Punisher Episode 1-2 Reviews: Finally, A Hero Who's Not Afraid To Get Bloody (Series Premiere)

The long awaited Marvel "Punisher" series FINALLY launched on NetFlix last week. We first met Frank Castle back in season 2 of "DareDevil". Frank (presumed dead) is very much alive and still kicking ass. Just to catch ya up to speed, Frank's wife and children were killed by some bad dudes. In the opening scene of "Punisher" Frank kills the last of those responsible-- a biker, a member of a drug cartel and some guy in the Kitchen Irish gang. He tries to settle down into a quiet existence but we know that won't happen. There are plenty of other baddies out there. Plus Frank is still suffering from PTSD from his time in the Marines. He joins a support group for veterans.

In a side story, Dinah Medina (Amber Rose Revah) is just back from Afghanistan. She's working for the Department of Homeland Security. Her DHS sidekick is Sam Stein. Can he be trusted or he a snitch? Dinah's Afghan partner was killed when he was about to reveal intel on US soldier's trafficking heroine. She wants the killers brought to justice. I'm sure Frank and Dinah will cross paths soon.

Deborah Ann Woll also makes an appearance as Karen. She has a thing for Frank. He gets info from her on Micron (David Lieberman). He's a former NSA agent and current hacker who is also presumed dead. They sniff around each other but will eventual end up as reluctant partners. Next Frank tangles with Dinah's boss Carson Wolf (who we soon find out is dirty). It turns out he "killed" Micron. Wolf tells Frank there's a bigger conspiracy regarding his family's deaths. Conspiracy? I'm all in. Carson tries to shoot Frank but oops no bullets. Frank snaps his neck. Dinah is now the ranking officer in their department.

Grade: 4 3/4 Monsters (out of 5). Excellent. "Punisher" is unapologeticly violent and I love it. Enough of kung fu punches where no one ever gets hurt. And dont even get me started on "Iron First". "Punisher's" title sequence quickly sets the mood. The heavy metal music adds an extra layer of fun. There's plenty of action right off the bat. The premiere does an excellent job of anchoring the story and making us root for poor tortured Frank. Plus Jon Bernthal is easy on the eyes. If the other 12 episodes are as good as the premiere, count me in.