Fisk and the Five Families
Caution: Review may contain spoilers.
The hit man that Rigoletto was waiting for is finally in town, and he is: the Mennonite. Mennonites are similar to Amish people, and do not use mechanical devices. He refuses to use a gun, instead opting for tools that his religion allows him to use.
Wilson Fisk is evacuating his family from their regular apartment, but Frank Castle is hot on his trail and demands a showdown. Fisk tells the Punisher that it was nice working with him, and the Mennonite attacks Frank with a sledgehammer. A brutal fight ensues, during which Frank’s hands are severely injured. He also takes heavy shots to his chest, likely causing damage to his lungs as well as internal bleeding. The Mennonite also gets his horses to attack Frank, helping to turn the tide in his favor. The Punisher gets a few shots in against the Mennonite, but decides to run rather than continue the showdown.
Meanwhile, Fisk begins to execute his plan against the five families, a la Michael Corleone. He executes hits on three of the other families, while a fourth don is getting in touch with Rigoletto to let him know that Fisk is double crossing them. He is killed, and that leaves only Rigoletto, who knows that Fisk is there to get him.
This was an action packed issue. The fight with the Mennonite is a real street fight, but I can’t help but laugh at the character. It’s just a little too unbelievable. He won’t use a gun because of his religion, but he’ll kill someone? I am a fan of realistic characters and bare-knuckled brawlers, but he seems to be axiomatically flawed.
Still, the issue was pretty good. It’s hard for me to believe that the Mennonite would have gotten such a strong advantage over Castle, who is always thinking about all of the angles. It will be interesting to see how this story pans out, with the Mennonite still hunting Frank and Fisk poised to take over as the Kingpin.