Punisher War Journal #1 2007 VF+

Punisher War Journal #1 (2007) marks the relaunch of Frank Castle's secondary title (Volume 2), released on November 15, 2006 (with a January 2007 cover date). Written by Matt Fraction with digital art and a main cover by Ariel Olivetti, this issue seamlessly reintegrated the Punisher into the core Marvel Universe continuity by tying into the historic Civil War crossover event.

The Story: 'Bring on the Bad Guys'

Up until this issue, Frank Castle completely ignored the Superhuman Registration Act conflict. However, everything changes when Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D. begin hiring known supervillains (like the Thunderbolts) to track down the unregistered anti-registration heroes.

For Frank, "spandex-clad baddies carrying badges" is an absolute line in the sand. The story explores: 

• The Hunt: Iron Man commissions high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. operative G.W. Bridge—a specialist who explicitly tracks down hard-to-catch targets—to lead a task force to bring down the Punisher once and for all.
• The Trigger: S.H.I.E.L.D. raids several of Frank's hidden safe houses and seizes large quantities of his weapons cache. 
• The Turning Point: After witnessing the corrupt nature of the government's super-powered enforcers, Frank decides to officially intervene in the Civil War. By the end of the comic's narrative arc, Frank rescues Spider-Man after Peter is brutally beaten by Jack O'Lantern and Jester, physically carrying him into Captain America's secret Anti-Registration headquarters.