while i agree changes are good, why even try them on iconic characters if they're not going to stick? i thought frankencastle was a joke when i first heard about it and didn't actually read any of it. was it any good at all or did it go about as well as angel punisher? again i like changes, just make some lasting ones comic companies.

Spin the wheel of comic 'fix-all' tropes:
 
Clone!
 
We have a winner!

For me it depends on the change. For example the thing with Dick Grayson you mentioned was something inevitable. He couldn't stay Robin forever. But about changes, my question about them is why make them if things will eventually return to normal? But I'm also curious to see how he will return.

I am personally glad to see the FrankenCastle idea over as it was horrible to me.  Looking forward to this new series.  
 
@Gman  I'll say this, in regards to the idea of relaxing about changes made to major characters.  I certainly, wholeheartedly hope you are right given what is occurring with Wonder Woman

I like when things are stirred up a little. I prevents stories/characters from becoming stale. I'm a big Hulk fan, and although I wasn't too fussed on Planet Hulk, I like what it has lead to, so in the end, the shake-up was worth it.

I love it when people actually know what they are talking about, once again great job, G-Man.

I think comic fanboys are a a bit of a curse on the industry for this very reason. You asked why they bother making crazy gimmicky changes that arent gonna last. The reason is because those are the only stories they have left to tell. For the most part comic book writers have told just about every story there is left to tell about all the good characters. The problem is that in order to continue telling good compelling stories, they need to be allowed to let the characters actually grow over periods of time, Physically, emotionally and figuratively. Unfortunately this would mean in the long run major character and plot changes that actually stick. something fanboys would outrage about.

Honestly I think they should should have just left Punisher dead. His was so well written and was a great send off for the character. He died fighting the corruption of Norman Osborne and went through hell because of Osborne. Everything about his death was so well done.

I loved Fraken Castle if I wanted a human Frank I would  read Punisher Max, I mean in Franken Castle he rode a dragon while using a mini gun for crying out loud, that was awesome.

I liked Franken Castle too. I was hoping it was cross over into blade and vampire xmen to get an interesting mix up.

I'm nowhere near a hardcore Punisher fan.  I know enough to get me by and that's about it.  I started reading the Punisher stuff with The List one-shot where he was killed.  I've really enjoyed it.  Granted, there was a reason I started reading the stuff:  as my username implies, I'm a HUGE Bloodstone fan and this "Franken-Castle" arc had the bloodstone (or Bloodgem) return to the pages of a high profile Marvel comic after about 20 years of being lost in obscurity (the last time it appeared in a major comic was Captain America #357-362 which was called The Bloodstone Hunt).
 
This was just another phase in the life of the Punisher, it had to end at sometime (just like G-Man said).  Being a comic fan means we have to suck it up and take the bad stories until the great ones return (which sucks, yes, but it's bound to happen).  It was a good ride and hopefully now the Punisher fans will be happy.  :-)

I'v been very interested in the Punishers change into Frankin castle 
Thats why I'm going to get the Frankin-castle trade which collects the whole thing from Punisher the list to Punishment 
This will be my first Punisher trade so hopefully the interest I have will be enough for me to like it  

I think they only keep bringing them back because the fans make such a hissy fit about their deaths. I mean someone else on here said that there should be a 2 year dead rule, I agree with that. It gives fans time to throw hissy fits, calm down a bit, then accept it, then get SUPER hyped by the time they come back.

 I loved Fraken Castle

Is it just me, or Marvel nowadays backtracks every few months? Most of the huge changes that stemmed from Civil War, Secret Invasion and Dark Reign are being restored to the previous status quo. Steve Rogers is back, no one knows who Spider-Man is, Frank Castle is back in his old self, Iron Man is again essentially "good" thanks to a pretty useful mind-wipe... 
 
Yeah, major events sell, but at least try to stick to what they change for a bit longer than a couple months. Barry Allen spent 25 years in Limbo before coming back, Frank Castle only 6 months... Comic book publishers are wasting a good opportunity to explore new alternatives for a character just to make a quick buck and keep everyone mildly satisfied.

I saw Mephisto pays a visit to Franken Castle and asks for one more day from him. 

One possible way for him to return would be to clone him and transfer his consiousness into his new body. Just a guess.

" I love it when people actually know what they are talking about, once again great job, G-Man. "

"...but if you drastically change what makes a character who they are, simply put, the readers won't stand for it."  

