Punisher Max by Garth Ennis Omnibus (2018)

Garth Ennis wrote the first 60 issues of The Punisher under the MAX banner, starting in January 2004, and this omnibus edition collects that run. The setup removes the superhero world entirely: no costumes, no guest stars, only Frank Castle against gangsters and worse. It is widely called the best Punisher run, and arcs like The Slavers and Valley Forge, Valley Forge read like hardboiled war and crime novels rather than comics with a skull on the cover. Take the violence warning seriously. This is the most brutal book on the list, and it is meant to be. For the backstory, read Born first, the four-issue Ennis and Darick Robertson miniseries that led to the ongoing. The cover pictured is the first MAX issue's, not the omnibus's.