What do you think?
The Punisher: One-Shots
The Punisher: A Man Named Frank
He had come home from war to work the farm with his wife, and to raise the kids in the peace he had fought for. When desperados torch his farm, butcher his wife and children, and shove him out into the scorching desert sun to perish slowly, this man refuses to die. Instead, he crawls back to his now silent homestead, buries his family, unearths his war chest, and then sets out on a ruthless quest across still-untamed America, a manhunt that will last years. A vigilante has been born. Heralded writer Chuck Dixon and legendary illustrator John Buscema bring you a tale - set in the twilight of the Old West - of the vigilante, the man... A man named Frank.
50 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Chuck Dixon
3,504 books1,136 followersCharles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, perhaps best-known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.
His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.
In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.
His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.
He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .
While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.
In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.
On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."
His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.
In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.
His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.
He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .
While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.
In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.
On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 18, 2018
Unlike most of the Punisher one-shorts, this one isn’t all bad. But this isn’t much to say when it’s only slightly better than the typical run-of-the-mill illustrated diarrhea. Only a mere step away from the heaping heap of fetid refuse its related too, A Man Named Frank smells and looks just like something that just left the bathroom (and I’m not talking about the excreter himself).
Unsurprisingly anachronisms abound in this story set in the Wild West Era, jumbling this way and that with no clear end in sight. All the more unsurprisingly enough is the (read: hackneyed read: BEAT to DEATH) ever mutably immutable origin story, evinced once again with only the slightest of alterations: automatics are traded for revolvers, most all boots are jacked with spurs, and our beloved Frank Castle still wears his death skull’d t-shirt (with perfectly uncontemporaneous jeans that seem bought from a local Levi’s rather than a more appropriate town general shop).
Anyways, predictable revenge leads into a labyrinthine narrative that is often cloudier than not. Unable to see the walls of the narrative, we’re simply feeling out way along the nooks and crannies as it unfolds across the images and the sounds. Without any way to find our own way, we’re dragged along the tracks of story as the author and illustrator saw fit.
When the finish line is reached, the only real positive here is to be gleaned from a historical perspective. Given how far the Punisher character has gone from his puerile, black skin-tight suit and matching white glove and boots era of the late 70’s (which always unnerves me) toward the phenomenal golden era forged by Ennis and Aaron, a greater appreciation can be given to this most uncompromising of comic book anti-heroes. All the more potent is the realization that Ennis and Aaron didn’t invent the character themselves yet, they might just as well have done just that with their unbelievably well written tales that border on the levels of a legit resurrection.
For this tale: it just might be about a, Man Named Frank. But for me, this comic could’ve been titled: a Man Named Mud and it wouldn’t have made it any worse.
Always remember to wash your hands after using the bathroom!
Unsurprisingly anachronisms abound in this story set in the Wild West Era, jumbling this way and that with no clear end in sight. All the more unsurprisingly enough is the (
Anyways, predictable revenge leads into a labyrinthine narrative that is often cloudier than not. Unable to see the walls of the narrative, we’re simply feeling out way along the nooks and crannies as it unfolds across the images and the sounds. Without any way to find our own way, we’re dragged along the tracks of story as the author and illustrator saw fit.
When the finish line is reached, the only real positive here is to be gleaned from a historical perspective. Given how far the Punisher character has gone from his puerile, black skin-tight suit and matching white glove and boots era of the late 70’s (which always unnerves me) toward the phenomenal golden era forged by Ennis and Aaron, a greater appreciation can be given to this most uncompromising of comic book anti-heroes. All the more potent is the realization that Ennis and Aaron didn’t invent the character themselves yet, they might just as well have done just that with their unbelievably well written tales that border on the levels of a legit resurrection.
For this tale: it just might be about a, Man Named Frank. But for me, this comic could’ve been titled: a Man Named Mud and it wouldn’t have made it any worse.
Always remember to wash your hands after using the bathroom!
September 12, 2017
I'm a huge fan of Westerns. I love Jonah Hex.
This book put me in mind of those Westerns with the typical plot. Vengeance.
This is an earlier Frank. Another Frank; another time, another place.
It's interesting to find out how this Frank found the Punisher symbol.
It's not a profound read, but it is a good read.
This book put me in mind of those Westerns with the typical plot. Vengeance.
This is an earlier Frank. Another Frank; another time, another place.
It's interesting to find out how this Frank found the Punisher symbol.
It's not a profound read, but it is a good read.
April 8, 2025
Set in 1910
It was ok. Just your usual Frank Castle origin story but set in the wild west. Nothing worth reading to get excited about and the artwork was ok. Everything here was mediocre and pointless and if this comes from someone who's a sucker for westerns and biased on anything from the old west, then you know to not waste any time reading it.
It was ok. Just your usual Frank Castle origin story but set in the wild west. Nothing worth reading to get excited about and the artwork was ok. Everything here was mediocre and pointless and if this comes from someone who's a sucker for westerns and biased on anything from the old west, then you know to not waste any time reading it.
January 24, 2019
For Hellbent. Better than Justice Riders. Great art. A western style retelling of the Punisher's origin.
July 7, 2019
Scritto da Chuck Dixon e disegnato splendidamente da John Buscema, questo albo narra di un Punitore alternativo, operante a inizi novecento nel west dei desperados e bandidos, una specie di omaggio ai film di Sergio Leone.
Se la storia in se non è nulla di nuovo e nulla di che, i disegni di John Buscema di ambientazione western mi fanno rimpiangere il fatto che non vedrò mai un Texone disegnato da lui, vista la sua triste scomparsa. Che potenza nel suo tratto, che belli i suoi paesaggi.
Invece Chuck Dixon per fortuna ha provato a scrivere Tex. Ne parlerò altrove, ma ne sono contento.
Se la storia in se non è nulla di nuovo e nulla di che, i disegni di John Buscema di ambientazione western mi fanno rimpiangere il fatto che non vedrò mai un Texone disegnato da lui, vista la sua triste scomparsa. Che potenza nel suo tratto, che belli i suoi paesaggi.
Invece Chuck Dixon per fortuna ha provato a scrivere Tex. Ne parlerò altrove, ma ne sono contento.
July 24, 2026
Nice! Take the Punisher (P) and put him in place and time - the twilight of the Old West. When his family is killed by desperados who then burn down his farm he has but one reason to live: track all four men down and make them pay! Missed this one back in 1994, glad my friend Tom gave me a copy to read! Nice addition to the P universe!
December 13, 2021
Interesting version of the Punisher. His revenge thing seem to work well in western surroundings. Not sure if I would like the read more of that, but this one shot with Buscema art worked pretty well.
January 17, 2025
One of the best Punisher one-shots ever made. It retells the origin of The Punisher except he's a Spanish-American War veteran in the early 1900's instead of a Vietnam veteran in the late 70's-80's. It's simple but that's what makes it great.
February 25, 2017
A pretty standard tale of revenge. Seen it all before. The only difference is this time it's Frank Castle in the old west...
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews