Dude. If there was ever a figure review with my name on it, it might be this one.
Building on what is arguably already one of the best figures of the entire line, Mezco follows up the standard Punisher with a version that makes that figure’s respectable arsenal feel like a beginner’s course.
Like most variants, this Punisher is structurally the same as the other releases. As such, he has the same base body, same (3) alternate heads and (3) pair of hands, and has a similar-styled uniform. This version also comes with the same chest plate and belt as the standard release, but we’ll come back to those.
The obvious changes in uniform are the short-sleeve t-shirt and gray BDU trousers. While constructed in the same way, and made of similar material, the effect is impressive, effectively changing Frank’s style very easily. The shirt sleeves seem to have some variance to them, with some creeping up his arms to a practically sleeveless look, but mine seem content to ride along the bicep cut. The silkscreen t-shirt effect is also really nice and evocative of the Thomas Jane movie look.
To further disguise Frank, there is also a black pleather trench coat included. While not exactly a rare item in a 1:12 collection, I will say this coat does stand out from the drawers full of Mattel, Jakks, and ToyBiz ones I’ve collected over the years. The finish is high quality, and the wire inside of his jacket’s belt can make for some good posing. In fact, I liked the look so much I felt like he needed a hat. It’s cold out here today, so he borrowed a Madelman one. Lastly, there is the duffel bag. It is big and functional, and looks real; therefore, it is one of the most awesome accessories of all time — no joke.
But let’s dispense with the wardrobe for a minute and talk about Frank’s additional weapons. He does come with the same 1911, MP5, Mikor, and HK/Masada rifle as the standard release, as well as the firing effect and extra mags, but this version includes some really incredible new additions, and it’s nearly impossible to pick a favorite.
For the rifle category, deluxe Punisher comes with a specialist legend, an Accuracy International Precision Marksman, more specifically, probably a member of the Arctic Warfare family of guns. So, if you’re a CSGO guy (or gal) and want to call this rifle an AWP, I’m thinking you’re about right. There are about a dozen sub-variants that AI build for a variety of customers, so the caliber could be a few different .30 options, but I’m thinking 7.62 NATO. The bipod, though delicate, does fold down, and there is a removable mag and spare included.
If Frank doesn’t need long distance, he now has two 12 Gauge pump shotguns to choose from. Both look like they’re of the Remington 870 variety, and seeing as those and the very similar Mossberg 5-600 family are very similar, it’s a good choice. Not only is the paint on both of these excellent, but the slide actions actually work. These are the best shotguns I’ve ever had in this scale, no question.
The first is a cruiser model, with a vertical foregrip and a side saddle. This one just lends itself to posing, as it looks mean as hell fired from the hip. If you’re into those “in the moment” poses, having Frank hold it one handed, muzzle-up with the rack back, and the other picking off a shell from the saddle looks awesome.
The second 12 Gauge is a more gangland-style, with a club-cut stock and standard forend. Notice that the cruiser has a front sight bead, where this one doesn’t. That’s usually indicative of a sawed-off, where the extra 4-6 inches got lopped off along with the bead. It’s little details like that — makes all the difference.
But let’s say we need to go heaver, even more than the very-heavy Mikor 40MM. For that, Punisher now has a Carl Gustaf M3 MAAWS launcher. MAAWS is short for Mulit-role Anti-Armor Anti-Tank Weapons system. I heard of them affectionately as “Charlie Goose” or just “Goose,” and bazooka is still common enough vernacular.This particular one has the extra bells and whistles laser sight on the side. It goes without saying, but this thing is badass.
If we need to switch back to close range, this Punisher can swap his 1911 and MP5 for a S&W revolver and MAC 10/11 for maybe even a little dual wielding. The revolver has a spinning six-shot cylinder, and could easily be a Magnum, in .44 or .357 caliber. It reminds me mostly of the classic S&W J-frame or the 600 family, and while Dirty Harry preferred blued steel, Frank can ask punks all day how lucky they are or aren’t and it won’t bother me.
I should also mention at this point the suspenders/belt combo has a holster for this revolver in a left side cross-draw position, which is just good sense for a backup weapon. It’s also a good left-handed shooter, since there’s no casings being ejected back at Castle’s already beat-up face. The MAC 10/11, mostly because I can’t tell caliber, is a smaller, dirtier cousin to the Uzi, and actually had a long history of special ops-type work before hip hop made it famous. This one could be 9MM, or 45 Cal, but either way it comes with a spare mag. It’s a good companion for dual wield, since the recoil is minimal. They can definitely climb, though.
If you just need to bag the whole operation, there’s the explosives charge with wireless detonator. The charge, probably C4, is done up in a nice little wrapped-up package with a receiver taped to it, and the handheld fits nicely in either of the open hands. I like the little details like the trigger cover and the antenna in particular.
However, it’s not just about the tools. If you’re going to be a one-man army, you need to dress for success. Frank comes with a lot of options for how you can load out his web gear, so I’ll leave it to you guys to work out what you like best.
There’s three belts, all three with sheaths in the back. One that comes to us from Commander Rogers, the other is the mag-pouch belt that came with the other Punishers, and the new one is the suspenders rig I mentioned with the revolver holster. There is also a leg drop 1911 holster that can peg into a side hole on any of these rigs, meaning you’ve got plenty of loadout choices. You also get the chest plate in Thunderbolts red, and, if I’m being honest, I kind of like this look better on the standard Punisher — the color, I mean. Any of these rigs will still fit nicely under the trench coat as well.
And lastly, Frank also comes with a nice new set of NVGs. These fit pretty securely over the eyes of any of the heads, and also look really good on top of those heads. In fact, if you were to combine this gear with your standard Punisher, you could easily have an all-black clad Spec-Ops Captain Castle figure in addition to your Punisher.
Whatever ends up being your favorite setup, weapon, look, whatever — you need this thing. You even need the awesome tin it comes in. Trust me, if you can only buy one Punisher figure, hell, maybe one figure at all, you probably should make it this one.
