Meet The New Punisher In Town: Punisher 2099 #1 Reviewed
by Josh Davison
Mild Spoilers Ahead
Hector Tago is a Public Eye Officer in the Year 2099. He’s recently been made a hero of the force after helping to quell a Thorite uprising with the help of Officer Jake Gallows. However, something doesn’t add up for Tago; something is different between his memory and the recording of him shooting a Thorite dead. He digs into Public Eye files, though Gallows urges him to let it go. Tago can’t, and he goes to his grandfather, a Thorite, for more information about the riot and the Thorite cult. After a cleaning bot goes haywire and Tago interviews the man who made that happen, Tago finally gets a lead on the truth. Unfortunately, the truth hurts his standing with the Public Eye, and Tago’s fellow officers begin to turn on him.
Punisher 2099 #1 brings us the story of Public Eye Officer Hector Tago, his fall from the force and newfound mission in the aftermath.
Ironically, Jake Gallows, the Punisher of 2099, isn’t the main focus of the story. He’s a side character and a confidant for Hector Tago.
Punisher 2099 #1 provides a surprisingly full story, even for an expanded issue like this. Zac Thompson and Lonnie Nadler fully establish the personality, motivations, and origins of the Punisher of 2099. You get to know the character, how they stand apart from Frank Castle, and an idea of where they’re going from here.
The comic provides a hefty investigative tale. You can probably see where the story is going from early in the comic, but the journey to the truth is engaging all the same.
Matt Horak and Eoin Marron give the book a solid design that suits the futuristic yet brutal world of 2099. Tago and Gallows are visually distinct and expressive characters, and the new design for Punisher 2099 is great. Rachelle Rosenberg gives the book a vivid color palette to boot, and the overall comic becomes something that easily grabs and holds the reader’s attention.
Punisher 2099 #1 is a well-rounded and compelling one-shot reintroducing the reader to the Punisher of the year 2099. The writing is smart, the characters are intriguing, and the art is great. This one gets a recommendation. Feel free to give it a read.
Punisher 2099 #1 comes to us from writers Zac Thompson and Lonnie Nadler, artist Matt Horak with Eoin Marron, color artist Rachelle Rosenberg, letterer VC’s Joe Sabino, cover artist Patch Zircher with Java Tartaglia, and variant cover artists Steve Epting; and Ron Lim with Israel Silva.
Final Score: 8.5/10
