History YMMV / ThePunisherMAX

** The legacy of people using the Punisher logo while committing vigilante acts at the end of "War's End" is a lot less cool now that the logo has been co-opted by right-wing extremists.

* VindicatedByHistory: Back when Ennis started writing the series, conservative reviewers [[http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1134145/posts were none to pleased]] over the comics critical view of the American Government; a key element of "In the Beginning", was Frank refusing to hunt Bin Laden for the CIA. He refers to his Vietnam war days as the last he'd ever waste fighting for the government, but what really set him off was wondering how the CIA could possibly pay for such an operation, let alone do it quietly enough to use a mass-murdering vigilante like himself as a catspaw. Later, Micro confirms Frank's suspicions; when Coalition forces opened up Afghanistan, the military gained access to world's primary opium producing areas -- Bethell planned to fund Frank's operations by trafficking Afghan heroin. Ennis based this on historical [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegations_of_CIA_drug_trafficking allegations of CIA_drug trafficking]] in Vietnam and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_involvement_in_Contra_cocaine_trafficking Nicaragua]], and revisited it in Comicbook/FuryMyWarGoneBy as he felt the need to say "Yes, this ''really did happen!''" In TheNewTens, he was proven to be prescient; not only did the [[http://www.globalresearch.ca/drug-war-american-troops-are-protecting-afghan-opium-u-s-occupation-leads-to-all-time-high-heroin-production/5358053 US military traffic in heroin]], by doing so they [[https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jan/09/how-the-heroin-trade-explains-the-us-uk-failure-in-afghanistan completely converted the country's economy to its production.]]

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

** The most obvious one would have to be the very first story arc. Which sees a UsefulNotes/{{CIA}} Black Ops unit trying to recruit Frank so he can help them track down Saddam. That story element alone dates it back to a time period where the War on Terror dominated the national conscience.

* MagnificentBastard: Frank Castle, [[Characters/ThePunisherMAXThePunisher The Punisher]], has waged a one man war on crime for decades as a way to punish both the guilty and himself. At one point, Frank even gets himself arrested and sent to Riker's Island, just so he can put into play a scheme to murder the men who killed his family. Constantly demonstrating a wicked intelligence, Frank constantly manipulates criminals into traps and [[OutGambitted Out-Gambits]] others who try to get the best of him, before finishing his enemies off, not afraid to expose himself to injury, torture or death in the process. Even when faced with the unexpected, Frank is constantly able to rebound and get the better of his enemies, often tolerated by the police for his inflexible moral standards even as he leaves a [[PayEvilUntoEvil mountain of guilty corpses behind him]]. In the final arc, Frank goes against ComicBook/TheKingpin himself, who now owns the criminal underworld of New York, deprived of much of his own former assets, and ends up completely destroying his operation before finishing him off, remarking only "Your city, my world."

* FoeYay: Bullseye's fanatical obsession with Frank is this. ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis Non. Stop]]''. To the point that it is almost certain this was [[InvokedTrope invoked]] by the writer.
--> '''Bullseye''': Watching you kill is like watching Rembrandt paint, or hear Mozart conduct his 9th symphony. You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, Frank Castle. I think I'm going to cry.
** And again.
--> '''Bullseye''': I saw him in action. Let me tell you, it was... it was something to ''behold''. I do apologize, [[ADateWithRosiePalms but it appears I'm going to pleasure myself now]].

* VindicatedByHistory: Back when Ennis started writing the series, conservative reviewers [[http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1134145/posts were none to pleased]] over the comics critical view of the American Government; a key element of "In the Beginning", was Frank refusing to hunt Bin Laden for the CIA. He refers to his Vietnam war days as the last he'd ever waste fighting for the government, but what really set him off was wondering how the CIA could possibly pay for such an operation, let alone do it quietly enough to use a mass-murdering vigilante like himself as a catspaw. Later, Micro confirms Frank's suspicions; when Coalition forces opened up Afghanistan, the military gained access to world's primary opium producing areas -- Bethell planned to fund Frank's operations by trafficking Afghan heroin. Ennis based this on historical [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegations_of_CIA_drug_trafficking allegations of CIA_drug trafficking]] in Vietnam and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_involvement_in_Contra_cocaine_trafficking Nicaragua]], and revisited it in Comicbook/FuryMyWarGoneBy as he felt [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped felt the need to say]] "Yes, this ''really did happen!''" In TheNewTens, he was proven to be prescient; not only did the [[http://www.globalresearch.ca/drug-war-american-troops-are-protecting-afghan-opium-u-s-occupation-leads-to-all-time-high-heroin-production/5358053 US military traffic in heroin]], by doing so they [[https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jan/09/how-the-heroin-trade-explains-the-us-uk-failure-in-afghanistan completely converted the country's economy to its production.]]

