Steven Grant
Steven Grant is the writer who put the Punisher on the map as a solo star. His 1985–86 miniseries with artist Mike Zeck, The Punisher: Circle of Blood, took Frank Castle from occasional guest vigilante to franchise anchor, establishing the grim, methodical tone that every later Punisher run would build on. A prolific Marvel and DC hand, Grant also created the creator-owned character Whisper.
Circle of Blood is the cornerstone of the modern Punisher line — the story that justified a monthly ongoing and shaped decades of the character. Collected in omnibus and hardcover form, Grant's Punisher work shows the original blueprint before Garth Ennis and others expanded it: lean, brutal crime storytelling with Zeck's iconic Frank Castle art.
Grant is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand where the Punisher's solo template actually came from. His editions are archaeology for serious Frank Castle collectors, and a compact, self-contained read for anyone who prefers tight crime comics over sprawling superhero events.