Another response to my PUNISHER #1 review:

>> I think you're taking this too seriously. <<

I don't. I think it's symptomatic of all the violence we tolerate in our society. I'm not on a crusade against PUNISHER or Ennis. I'll probably ignore them once this debate is over. But they're great examples of our punishment-happy culture.

>> You are not reviewing a serious novel written by one of the great novelists of our time. <<

If a novel conveyed the same sentiments, would you worry more? Why or why not?

>> It's entertainment <<

I think I addressed and dismissed that claim in my essay. I doubt there's such a thing as pure entertainment.

>> you are within your rights to dislike it, but don't equate it with what's wrong with society. <<

That's it. You've got it. It's a perfect example of what's wrong with society. People who act as selfish individuals, who put their needs and wants before everyone else's. This incarnation of Punisher doesn't care about finding justice in the world. He's in it for the pleasure of assuaging his pain. He's like an addict getting a "hit" of killing to make himself feel good.

>> There are many things that will influence the way people act & I doubt this is one of them. <<

Everything influences the way people act. Every thing has a cumulative effect. I didn't claim this one comic would set people off, despite all the respondents who thought I claimed that. But one study says children are exposed to 40,000 murders and 200,000 violent acts by the time they grow up. Are you claiming that doesn't or can't have an effect?

I think it does, and this comic is representative of all those violent acts. For any kid who reads it, the tally is now 200,005 violent acts. And counting.

>> If you read Spider-man back issues, he's a real simple charater: see bad guy- kill bad guy. <<

I read them. If you read them, you'd see the Punisher has shades of gray. Or had them, until Ennis's version. Castle regretted his war on crime and thought about quitting more than once.

>> The only twist Garth has added is that the death should be gruesome. <<

Read the incisive column by Matthew Richards. As he pointed out, this take isn't anything like previous takes. It's vastly inferior.

>> Well, we're all entitled to our opinion. <<

I'll agree with you there. Of course, I've bolstered my opinion with facts and logic. I wish everyone else in the debate could say the same. <g>

Rob

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