I like FrankenCastle 
 

Is there really going to be any way that Frank returns to his normal state that won't be a goofy/cheesy/dumb as being a reanimated corpse? Leave the "true life" Punisher to the MAX title and have some fun with Frank, because he is never going to have fun by himself.

I feel like Frankencastle would have been an interesting alternate universe story. That way, they could really go balls-to-the-wall with it and not have to inexplicably but inevitably return him to the status quo within a year.

Maybe the reason why people continue buying a comic that may look crappy is for reasons of maybe hope or change of thought about what they would label as horrible. 
 
Here's a fact, most fans dislike hating Marvel. I dont find comfort in hating Siege#4 or Franken-castle.
 
Yeah, we will continue to buy a series or an event of a comic so that we the fans could find possibly some form of entertainment, yes, we are the dummys who continue buying that predictable comic and continue being butt-hurt about it, so what. 
Because if we stop buying a comic, Marvel would never learn from anything despite how cruel and mean we are about it. If we just stop buying a comic, that won't do anything, just raise another or the same issue again with another awesome character or series.  
They heard about the Red Hulk when arrogant fans continue to buy Loebs comics and shared their personal opinions. Now Red Hulk isn't in Loebs hands anymore, thank god.  
We are nerds dammit, full fledged nerds that gives Marvel the gasoline to continue running and would find entertainment as we share our personal opinion about a crappy comic, rather if its good or bad. 
So the question is (again), why would anybody care about what nerds write if they disagree when it could just simply be ignored?     

" Honestly I think they should should have just left Punisher dead. His was so well written and was a great send off for the character. He died fighting the corruption of Norman Osborne and went through hell because of Osborne. Everything about his death was so well done. "

" Your advice does not apply to fans of Roy Harper...or any Titan. "

I don't sit back and relax when a title or character turns to crap because of bad writing. I shake my fist in the air, screaming out the name of the writer 'Wrath of Khan' style, "Remender!!!" Then I stop wasting my money on that comic until the pathetic storyline (such as Frankencastle) finishes, in hopes that the next story arc will be better...

franken castle was a bad dream.....that's how i'll remember it

I didn't like Franken Castle for one reason. 
 
It wasn't who the Punisher is. 
 
What makes the Punisher so interesting his that he is a regular guy, who can stand toe to toe with some of Marvel's heavy hitters. Also his stories are very realistic in tone, and his origin is very realistic as well. Anybody would become the Punisher if what happened to him, happened to them. If your family was killed my mobsters in front of you, you'd want revenge too. 
 
By giving him Superpowers, all your doing is ruining what makes Punisher cool. The fact he doesn't have super powers is what makes Punisher cool. He's an ORDINARY man, with some skills. Take that away and he's just another superhero looking for revenge.

Let me ask the readers this.  If Frank was brought back the same way, only he didn't actually look like Frankenstein, he was just his normal body parts out together and he resembled this would the readers care as much.  Punisher  sewed together?

Ha! I knew it! You knew it! Everybody knew it!
So why did they do it in the first place? 
Boosting sales and creating a buzz? Trying new ideas?
Probably a bit of both :P
 
Anyway, characters could die in comics, if
a) they would allow time to normally move on
b) use simply parallel stories/mini series to tell adventures of the original characters before dying and NOT bringing them back in the main "universe".

Is it possible that this isn't actually the end of Frankencastle, and it's actually just another transition phase? I mean, it's called "In the Blood" and Frankencastle had the Bloodstone inside of him, healing him. It's a Bloodstone. In the Blood. Is there a correlation here?

This article reminds me of Brand New Day when the world don't remember who Spider-man was, MJ and Peter never got married and Peter lost his abilities he got in The Other and from the Queen. Out of all the things that happened, losing his powers from the Queen and The Other was the only change I didn't like (Hopefully, they will explain this in the current arc). Brand New Day had some issues that were meh, but overall, there were a lot of issues that were pretty interesting. 

Now, I'm not really a huge Punisher fan, and I've never read FrankenCastle, but it does seem like both a weird and interesting idea.

No pun intended, but Welcome Back Frank.

OK why are some people welcoming Frank back or acting like he left to begin with?I mean Franken Castle was still Frank Castle.

I think I would've gotten into it more if the gun-toting Frankenstein schtick hadn't already been established by Morrison.

THANK GOD