Fury MAX #8 Review Fury and Frank Castle become prisoners of war.

With Fury MAX taking the wide view of Fury's long military career in the MAX universe, it was only a matter of time before Frank Castle also stepped onto the stage. Fury MAX #8 continues the exploration of the duo's botched assassination mission in Vietnam and Fury's general disillusionment with the American military/industrial complex.

It's definitely a treat to see Ennis writing Frank again, particularly as that version of the character bit the dust last year. Even more entertaining is reading the tense battlefield dynamic between the two soldiers. Much like Greg Rucka's approach to Punisher, the two men don't exactly mince or waste words. However, one odd quality that's reflected both in the art and and the writing is that Frank is a little too similar to the way he's depicted in Punisher MAX. Though clearly battle hardened by this point, I would have expected Frank to still be a little cleaner and less grim than he's shown to be here.

Another strong area of characterization is the antagonist of this particular conflict. General Letrong Giap is a charismatic foe with a clear, understandable stake in the battle. The ultimatum he delivers his two prisoners is also a compelling one, even if it's pretty clear how all of this will turn out. Giap's dynamic with the two prisoners helps offset the fact that this is the second time in this series we've seen Fury fail to assassinate a target and be captured as a result.

Goran Parlov's art remains its usual simple but striking self. His work is strongest in the early pages as the battle rages and takes on that surreal, hellish quality you expect from Vietnam films like Apocalypse Now. Aside from the aforementioned Frank Castle problem, my only issue with the figure work in this issue is Parlov's handling of Shirley. While Parlov seems intent on reflecting the slow passage of time with her features, her already masculine qualities become overly exaggerated in some panels.

Quirks aside, Ennis and Parlov's return to the MAX universe remains as solid as ever. And the more dependable shipping schedule during this second half doesn't hurt.

Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

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