. I hope they keep Ross on board for next issue and not revert to Klaus Janson if he will rush through the art chores again making it a bad visual experience.

Pre-Punisher Max, Mike Baron had some very entertaining narratives and quotes. 

I'm posting Punisher #8 later tonight. 

I didn't know that Chuck Dixon wrote The Punisher. I have to look up in my Punisher collection. I haven't read every single one, but I do have every single Punisher comic book since the 5-issue limited series of Punisher #1 back in January 1986, until 2010 or so.

I'd hate to dig up the boxes. But a Chuck Dixon Punisher would be worth it to read up sometime in the upcoming weeks. But overall, my favorite will always be the initial Mike Baron written second volume of the Punisher series.