1988 Comic Images The Punisher: The Whole Tough Tale gives the vigilante his first solo set of trading cards. Like most of Comic Image’s other Marvel sets from the late 1980s and early ’90s, it’s a simple set-up. However, somewhat limited availability on the secondary market today makes it a relatively tough one to put together.
Consisting of 50 cards, the set recaps The Punisher Vol. 1, the five-issue mini-series that first hit stands in late 1985 and carried over to 1986.
The checklist leads off with recreations of comic covers before moving into highlights from the books themselves using panels drawn by Mike Zeck. Instead of a traditional border, they’re done with a scattered brick effect.
Backs have the title art at the top and the number inside of The Punisher’s skull icon. There’s also a caption and a short written synopsis.
With just 50 cards on the checklist and 50 packs of five cards per box, putting a set together shouldn’t be tough. The bigger challenge is finding a box. They’ve long since dried up as far as quantity goes. Finding full sets and even singles on the secondary market aren’t all that plentiful, either.
1988 Comic Images The Punisher: The Whole Tough Tale Checklist
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Set size: 50 cards
Cards per pack: 5
Packs per box: 50
Shop for 1988 Comic Images The Punisher: The Whole Tough Tale boxes and packs on eBay.
Base Set Checklist
50 cards.
Buy on eBay:
1 Checklist
2 Circle of Blood
3 The Files
4 Attacked
5 Jigsaw / Punisher
6 Prepare to Escape
7 Saved
8 Prison Break
9 Plan Two
10 The Offer
11 Forced Revenge
12 Back to the War
13 Get Kingpin
14 The Trap
15 BOOM!
16 Rescued
17 Alaric
18 Set Up
19 Ambushed
20 Face to Face
21 Angela’s Secret
22 Slaughterday
23 Santiago
24 The New Driver
25 Don’t Snivel
26 You’re Not Mob
27 Lookalike
28 One Down
29 Hello Marcus
30 Angela?!
31 Not you, Too!
32 Final Solution
33 Surprise Visit
34 Dead Aide
35 Packing it in
36 Drive On
37 Jigsaw or Punisher
38 Showdown
39 Come with Me
40 Down the Hatch
41 In the Chamber
42 Final Solution II
43 Strategy Time
44 Vapor Lock
45 Breakout
46 Strike Back
47 Off Guard
48 Do it, Or else
49 Enough, Tony
50 Do Nothing
