The Punisher War Journal #3
This issue closes the 'An Eye for an Eye' opening arc of the Punisher's first-ever spin-off series and delivers a long-overdue narrative payoff: the full, unvarnished truth behind the Central Park mob hit that created the Punisher is finally laid out for readers in a single issue. Daredevil's presence as an uneasy ally sharply frames the core moral tension that would define their relationship across decades of Marvel storytelling — two men shaped by tragedy who can never fully agree on what justice requires. The issue also marks an early chapter in Jim Lee's formative Marvel work, a run whose stylistic ambition helped elevate what a street-level action book could look like in the late copper age.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 11 grades ▾
This exact issue on ebay
Raw / ungraded ▾ $1.49–$18.61 16 listings
More listings for this title
Read it digitally
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
The Punisher War Journal Vol. 1 was launched in November 1988 as the character's second ongoing series, born directly from the Punisher's extraordinary commercial momentum at the time — Marvel had been strategically deploying him in other titles to lift their sales before finally greenlighting a dedicated spin-off. Carl Potts, who had previously served as an editor on the main Punisher series, took on writer-and-layouts duties for the launch arc, with Jim Lee finishing pencils and handling inks; the creative handshake between a seasoned editorial hand and a rapidly ascending young artist gave the book a distinctive register from its opening issues. Issue #3, released October 4, 1988 with a February 1989 cover date, was edited by Don Daley under editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover date: February 1989; on-sale date: October 4, 1988. Published by Marvel Comics.
- Story title: 'An Eye for an Eye, Chapter Three: A Dish Best Served Cold' — the concluding chapter of the series' opening three-part arc.
- Written and laid out by Carl Potts; finished pencils and inks by Jim Lee; colors by Gregory Wright; letters by Jim Novak; editor Don Daley.
- The issue reveals the true story behind the mob hit in Central Park that killed Frank Castle's family, including his son Frank Castle Jr., who appears only in flashback at the moment of his death.
- Hector Montoya — the mobster held responsible for the deaths of the Castle family — dies in this issue.
- Daredevil (Matt Murdock) appears as a supporting character, aiding the Punisher while providing the moral counterweight that would become a hallmark of their relationship across multiple titles.
- A backup feature, 'Punisher War Journal Equipment Page,' was illustrated by Eliot R. Brown; the final panel of the main story closes with the last stanza of Robert Frost's poem 'The Road Not Taken.'
- The issue has been reprinted in: The Punisher Magazine #16 (November 1990); Punisher: An Eye for an Eye trade paperback (December 1991); a French Panini collection (2005); and the Punisher War Journal by Carl Potts and Jim Lee hardcover/trade (2016).
Cast · 10 characters
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Superaventuras Marvel #96 (1990), The Punisher Magazine #16 (1990), Punisher #1/1991 (1991), Punisher; Punisher War Zone #1/1991 (1991), Punisher: An Eye for an Eye #[nn] (1991), Marvel Exklusiv #52 (2004), Best of Marvel : Punisher - Journal de guerre #[nn] (2005), Punisher War Journal Classic #1 (2008), Marvel Série I #10 (2012), Punisher War Journal by Carl Potts and Jim Lee #[nn] (2016), Marvel Héroes #81 (2017), Punisher: Shadowmasters #[nn] (2018), Punisher - Journal de guerre #[nn] (2025), Punisher Collection von Jim Lee #[nn] (2025)
Key issues in The Punisher War Journal
Variants (1)
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.