The Punisher #24

Name: The Punisher #24
Brand: Marvel
Availability: InStock

Oct 1989 · Marvel · 1.00 USD; 1.25 CAD; 0.60 GBP

📊 ~40,616 copies sold its debut month

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“Land of the Eternal Sun”

★ 1st appearance — Hatsu Yakamoto

About this Issue

The Punisher #24 (vol. 2, October 1989) is the first installment of the main ongoing series to bring Frank Castle into direct contact with the Shadowmasters — the clan of ninjutsu-trained operatives created by editor/writer Carl Potts — setting up a pivotal two-part arc ('Land of the Eternal Sun'/'Sunset in Kansas') that expanded the Punisher's world beyond New York street crime into international political intrigue in Japan. The issue also marks the first appearance of ninja master Hatsu Yakamoto in any Marvel comic, making it the debut chapter of the character arc that would define the Shadowmasters' relationship with Frank Castle across both the main Punisher title and the concurrent four-issue Shadowmasters prestige-format miniseries. Taken together with the parallel Shadowmasters series launching the same month, this issue represents one of Marvel's more ambitious Copper Age franchise expansions around a street-level vigilante, using coordinated storytelling across multiple titles simultaneously.

In "Land of the Eternal Sun," The Punisher journeys to Japan to confront a new threat tied to his past, teaming up with the enigmatic Shadowmasters to stop the sinister Eternal Sun organization—only to discover its leader is someone from Frank's original hunt: Iris Green. Written by Mike Baron and brought to life by Erik Larsen’s bold artwork and Scott Williams’ sharp inks, this 1989 issue blends gritty action with a mysterious, high-stakes mission in a world where old enemies rise again. The cover by Erik Larsen and Scott Williams captures the tension and intensity of the Punisher’s dangerous new mission.

writer Mike Baron · artist Erik Larsen · inker Scott Williams · colorist John Wellington · letterer Ken Bruzenak · cover Erik Larsen, Scott Williams

ComicBooks.com Value

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Raw (VF) $7

CGC 9.8 · 21 in census $41*

CGC 9.6 · 3 in census $20*

CGC 9.4 · 4 in census $20

CGC 9.2 · 2 in census $20

CGC 9.0 none in existence

CGC 8.5 · 2 in census $20*

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CGC 7.0 none in existence

CGC 6.5 · 2 in census $20*

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History

The issue was written by Mike Baron — the writer who launched the 1987 Punisher ongoing — with pencils by Erik Larsen, inks by Scott Williams, colors by John Wellington, and letters by Ken Bruzenak; Carl Potts served as editor with Marc McLaurin as assistant editor, under editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco. The Shadowmasters concept was conceived by Potts himself, who developed the team across multiple Marvel titles at once: their group first appeared in Punisher War Journal #8 before being carried into the main Punisher title here, while Potts simultaneously wrote and edited their own origin miniseries (illustrated by Dan Lawlis and Russ Heath) that began that same October. The cover of this issue is credited 'after Potts,' indicating that the composition was based on a layout by the editor.

Trivia · 8 facts

Published October 1989 (on-sale date June 20, 1989), part of The Punisher vol. 2 ongoing series (1987–1995); story titled 'Land of the Eternal Sun.'
Written by Mike Baron, penciled by Erik Larsen, inked by Scott Williams, colored by John Wellington, lettered by Ken Bruzenak; edited by Carl Potts.
First appearance of Hatsu Yakamoto, the Hokkaido-based ninja master who trains the Shadowmasters and invites Frank Castle to become his representative in America.
The Shadowmasters as a team (Philip Richards, Yuriko Ezaki, Manzo, Katherine Yakamoto) appear here in the main Punisher ongoing for the first time, having debuted earlier in Punisher War Journal #8 — making this issue a key point of confusion for collectors who label it 'first appearance of the Shadowmasters' (which is inaccurate at the team level).
The Eternal Sun — the villainous neo-imperialist organization and primary antagonist of this arc — and the Hokkaido location of Yakashin both receive their first named appearance in this issue.
Iris Green, Frank Castle's recurring adversary and the Eternal Sun's section chief, appears in cameo, connecting this Japan arc to his earlier stateside adventures.
The story was reprinted in: Superaventuras Marvel #111 (Editora Abril, Brazil, 1991); Magnum Spesial #1/1992 (Norway); Magnum Special #1/1992 (Sweden); and Punisher Epic Collection vol. 3: Kingpin Rules (Marvel, 2019).
Batman, Bruce Wayne, and the Joker — listed in some catalog entries for this issue — do NOT appear here; those characters appear in the separate 1994 Marvel/DC crossover one-shots Batman/Punisher: Lake of Fire and Punisher/Batman: Deadly Knights.