* {{Anvilicious}}: Given that this is a series penned mostly by Garth Ennis, it should come as no surprise that the subject material in various story arcs occasionally lapses into this territory. When it comes to ''[[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil The Slavers]]'' and ''[[WarIsHell Valley Forge]]'', however, such subjects [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped really should be taken seriously.]]

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: Given the dark subject material of the series and most of the story arcs, sometimes being heavy-handed in one's approach is the only way to get an important message across. A few notable examples include.
** ''The Slavers'', which includes a lot of information — including a lecture, with slides no less — about the sex slave trade. It's also the story wherein Frank is shown to be absolutely brutal and unrelenting, well beyond his normal extremes, exemplified with the line "It had been a long time since I had hated anyone as much as I hated them."

** Bullseye gets plenty of love too, thanks to his CrazyAwesome nature and overall charismatic presence. The man is easily tied in terms of popularity with Barracuda as the most iconic villain in the series.

* CrazyAwesome: Bullseye is all about this trope. Best exemplified in his introductory scene, where we see him ''shit out a gun'' and kill a pair of Russian thugs with it. Not long after, he asks Frank what his favorite color is while the latter is preparing to blow him up with a stick of C4.

* CultClassic: Years after the series' conclusion, it's still fondly looked backed on by both fans and critics alike, with many of them regarding it as the greatest Punisher run of all time, and a number of the story arcs have even been referenced on WebVideo/TwoBestFriendsPlay. It's also influenced some of the Punisher's non-comic incarnations most notably ''Film/PunisherWarZone'' and the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse version of the character.
* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: One of the most common criticisms directed at the series. Some of the storylines occasionally fall into this territory for some people, as there are no sympathetic characters to root for - only assholes you are likely to see dead.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To Garth Ennis' previous [[ComicBook/WelcomeBackFrank 2001 Punisher mini-series]].

* CrazyAwesome: Bullseye is all about this trope. Best exemplified in his introductory scene, where we see him ''shit out a gun'' and kill a pair of Russian thugs with it. Not long after, he asks Frank what his favorite color is while the latter is preparing to blow him up with a stick of C4.

* CompleteMonster: See [[Monster/ThePunisher here]].

** This series really couldn't have chosen a better cover artist than Tim Bradstreet. The man's cover art is truly a sight to behold, haunting and mesmerizing at the same time.

* CatharsisFactor: Any time the Punisher is killing criminal scumbags, it will be a delight to fans of this series.

* CatharsisFactor: Any time the Punisher is killing criminal scumbags, it will be a delight to fans of this eeries.

* CultClassic: Years after the series' conclusion, it's still fondly looked backed on by both fans and critics alike, with many of them regarding it as the greatest Punisher run of all time, and a number of the story arcs have even been referenced on WebVideo/TwoBestFriendsPlay. It's also influenced almost all of the Punisher's comic incarnations most notably ''Film/PunisherWarZone'' and the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse incarnation.

* CultClassic: Years after the series' conclusion, it's still fondly looked backed on by both fans and critics alike, with many of them regarding it as the greatest Punisher run of all time, and a number of the story arcs have even been referenced on WebVideo/TwoBestFriendsPlay.

* MoralEventHorizon: Unsurprisingly given [[CrapsackWorld the very nature of the series]], this is to be expected by most of the antagonists the Punisher encounters

* MoralEventHorizon:

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Frank is usually treated as a [[KnightTemplar absolute moralist]] who just happens to be fighting a never-ending war on crime. Other interpretations imply [[HeWhoFightsMonsters he's just as bad as the monsters he fights]] and is little different from a serial killer. The only thing that stays the same is the reason why he became the Punisher.

* HolyShitQuotient: Issue 18 of Jason Aaron's ''The Punisher MAX'' kicks things off by having [[spoiler: [[JokerImmunity Frank blowing]] [[SubvertedTrope Bullseye's brains out while he's in a coma]]]], then moves on to [[spoiler: Kingpin laying waste to his own lieutenants, then proceeding to have sex with Elektra amid the carnage]], followed by [[spoiler: Elektra and Mrs. Fisk getting it on]], and finally, out of nowhere, [[spoiler: [[MoralEventHorizon Frank digs up the remains of Kingpin's eight-year-old son]]]].

** Creator/GarthEnnis ''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 over how stupid and cowardly they are. Understandable, as Ennis grew up in UsefulNotes/StrokeCountry during the height of the violence in the region.

** Nicky Cavella was at first just a more sadistic and efficient mafiosi than what Frank is used to, then he pissed on Frank's family's grave to cement how tasteless he is and his backstory revealed he killed his whole family at eight, just to show how depraved psychotic he was.

** Creator/GarthEnnis ''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 over how stupid and cowardly they are. Understandable, as Ennis grew up in UsefulNotes/StrokeCountry during the height of the religious violence in the region.

** And ''again''.

** [[spoiler:Bullseye]] arguably qualifies as a villainous example. After all, can you think of ''any'' other character who successfully managed to give Frank even a ''brief'' HeroicBSOD?