Punisher #32

Part two of Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov's "Barracuda" arc announces itself with a cover that demands your full attention — Tim Bradstreet fills the entire image with the scarred, snarling face of Barracuda himself, a spiral of golden chain running down his cheek and the Punisher's skull emblem reflected in a pendant at his jaw, all set against a smoky Florida sunset. The sheer scale and intensity of Bradstreet's portrait work makes it unmistakably clear that this arc belongs to one of the most formidable threats Frank Castle has ever faced. Marvel MAX's mature-readers line is in fine form here, with Ennis and Parlov's collaboration promising the kind of uncompromising storytelling that made this run stand out in 2006.