The restart of the Marvel Comics series The Punisher has the main character (vigilante/veteran Frank Castle) make a big move from the too-familiar backdrop of New York, where the Punisher's cleaned up organized crime since 1974, to Los Angeles, reports the Downtown News. Aside from having the advantage of some new territory for the character to explore, the city was a good-looking choice, says the writer behind the reboot, Nathan Edmondson: "Los Angeles is more visually appealing [than New York], offering the city center with its high rises, as well as the desert and mountains." But LA's a big city, and Edmondson wanted to find a "home base" for the character; he decided on Downtown, where the changing character—gentrifying but not gentrified entirely—is exactly the kind of seamy-but-historic vibe he was looking for.
If you're going for kind-of-dangerous/kind-of-hip, the historic Nickel Diner is a solid choice—the Skid Row-adjacent eatery plays the role of Frank Castle/The Punisher's hangout in the series. (He also breaks down and has some maple bacon donuts.) Readers will also see the iconic Bradbury Building, the Broadway Army Store on Fourth Street, Grand Central Market's China Café, the Rosslyn Hotel, the Million Dollar Theatre, and LA Live's Ritz-Carlton tower making appearances in future issues.
The first LA-based issue of the comic has been pronounced a visual win by the fans at Comics Alliance, who were bowled over by artist Mitch Gerads's amazing depiction of the wide spectrum of LA-area environments—everything from "smog-hazed cityscapes to the desolate beauty of Yucca Valley." The comic won't exactly present a traditionally attractive view of the city—The Punisher fights gangs, drug dealers, crime in general—but at least it will look cool.
· The Punisher Comes to Downtown, And That's a Good Thing [LADN]
· 'The Punisher' #1: Frankie Goes To Hollywood Review [CA]
Loading comments...