The Marvel Universe has placed a bounty on Frank Castle/the Punisher's head, meaning there's no telling who might be out there trying to kill him.
In the October 2022 solicitations for Marvel Comics, the publisher revealed information for the upcoming Punisher War Journal: Brother #1. Coming from Torunn Grønbekk and Rafael Pimentel, the one-shot will see assassins from the Marvel Universe try and kill the Punisher once and for all. The synopsis reads, "OLD FRIENDS DIE HARD! Lady Bullseye failed. Lord Deathstrike failed. Every assassin sent to kill Frank fails. The leaders of the underworld – crime bosses, heads of terrorist organizations, and even a corrupt government or two come together to solve the growing problem of Frank Castle. Sharing intel, resources, and money, a collective underworld puts out a contract to kill Frank – eligible for anyone: assassins, mercenaries or smalltown crooks. The news ripples through the shadows of the world: $500 million to the person who takes down the Punisher. But there’s one face from his past…who’s in this hunt for more than money."
Marvel's new Punisher run launched in March 2022. The series has taken the Frank Castle character in a bold, new direction as he's become the leader of the Hand, an organization he previously harbored a serious hatred for. In exchange for becoming the Hand's "Fist of the Beast," Frank's long-dead wife Maria was resurrected. Maria, however, has begun to catch on that something isn't right, given their children aren't there and she's only permitted to stay in certain areas.
In Punisher #4, Frank uses his newfound superpowers given to him by the Hand to kill Lord Deathstrike. The issue ends with him realizing just how sinister the Hand really is and telling Maria they need to immediately leave, which could relate to why the underworld has put out a contract to kill Frank Castle. Punisher #5 by writer Jason Aaron, artists Jesus Saiz and Paul Azaceta continues the story and releases on Aug. 10. The synopsis for the issue reads, "Is the Punisher truly the Fist of the Beast and the predestined High Slayer of the Hand? Or is he nothing more than a prisoner of their lies? And if there's one thing Frank Castle has never been particularly good at being…it's a prisoner."
Punisher War Journal: Brother #1 features cover art by Leinil Francis Yu and variant cover art by Martin Simmonds and Superlog. The one-shot releases Oct. 12 from Marvel.
Source: Marvel Comics