This book deserves five stars for killing off the Vulture, alone. Besides that, we're also given a great Punisher story that does a fantastic job of letting the supporting cast shine. And, of course, we get to see the Punisher doing what he does best. Being a cold-blooded, force of nature. Seriously, if this book has done anything right thus far, it's turning the Punisher into a (mostly) silent killing machine that will end your ass. Greg Rucka has done a fantastic job so far of avoiding the typical Punisher story issues and contrivances of the past. We don't get a Frank Castle that is perpetually in mourning over the loss of his family, or constantly reminding himself of the time he spent in Vietnam (looks like it's the Gulf War now). Instead, we get a Punisher that is like an unstoppable, mythical, force that everyone is deathly afraid of, and that's what the Punisher should be. Hell, He's a bad mother f***er even after he falls like 5 stories and breaks his leg. Rucka even pokes fun at how over played the Punisher's origin has become and chalks it up to "sucky" writing. What this book hasn't really gotten any credit for, however, is how Rucka is moving the supporting cast front and center, and making them awfully compelling at the same time. In this issue, we get to spend a lot of time with Norah Winters as she struggles to figure out if she should reveal the Punisher's hideout, and if releasing the information will help anyone but herself. In the end, Norah makes her decision, and we get a nice moment where Norah interviews the widowed Sergeant Cole, or, as she prefers, Sergeant Alves. Overall, it's a nice story, and we get to see Norah's character evolve and develop a little more. Of course, we still get the two detectives' from Seven trying to hunt down clues regarding the Punisher and the Wedding Day Massacre. unfortunately, there weren't any real advancements regarding their characters nor their investigation. Morgan Freeman is still dead set on catching the Punisher, and Brad Pitt still feels guilty for feeding the Punisher information. Checchetto's art has also come a long way since the first issue, as well. It still has some rough spots here and there, but, overall, his style is improving from issue to issue and the dark grittiness fits the tone of the book. Plus, his storyboarding has gotten a lot better when it comes to the action scenes. In earlier issues, the action could be hard to follow sometimes. Here, it's clear and well paced. It's not the best, but it's nothing terrible. In the end, this was the best issue yet of Rucka's run and it seems to be improving with each issue. With each issue, the plot advances, the characters grow, and the Punisher remains badass.