Born

A gritty, single-issue Marvel comic from 2004, Born is a starkly realistic war story by writer Garth Ennis and artist Darick Robertson. It reimagines the origin of a future Punisher by depicting Frank Castle's harrowing final tour of duty in Vietnam, where the horrors of combat begin to forge the cold, merciless soldier he will become. This series is essential for its unflinching, character-driven exploration of how war can break a man and create a monster.