Sideshow’s Punisher Figure is Dressed for Success, as Long as Success Means Vengeance

You guys, the Punisher wears a tactleneck. That easily makes him the best-styled vigilante this side of Hell's Kitchen. Well, at least as far as the Sideshow Collectibles version of the character anyway. Sure, body armor is nice (and is included as an accessory to throw on), but when you're out there on the cold New York streets gunning down lawbreakers other heroes would merely hand over to the police, there's honestly no better way to do than in a tactleneck. That's just science.

Originally shown off at San Diego Comic-Con, the Punisher sixth-scale figure from Sideshow Collectibles got a more formal unveiling this week. I suppose it's just in time for New York Comic-Con, where the figure will likely be on display at the company's booth (which is nestled by Archie, IDW and WeLoveFine). Back in July, all we really knew about the figure was that it existed and looked impressive in prototype form. The new details shared today give us a much better idea of what to expect not just from the figure, but from Sideshow's Marvel 1/6 scale line in general, too.

Sideshow's Marvel figure line kicked off with Deadpool (which is due to arrive this quarter), but it wasn't until SDCC that we saw the potential of the line's future. Punisher and Wolverine were also on hand, but it's Frank Castle that will be arriving next. At the time, both figures looked impressive, but the new info about the Punisher piece is very exciting. Often, the Punisher doesn't quite get his due in action figure form, and this is particularly true of scales beyond 1/12 (standard action figure size). The larger scale Sideshow is working in allows for much more detail, many more accessories, and a new style that we haven't quite seen the character rendered in before.

The grizzled head sculpt is definitely strong, but it's hard to tell what era fits this Punisher best. Recent takes have modernized the character's history a bit, but this Frank seems almost old enough to still fall into the Vietnam era. Then again, it's not the years, it's the mileage, and Frank's put a lot of miles on that mug. It's a good start though, and sets the mood for the figure from the neck down.

There are going to be some who scoff at the idea of the Punisher wearing the equivalent of a sweater, but it does get cold at night in all five boroughs. Probably. More importantly, there is optional body armor attached which also features the white skull emblem. Both the regular shirt and the vest have a spray-painted vibe, which was something we've seen before in the Thomas Jane version of the film and Greg Rucka's and Marco Checchetto's run. It fits perfectly with the real-world vibe Sideshow is going for within it's Marvel line, though I do wish it was just a bit less faded. It doesn't really pop the way you expect, but it is definitely still noticeable.

It wouldn't be a Punisher figure without loads of weapons, and Sideshow has included quite a small armory. There's a machine gun, two automatic pistols, two revolvers, two knives, four grenades, and the requisite additional ammo clips in case the first barrage wasn't enough for one night's work. The Sideshow-exclusive version also includes a sub-machine gun (with silencer), and all versions will come with 10 different hands for posing. That's almost enough hands to hold all those weapons.

Pre-orders will open for the Punisher sixth-scale figure on Oct. 8. It will set you back $239.99, but no release date has been announced as of yet. Deadpool's pre-orders opened last September, so it's likely Frank here will be available in the fall of 2016 if the same production time holds.

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