Cover of the Week 3/9 – The Punisher #10 by Mitch Gerads

Forget about three dimensional covers with huge red borders, this weeks best front page was courtesy of Mitch Gerads. I have always been impressed by his quite raw style and outlook on Punisher. His pencils are clean and his characters are quite realistic, even Frank’s face looks weathered and battered. He even does his own colours which allows full control over the tone and theme of the book, this was never better demonstrated that the arc involving Electro. This cover has warmth in a time of incarceration because the yellow tint and shining sun peer through the cell bars. It casts light over a broken Punisher who sits angrily wielding a fresh knife, for all to beware. Especially when you see the figure seriously injured to the right. The tally symbols are arranged into the Punisher symbol which not only demonstrates the length of incarceration but also it serves as a warning sign to onlookers. The scowl and aggressive gaze whilst sitting with arms over knees is a particularly threatening image. Though the rays of sunshine coming down over the symbol onto our central figure may impress an angelic figure, be sure the the shaded areas of blood splatters make that a complete illusion. It is a lovely touch to have the Punisher title fit in perspective with the ground in the picture. It is a great image of a man waiting patiently to leave prison but a threatening portrait of a man fighting to survive.