History YMMV / ThePunisherMAX

* {{Narm}}: Ironically enough, Frank's first kill falls into this. Although the scenario is played completely straight, and is treated as a major turning point in Frank's life. The seriousness of the moment is slightly undercut by the fact that Frank's first victim was caught... squatting in the bushes, with his pants around his ankles... Taking a ''shit''...

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Barracuda, obviously. The man proved so popular that Garth Ennis made it so that he somehow survived his near fatal encounter with the Punisher so he could bring him back for future stories. Hell, the [[BreakoutCharacter man even got his own mini-series]]!

** From ''Long Cold Dark'', Frank Castle torturing the fuck out of [[spoiler:Barracuda]] by hooking up a car battery to his testicles. '''''For an hour'''''

** In ''Mother Russia'', we have Fury taking off his belt and beating the holy fuck out of a crooked military General.

* MisaimedFandom: If you've read the Punisher's main YMMV page already, then you'll know that the character has become very popular with members of the American armed forces as of late. Much to the chagrin of creator Gerry Conway, who was a conscientious objector during The Vietnam War and explicitly wrote the Punisher as a ''bad guy''. How popular has he became? Well in one scene early on in the controversial war movie, ''American Sniper'', one of the main characters fellow SEAL's can be seen reading a Punisher comic. And if you look closely, you can see that it's issue #1 of ''ComicBook/ThePunisherMAX''. Later in the film, the main character's SEAL platoon go on to call themselves "''the Punishers''", and spray-paint the skull logo on their gear. A [[http://www.vulture.com/2015/01/american-sniper-comics-punisher.html Vulture article]] goes in depth explaining how this homage is both eerily perfect, ''and terrifying''.

* MisaimedFandom: If you've read the Punisher's main YMMV page already, then you'll know that the character has become very popular with members of the American armed forces as of late. Much to the chagrin of creator Gerry Conway, who was a conscientious objector during The Vietnam War and intended for the Punisher to be a ''bad guy''. How ''popular'', well in one scene early on in the controversial war movie, ''American Sniper'', one of the main characters fellow SEAL's can be seen reading a Punisher comic. And if you look closely, you can see that it's issue No. 1 of ''ComicBook/ThePunisherMAX''. A [[http://www.vulture.com/2015/01/american-sniper-comics-punisher.html Vulture article]] goes in depth explaining how this homage is both eerily perfect, ''and terrifying''.

* The conversation between Nick Fury and Frank Castle in ''Valley Forge, Valley Forge''. Where they talk about the potential fallout from the Iraq war, takes on a whole new meaning with the rise of terrorist organizations like ISIS.

*** He's also none to fond of some of the more boorish members of the Irish community. Specifically those who are incapable of letting go of petty squabbles and instead bring their personal grievances to the states.

*** He's also none to fond of some of the more boorish members of the Irish community. Specifically those who are incapable of letting go of petty squabbles and instead bring there personal grievances to the states.

* CrazyAwesome: Bullseye ''lives and breathes this trope''. Best exemplified in his introductory scene, where we see him ''shit out a gun'', and kill a pair of Russian thugs with said gun. To asking Frank what his favorite color is while the latter is preparing to blow him up with a stick of C4. The man is pretty much this trope personified.
* CrossesTheLineTwice: As expected from an adult's only series written primarily by Creator/GarthEnnis, it should come as no surprise that the series crosses the boundaries of good taste with [[PunctuatedForEmphasis each. And. Every. Arc]]. ''Seriously''. Even [[Creator/MarkMillar Mark]] [[UpToEleven freaking Millar]] would churn his stomach at some of the more darkly humorous bits in the series.

** The Slavers were already far over the horizon, what with kidnapping young girls and beating and gang-raping them to break their spirits, but when Viorica escapes with her baby and seeks refuge with Jen Cooke, they track her down to Cooke's apartment and steal the baby back, then later send an e-mail with a photo attached [[spoiler: of the lifeless baby]].

** From ''The Slavers'', we have Frank [[spoiler:throwing one of the ringleaders behind the slavery operation face first into a shatterproof window multiple times until the window panel finally breaks, causing the ringleader to her to fall to her death]].

* FoeYay: Bullseye's fanatical obsession with Frank is this. ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis Non''. Stop]]''. To the point that it is almost certain that this was [[InvokedTrope invoked]] by the writer.

* FoeYay: Bullseye's fanatical obsession with Frank is this. ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasisNon''. Stop]]''. To the point that is it almost certain that this was [[InvokedTrope invoked]] by the writer.

*** Interestingly enough, the lower ranking grunts and common soldiers, ''do not'' fall into this category. As Ennis saves all of his rancor for only the old feeble men who sent young men off to [[WarIsHell fight and die for them]].

** Special mention goes to the [[TheIrishMob Westies]]/[[ScaryBlackMan Maginty]]/[[RuthlessModernPirates River Rats]]/[[TerroristWithoutACause Cooley]] for actually believing that their [[RetiredMonster Monstrous old mob boss]] actually wanted to give them his fortune. Frank and Yorkie couldn't help but think that this was odd and they didn't even know him.

** From ''The Slavers'', we have the sight of Frank throwing one of the ringleaders behind the slavery operation face first into a shatterproof window multiple times until the window panel finally breaks, causing the ringleader to her to fall to her death.

* UncannyValley: Some of the more photo-realistic drawings done by Lewis Larosa, can have this effect for some people. Used to [[InvokedTrope great effect]] in the very first issue with Larosa's ghoulish illustrations of Frank's [[spoiler:dead family.]]

* FanonDiscontinuity: There are some fans who completely disavow any stories that happened after Garth Ennis left. Which is usually attributed to the old sentiment that OnlyTheCreatorDoesItRight. In fact there's also that portion of the fandom who completely disregard this version of The Punisher all together. Seeing it as a {{Flanderization}} of the "real" Frank Castle.

* LoveItOrHateIt: Like a lot of Garth Ennis' works, the comics' dark subject material and extreme levels of violence has gained almost as many detractors as it has fans. The latter of who adore the series for it's grotesque and unapologetic nature and the latter who trash the series for being too brutal and vulgar for their taste.

* EvilIsCool: Although the writers may not have [[MisaimedFandom intended for this effect.]] It's hard not to find the more charismatic villains in the series (think the Kingpin, the aforementioned Barracuda and Bullseye etc) to be extraordinarily badass.

** Creator/GarthEnnis Really ''really'' '''''really''''' hates the IRA. And he wants ''you'' to hate them as well. Throughout the ''Kitchen Irish'' arc he has several characters call them out in how stupid and cowardly they are.

* UncannyValley: Some of the more photo-realistic artwork done by Lewis Larosa, can have this effect for some people. Used to [[InvokedTrope great effect]] in the very first issue with Larosa's ghoulish illustrations of Frank's [[spoiler:dead family.]]

* AwesomeArt: The series couldn't have chosen a better cover artist than Tim Bradstreet. As his cover art is truly a sight to behold.