As was revealed at the start of this Punisher series, policeman Walter Bolt was credited for taking down a crime family at The Cloisters, therefore receiving notoriety and a promotion to detective.  What no one knew, however is that The Punisher, using Bolt’s weapon, was the actual man responsible.  Since, The Punisher, Frank Castle, has been using Bolt as an information source, to glean information from the police department.

Now there has been another incident involving Bolt and The Punisher, resulting in him being interrogated by Detective Robert Seever.  The first thing Bolt does is come clean about the incident at The Cloisters and reveals that he has been supplying information to Castle.  The night before,  Bolt was on a date with a fellow police employee, Carlie Cooper, when Castle appproached him asking for information on Rachel Cole-Alvez, who up until the “Omega Effect” crossover with Daredevil and Spider-Man, had been working as Castle’s partner.  Their meeting is interrupted by a zombie horde, in case we’ve forgotten that this book is set within the Marvel 616 Universe.  The villain responsible is obscure, voodoo-powered Avengers baddie Black Talon.

The Punisher handles the zombies with precision, whereas Bolt empties all of his rounds taking out only one.  Seever demands Bolt’s badge and tells him he should contact his union rep.

Then politics enter the picture.  Bolt was in the press after The Cloisters.  He’s semi-famous and was properly identified as fighting the zombies with The Punisher in public.  Instead of filing charges, the city plans to whitewash this and set Bolt up as a hero again… to his dismay.  It seems he spilled his guts in hopes of getting fired, thus making him useless to The Punisher. So much for a normal life.

I think it’s bold that in this series, The Punisher is more of a background character, allowing new and fascinating characters to carry the book.  I did miss Sgt. Cole-Alvez, as she has essentially carried the series to this point.  I’m looking forward to her return.  Overall, this is a solid, stand-alone story, so if you just want something new to read, this is a great choice.

My one reservation was the art.  I just didn’t like it.  There’s nothing to criticize.  It just wasn’t my kind of style, but that’s just me.

Verdict: Buy

THE PUNISHER #11
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Mirko Colak
Cover by Hitch, Neary & Mounts