This is definitive Bradstreet Punisher in all his glory, and aside from a full-blown statue, it doesn't get much better than this. If the flesh-paint had just a skosh more depth to it, this figure would look just like a real person. The clothing is entirely textured, there are no areas that look like sculpted plastic, everything is realistic. There's only a slight issue with the arms being semi-glossy while the coat is flat (because it's made of rubber). I'm not sure if it's a built-in feature, but the right arm can pop-off easily so the coat is removable! This way you can show-off the harness wears underneath (also removable). The thing is that, even though the shirt looks great with wrinkles and folds, the arms are still those of a trenchcoat, so the result is weird. It makes us wonder if the arms were originally planned to be interchangeable with sleeved versions. Maybe so, and I'm sure if they were, Marvel went "Whoa, whoa! We're already giving them a ton of extras with the figure, enough is enough!"
      But it's never enough!
      It's funny how lovingly the set-pieces and accessories were designed, considering it's just a wall and a dude lying down on something. It really does seem like someone sat at work all day and meticulously detailed every nook and cranny of the thug battered on the game-machine. The wide terrorized eyes express fear precisely, every tattoo on the bendy arms is immaculate, the hair and stubble are supreme, even the tiny teeth are individually kissed with a touch of white. The Spiderman pinball-machine he's on is left as gray plastic but the silver details are painted, it even has the coin-slots neatly sculpted on the front. The brick-wall is another separate piece and has a window with a removable neon-sign; there's no glass (or plastic) in the frame though. The sign reads "Mattern's Tavern", far as I can tell, it's probably the name of someone who contributed to thePunisher mythos over the years because I don't remember a place by this name from the comics.

Sculpt Score: 9 / 10

      Incredibly, there are no problems with any of the paint on any of the items in the package. Everything is appropriately shaded,Punisher's boots and pants are even slightly dirtied to show wear. The white skull is super-crisp, which is really the only thing that bugs me about the paint, it's too perfect, hah. The eyes look good, hair looks good, the weapons look good, awesome. Almost everything has a matte finish. They got lazy with the brick-wall though, it's painted, but doesn't have the same amount of obsessively-neat shading that, say, the hair on the thug's belly does. The arms should have been painted to match the flat black of he coat. And again, if the skin were shaded a little more intricately, this figure could easily look like it belonged to the ultra-realistic line of McFarlane figures.

Paint Score: 9 / 10 

      The articulation on this figure is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE! There are so many ways they could have hidden articulation with the wrinkles of the clothing, I'd gladly trade-in the giant goodies for more weapons and poseability. This figure only has 6 POA! Yikes! The Neck is a ball-socket but the head doesn't move much except from side to side. The arms, wrists, and waist swivel, and that's it. This limitation effectively cripples Punisher's arsenal of poses, leaving him with only 2 poses that look decent; right arm down with left arm shooting, or, both arms shooting. The left arm swivels outwards a little so it looks wonky if dropped by his side. Compare this figure to the awesome Jonah Hex from the "DC Showcase Presents" line and you'll see all the wasted opportunities.
     The ultimate slap in the face is that the deadbeat on the pinball machine even gets swivels in his boots, BOOTS HE CAN'T EVEN USE!, and Frank can't even move his legs! What the hell!? RAWR!

Articulation Score: 3 / 10

Fun Score: 6 / 10

     This pack of goods is definitely worth the retail price, if only counting the amount of plastic. Essentially, you get TWO large figures for the price of one! You also get a big pinball-machine, a large chunk of detailed brick-wall (with some wooden floor too), a rifle, a gun, and as a bonus, if you can get the hand-cuffs off the thug without breaking them, then you have 2 more pairs of free accessories! That's a crazy good deal. But then again, would you rather have props you'll never display, or more articulation and weapons? Where's the kabar knife? Where's the machine-gun? Grenades? Flamethrower? Very disappointing choice of accessories. Wouldn't it make more sense to try to recreate a comic-cover? Preferably one with his arsenal on the wall behind. That would use way less plastic and look much better on display.

 

Value Score: 8 / 10

 

Summary

9 - Great attention to detail with neat and polished results.

9 - All paint is applied cleanly with only the wall needing some dry-brushing. 

3 - Terrible, even for Marvel Select standards.

6 - This score would be an easy 9 if the figure could actually move. As is, all you get is a nice display piece.

8 - You'll love this figure if you're a Punisher fan because of what it represents, but I can't see any normal person buying this figure "just because". Large extras are included in the package though.

 

Overall Score: 70 / 100 - This is a Good Toy

If you're only looking for a way to show your love for ol' Frank, then this figure would get a higher score. But if you're looking for something you can snipe your other figures with, look for the Marvel Legends versions instead.

-Dr. Nightmare (dr._nightmare@articulateddiscussion.com)

 

Dr. Nightmare pops his head up anywhere and everywhere you can find toys, and frankly, it's getting annoying. From his own imagination-filled blog, The Underground Junk Hole, to the customized halls of Figure Realm, he regularly contributes to the online action figure community. He's one heck of a customizer and thought-spiller to boot.