Marvel Comics: 50 best Marvel comic books of the 2000s

28. The Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank

Writer: Garth Ennis

Frank Castle returned to New York after working with literal Angels and telling them where to take their orders and his chance for redemption. He wasn’t just back in the Big Apple. The Punisher kicked off his comeback tour by reminding every criminal in New York that they weren’t safe. Then, he got to Ma Gnucci’s crime family. That’s where the fun really begins.

During their war, there’s a fight in a zoo with Ma Gnucci’s crew. While there, Frank Castle punches a polar bear to attack a mobster and a criminal gets choked out by a snake. If that isn’t enough, find out what happens when three horrible people emulate what Punisher does and tries to join his cause. Spoiler alert, it doesn’t end well for them.

27. Annihilation

Writer: Keith Giffen

This is the ultimate cosmic and intergalactic battle. Nova, the Silver Surfer, Drax, Gamora, Kl’rt, and so many more were involved in the fight against the Annihilation wave. If Annihilus wasn’t stopped, he would have taken over the entire universe.

This is one of those comics where there aren’t a lot of jokes. Just non-stop fighting, brutality, and a look at the casualties of fighting a seemingly unstoppable force. What puts it so high on this list is that it never got boring. As fun as fighting in comics is, it can’t be the only thing. The vast amount of characters with different personalities helped make this a must-read. Keith Giffen did an amazing job giving everyone time to shine.